Jana Weinstein is the Director of Social Commerce and Affiliate Strategy at Blue Wheel Media, an omnichannel marketing and operational agency, where she leads influencer, creator, and affiliate strategies across managed programs and creator-led initiatives. As a sales and growth leader, she specializes in TikTok Shop, business development, go-to-market strategies, and full-funnel social commerce performance. Before Blue Wheel, Jana was part of the founding team of TikTok Shop, where she launched the partner ecosystem and built enterprise agency partnerships. She also served as the Director of Partnerships for TikTok Shop at Pattern®. 

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

• [1:13] How Jana Weinstein joined TikTok Shop’s founding team and her leadership role at Blue Wheel Media
• [2:43] Insights on TikTok’s growth and opportunities for brands
• [6:42] Three key reasons to leverage TikTok Shop: audience reach, the halo effect on other channels, and revenue potential
• [12:43] How affiliates and creators drive TikTok Shop revenue and an overview of the affiliate program
• [20:39] The shift from creating viral content to focusing on targeted influencer and affiliate marketing
• [23:14] New AI-driven tools and first-party data initiatives on TikTok
• [28:08] Navigating TikTok Shop operations by partnering with agencies 

In this episode…

While many brands recognize TikTok Shop’s potential to boost sales and discoverability, they often hesitate to get started on the platform. Concerns about content creation, budget limits, and measuring results can make it difficult to identify a starting point. How can brands start and scale on TikTok Shop?

According to social commerce expert Jana Weinstein, TikTok Shop is worth the investment. She advises brands to begin by building an authentic, organic presence through simple, consistent content to train the platform’s algorithm. Paid media can boost visibility while affiliate programs generate revenue, provided brands cultivate strong creator relationships and gamify engagement. Achieving growth on TikTok requires an intentional long-term strategy rather than a quick viral hit.

Tune in to this episode of The Digital Deep Dive as Jana Weinstein, Director of Social Commerce and Affiliate Strategy at Blue Wheel Media, returns to speak with Aaron Conant about why TikTok Shop is a long-term marketing investment. Jana shares three reasons to get started on the platform, TikTok’s recent growth and new opportunities, and how to navigate operations on TikTok Shop.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Aaron Conant on LinkedIn
• BWG Connect
• Jana Weinstein on LinkedIn
• Blue Wheel Media
• Cohley

Quotable Moments:

• "I was one of the first 50 founding members of the TikTok Shop US team."
• "Creators are the lifeblood of the platform, so after you gain followers, lean into affiliates."
• "If you are going to be measuring your affiliates within the platform, TikTok Shop is the way."
• "There is validity in investing in this channel, but it can’t be with hopes to go viral."
• "It's important to build that community…because they essentially are your salespeople selling for you."

Action Steps:

1. Start posting authentic TikTok content consistently: Regular posting trains the algorithm and builds recognition without requiring polished production. Consistency helps brands reach audiences faster and sets the foundation for future paid growth.
2. Use paid media to amplify reach: Boosting organic content with paid ads accelerates follower growth and improves placement on For You pages. This early investment ensures content reaches potential customers beyond initial followers.
3. Build an affiliate creator program: Affiliates drive the majority of TikTok Shop revenue and act as dedicated brand advocates. Developing a strong creator network increases sales and provides authentic promotion to engaged audiences.
4. Cultivate long-term relationships with key creators: Establishing ongoing partnerships fosters loyalty and enhances brand storytelling over time. Strong relationships encourage creators to consistently promote your products and generate repeat revenue.
5. Monitor and adapt to TikTok’s evolving features and data tools: The platform changes rapidly, from AI-driven analytics to new seller tools. Staying updated allows brands to leverage new capabilities and maintain a competitive edge.

About BWG Connect...

BWG Connect provides executive strategy and networking sessions that help brands from any industry with their overall business planning and execution. We network and knowledge share together to better understand and adapt to the newest trends, strategies, and pain points shaping growth in the digital space. BWG Connect, in conjunction with BWG Strategy, has built an exclusive network of 125,000+ senior professionals and hosts over 2,000 virtual and in-person networking events on an annual basis.

In addition, we have had 1x1 conversations with over 5,000 brands and have a real-time pulse on what digital strategies are successful and why. This in-depth knowledge allows our team to operate on the cutting-edge and provide our clients with best-in-class guidance on how to win in the digital world. We have provided free consultations and strategy sessions for companies of all sizes, from start-ups to Fortune-100, to enable growth, resolve issues and make curated service provider introductions that can impact your digital footprint.

We have held to the philosophy of providing high-level insights and actionable knowledge with no sales pitches in order to provide to our network the ability to listen, learn and act to improve themselves as well as their organizations. Our ultimate goal is to be the resource out there to help digital executives find the research they need to excel in the modern marketplace.

If you are interested in getting involved with any of our current or past events, you can find them here. If you are looking for help & would like to set up some time to chat with our team, you can schedule a time or reach out directly to Aaron@bwgconnect.com or Tiffany@bwgconnect.com.