There's something that's been bugging me for a while, and I think it's time to share my thoughts with you. Over the past year, TikTok has taken a bit of a downhill turn, especially since they introduced the TikTok Shop.
For those who may not know, when this feature was implemented, it brought a QVC-like atmosphere to the platform. Pre-existing businesses, particularly those focused on handcrafted items like candles, knitted goods, and other handmade products, suddenly found themselves competing with a flood of mass-produced items. It’s my belief, and that of many others, that this shift caused a lot of people to turn away from TikTok.
Instead of discovering a random crafter just starting their business as you scrolled through TikTok, every other live seems to be selling the same cheap items. This change made it feel like the platform had lost some of its magic.
Given this, I'm sure some of you might be wondering if Illuminate Apothecary has been affected by these changes. It might seem like things aren’t going well based on fewer viewers on my live streams. But let me assure you, that’s not the case. In fact, it's quite the opposite—I’m still maintaining my sales volume and on trend to grow this year!
I don’t usually like to talk numbers because it feels a bit awkward, especially knowing other small businesses follow me. I never want to discourage or seem like I’m boasting, but this past summer and the current trend with my fall collection have made this year one of my best. And that’s all thanks to you!
By introducing a new immersive element into my business with Lanikai Sands and now the books that correspond to my collections, I’ve managed to maintain and even grow my loyal supporter base.
Over the past year, I’ve struggled with seeing the views drop on my lives, and for a while, I thought it was me. I worried that I might be seeing the end of my journey. But sales numbers don’t lie—the support you’ve shown this past summer and into the fall has been nothing short of incredible.
Some might be asking, "Then why stay on TikTok?" Despite its decline in viewers, it's still the best platform for organic growth to this date.
So, if you come to my lives and notice the numbers are low, please don’t get discouraged or think things are bad for me—they aren’t. Just tap that screen, share my lives, hand out the business cards I provide in your orders, and spread the word about how amazing my candles, wax melts, and room sprays are! With all that said, even though we’re on track to meet last year’s sales numbers, I’d love it if we could break records together.
Thank you for being such an incredible part of this journey. Let’s continue to grow, support each other, and make this year the best one yet!
With gratitude,
Jonathan
I’m sad I don’t get to catch you live more often these days. I remember Dunn Spunn sending me your way early on. You would set goals on your screen during your lives of having 10 orders or so. You often didn’t make it, but you still came back, and now you’re crushing those goals! You’re a rockstar, Jonathan (and so is Patrick)!