(Canton) Last day of classes of a two-week session dedicated to TikTok: dressed in hijabs and abayas over their shorts and tank tops, Chinese students film themselves and practice selling clothes on the application worldwide famous.
“It’s muslin, it’s really breathable,” exclaims the instructor of this Guangzhou (south) online business school in English as she presents the clothes to the camera for Muslim buyers in the Kingdom -Uni, and detailing prices and sizes.
Although officially blocked in China, the TikTok application is increasingly used by Chinese sellers. To use it, you must use virtual private network (VPN) software, generally tolerated by the authorities when used for professional purposes.
Succeeding on the social network, which is characterized by sharing short videos, requires multiple skills, ranging from circumventing Chinese internet censorship to foreign languages. Consequently, the offer of training and services in this niche has increased.
“We teach them which products sell best and which markets are most suitable for them,” Wang Yaxuan, 27, another trainer at the school, told AFP.
Do without intermediaries
In Guangdong, thousands of factories produce everything from abayas to coffee machines to wigs.
After decades of producing goods for export, Chinese companies are increasingly seeking to cut out middlemen and sell directly to foreign consumers, at even lower prices.
Shein, the Chinese fast fashion giant, has also established itself in the Western market thanks to this strategy and by using the strike force of TikTok.
But since the app is not officially available in China, smaller businesses are at a disadvantage.
These training courses aim to help them by teaching them the basics, such as creating an account on the social network, as well as more advanced aspects such as managing shipments or analyzing sales data.
At the Mede Education Technology online business school, the price for six days of training is around 9,000 yuan minimum, or around 1,740 Canadian dollars.
One of the students, Qiu Zhouwen, in his 30s, works for a cosmetics company that signed him up because it plans to sell its products on TikTok.
“Information is part of the costs (of doing business),” he explains.
Mme Wang, who was educated in the United States, says it can be difficult for Chinese sellers to adapt to the different tastes of foreign consumers.
As TikTok faces ban in the United States on suspicion of sharing personal data with the Chinese government, this prospect leaves Mme Wang indifferent.
“Our students do not only sell on the American market,” she emphasizes, citing for example the good performance of sales in South-East Asia.
Warm-up routine
The Mede school is just one of many offering TikTok training, while in Guangdong, authorities have put up posters to promote international trade on the internet.
And for those who don’t want to pay high fees, it’s always possible to glean tips and tricks from TikTok veterans.
Molly Zhao, 23, has been selling products including clothing and electronics since 2022.
The young woman, who studied in Italy and speaks Italian and English, explains to AFP that her language skills have allowed her to earn up to 20,000 yuan per month (nearly 2,600 euros).
On the Douyin application, the equivalent of TikTok in China, she regularly posts videos intended for her compatriots to teach them basic terms in English or how to clearly explain shipping costs.
In another video, smiling and dancing, she shares her warm-up routine before a session selling precious stones and crystals to Americans.
“It’s time to earn America’s money,” she deadpans. “I’m going to put on some music to motivate myself.”
reference: www.lapresse.ca