How to TikTok Live: Polling Affiliates Before You Build the Promo

Catalina Leyva, Director of Retention and Social Commerce at Mary Ruth Organics, shares how her team plans TikTok Shop campaigns for BFCM by treating affiliate creators as strategic partners rather than just distribution channels. She argues that having a big following does not guarantee conversions on TikTok Shop, which is why micro creators have become a core part of their business. Her team runs polls inside a private Discord group to ask creators what deal structures they prefer, including 24-hour deals, weekend deals, or weeklong promotions, and uses that feedback directly when building campaigns. Leyva also explains how pulling historical data from Shopify and Amazon helps them understand which promotions have worked in prior years, giving them a real baseline before the chaos of peak season hits. The strategy of starting promotions earlier than the traditional BFCM window, with teaser hints to build anticipation, is a key part of how they compete for limited consumer attention.

Watch to see how the full creator feedback loop actually gets built.