I bet it’s not just me; most people still think TikTok is just for dances and trends.

And yeah, there is some kind of truth in that because a lot of it is. But there’s something else happening on that app, and it’s worth paying attention to.

A Pew Research study published in April 2026, surveying 1,458 U.S. teens, found that roughly 6 in 10 TikTok users say they go there specifically for product reviews.

That’s not a typo. Six in ten.

And that number is higher than Instagram. Way higher than Snapchat.

So while everyone’s debating whether TikTok is good or bad for teens, a big chunk of younger buyers are already on there looking for what to buy next.

That’s a different thing entirely.

Here’s the thing: if you’re a business owner or a creator on TikTok, and you post the same way you would post on Instagram or YouTube. Clean videos, long captions, brand colors. Everything looks polished and professional.

And then you might wonder why nothing moves.

TikTok product discovery doesn’t work like that.

It works through short, casual content. Think: “here’s what I got, here’s what I actually think, here’s the weird part nobody talks about.”

That’s the stuff teens actually stop and watch.

And if you sell anything online, even just as a side hustle, that stat is kind of hard to ignore.

So the question is, how do you actually use TikTok in a way that makes people want to buy?

📌 Don’t treat TikTok like a highlight reel. Treat it like a voice message with visuals. Show the product. Show your face. Be normal about it.

On top of that, I also made a guide on how to start selling on each platform, including TikTok, without overthinking it.

If you’re still figuring out where to start or which platform actually fits what you sell, it’s worth a read.

📌 The same Pew study found that about 4 in 10 TikTok teen users say the app hurts their sleep.

They know it. They still use it. It’s not a good thing, but on the other hand, that shows how sticky it is, and that same pull keeps people product content late into the night.

📌 Here’s where people waste time: Snapchat.

Teens message and post there more than anywhere else. But almost none of that is product research. So if you’re putting energy into Snapchat hoping to drive sales, you’re probably in the wrong room.

📌 One thing I keep seeing with beginners is that they want to be on every platform at once.

Pick one, learn how it works, and get one sale from it first. TikTok is a solid place to test this if your product is visual and you’re okay with being on camera for 30 seconds.

TikTok being an entertainment app and TikTok being a product discovery platform, those two things aren’t opposites.

They’re running at the same time.

And when you understand that, you stop posting hoping for views and start showing up with something worth buying.

Stay curious,

Minosh

P.S. If you have YouTube videos and want to turn them into TikTok-ready clips without editing everything manually, Klap does that for you.

I tried it a few times, and it works really well. And you can try it for free too.

(affiliate link, I earn a small commission if you sign up)