In 2023, when we started working with the first TikTok LIVE agency in Romania, most of the entrepreneurs we spoke to regarded the platform as a place for dances and teenagers. Three years later, TikTok has over 9 million users in Romania, a significant share of them aged 25 to 44, and the LIVE feature has become a fully fledged commercial channel. As an official TikTok partner, we see daily how it works from the inside. Here is what we have learned.
What TikTok LIVE actually is
It is live broadcasting from within the app, available to accounts with at least 1,000 followers. Unlike a regular video, a LIVE allows real-time interaction: comments, questions, virtual gifts (which convert into money for the creator), inviting other creators into “battles” and, in markets where TikTok Shop is active, direct product sales with an on-screen basket.
The algorithm favours LIVEs: they are shown in the “For You” feed even to users who do not follow you, which means a good LIVE can bring thousands of new viewers without any ad budget.
Five ways companies use LIVE
- Direct selling (live shopping). Clothing, cosmetics, jewellery or electronics shops present products live, answer questions and direct viewers to the online shop or WhatsApp. Conversion rates are 3-5 times higher than for a regular video, because objections are handled on the spot.
- Creator recruitment. TikTok LIVE agencies (such as our client Streamline Agency) use LIVEs to attract new creators, show them how the gifting system works and sign them to the agency.
- Services with a visual component. Salons, barbershops, tattoo studios, photo studios and restaurants broadcast while working. La Mustață Barbershop in Botoșani filled its bookings for the following week after a few one-hour LIVEs.
- Education and consulting. Accountants, lawyers, nutritionists and estate agents answer questions live and turn the audience into clients.
- Events and launches. Shop openings, product launches, concerts, fairs – a LIVE extends the event beyond those physically present.
How the money works
There are three sources of revenue or results:
- Virtual gifts. Viewers buy coins and send gifts; the creator receives roughly half their value. For creators with an audience, monthly income reaches hundreds or thousands of euros. Agencies receive a commission from TikTok for the creators they manage.
- Direct sales. Traffic to the online shop, WhatsApp or bookings. Measured like any channel: cost per lead, cost per order.
- LIVE ads. Through TikTok Ads you can promote an ongoing LIVE to targeted audiences, with a budget from 20-30 EUR per broadcast. It is the cheapest way to fill a LIVE quickly with relevant viewers.
What holds you back: beginners' mistakes
- A LIVE without structure. The first 30 seconds decide whether the viewer stays. You need a hook, a clear promise and a rhythm.
- Poor lighting and sound. You do not need a studio, but you do need a ring light, a 30 EUR lavalier microphone and a clean background.
- No schedule. An audience is built through consistency: the same days, the same hours, at least 3 LIVEs per week of at least 45 minutes.
- No call to action. If you do not say five times in an hour what you want the viewer to do, they will do nothing.
- Ignoring the comments. A LIVE is a conversation, not a presentation.
What a well-made business LIVE looks like
A format tested on the accounts we manage:
| Minute | What happens |
|---|---|
| 0-2 | Hook: what viewers get if they stay (offer, demonstration, answers) |
| 2-15 | Main presentation, with the product or service in action |
| 15-30 | Questions and answers from the comments, mentioning names |
| 30-45 | Offer limited to the duration of the LIVE, code or link |
| 45-60 | Recap, announcement of the next LIVE, thanks for the gifts |
Why an official partner matters
Our official TikTok partner status gives us access to the creator agency programme, dedicated account support and new features ahead of public release. In practice, for a client it means: a business account configured correctly from day one, LIVE promotion campaigns optimised according to the platform's recommendations and, for agencies, creator onboarding done by TikTok's rules rather than by rumour.
How to start
For companies wanting to test the channel, the Social START package includes the content strategy and the LIVE calendar; for paid promotion, TikTok Ads & TikTok LIVE. Our creative studio also produces the visual materials (backgrounds, overlays, intros) in vertical format. If you have a shop, a salon or an agency and want to know whether LIVE makes sense for you, write to us – the first 30-minute conversation is free.
TikTok LIVE does not replace your website, Google or reviews. But for businesses with a product or service that looks good on camera, it is right now the channel with the cheapest attention on the market.
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Schedule a free 30-minute call with a consultant.
