The busy mum slots her work around her family’s schedule, and has found a community online through sharing her bargain finds from Irish businesses
Tracey Dylan at TikTok HQ in Dublin
A Dublin mum-of-three is making her living through TikTok Shop and has found a new sense of purpose from her work.
Coolock woman Tracey Dylan was previously on Carers Allowance as she looked after her children, one of whom has autism. But after starting to sell products via TikTok Shop, she was able to come off the payment and support her family through the social media shopping feature.
TikTok Shop was introduced in December 2024, and has paid out over €2 million euro to Irish creators since its launch. It allows creators to work with brands across Ireland, sharing their products with their communities through Shoppable Videos and LIVE Shopping sessions.
Tracey began using the feature as soon as it became available. She said that being a spokesperson for products via the app has allowed her to make an income while being home with her family. The first month, she made €50, the second, €200, and upwards it went from there as she began seeing TikTok Shop as a serious potential earner.
One highlight from her time as a seller has been the ability to afford a private assessment for one of her children after previously waiting on a years-long HSE list. “I have three kids, so I’m a full-time carer which is how I got into it because you can’t work, ” she told Dublin Live.
She already had a following of around 20,000 when she began selling. She had accumulated her following through making “normal” content, such as lip-synching videos, chatty every-day content and sharing quotes.
Once the Shop feature opened to Irish users, she gave it a go, never thinking it would take off for her. Persistently humble about her success, Tracey said that seeing the money begin to to build made her want to keep going. She said: “I remember the first month I made like €50 euro. If someone handed me €50 euro, that’s a lot of money, when you’re literally living off every euro you have.
Tracey Dylan at TikTok HQ in Dublin
“Now I’ve seen a little glimpse of what you can actually achieve. I literally started at the bottom, I wouldn’t have been known for anything. It just shows that anyone can do it. I feel like people think, ‘oh maybe I’m not pretty enough,’ well if you thought of what people would think, you wouldn’t do anything anyway.
“You just have to put yourself out there sometimes. And I’m normally very shy, I’m not going to be the loudest person in the room, but I absolutely love doing it, and everything that kind of comes with it as well is a bonus, like the fact that I actually feel like I’m doing something for myself.
“Because obviously when you do have kids sometimes you’re not mixing with a lot of people, because you don’t have a job you physically go to. But with this, people are commenting and there are girls doing similar things to you.”
One element that has made Tracey’s content popular on the app is her focus on bargain hunting and presenting the best deals she finds to her audience. She makes quick and snappy videos with extreme frequency – on the day she spoke with Dublin Live, she posted over 60 short videos to her page.
The majority of them focused on products, while others were real life moments – attending an event, talking about her day and sharing her gratitude for the community she has. Her kids, who range in age from their teens to early 20s, have friends who see their mam on TikTok when they are scrolling, and Tracey said her children support her work.
“They love to actually see me doing something I think. Because when you can’t physically go to work it’s very hard to find something to do, especially with the hours you’d have to put into a real job. Now with the kids, I can work on the go if we go out,” she said, adding that she can schedule her videos to go up around the busy demands of family life such as meal times and GAA training.
Rachel Doyle, Sarah McGarrity, Tracey Dylan, Aine McEvoy and Hannah at TikTok HQ in Dublin
Usually when we think of social media influencing as a job, we think of situations where an online figure is paid to make content directly by a brand. But, affiliate marketing has always been a popular means of income for influencers.
In the case of TikTok Shop creators, they can promote products for brands, and make a percentage commission for every sale they make. The videos are shoppable, so when a user clicks through from a Shop creators video, the app and the brand knows that the creator is responsible for the sale.
While a traditional social media influencer may need thousands or even tens of thousands of followers to unlock this means of income, TikToks requirements are that a creator is over the age of 18 and has 500 followers. The feature has faced some criticism from users who want to see content that does not focus on shopping. Tracey said she understands this complaint, but hopes that anyone who doesn’t want to see her videos will use the block button and move on.
TikTok Shop is opening access to all Irish businesses, moving from invite-only to an open platform. You can find racey on TikTok at @traceydylan23.
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