TikTok is probably the hottest new app we have seen with 1 billion monthly active users and 200 million downloads just in the US. What might have once seemed like a mindless social media application at first with videos-sharing capabilities and 15 second videos is actually an incredible platform that allows for immense amounts of creativity and sharing. TikTok is the real deal and perfect for the younger generations though it is also gaining more traction among older audiences. Approximately 40% of TikTok users are now above 30 in the US.
TikTok has all kinds of material on its platform from political videos to quick recipes! The way the app is designed means users can watch videos that are concise and to the point where you can learn a lot without losing precious time. So if you think your business’s target audience is on TikTok then you definitely need to join this platform as soon as possible.
How to Set Up a TikTok Business Account?
Let us begin with the basics.
- You need to download the application either from the App Store or the Play Store.
- Make a TikTok account (unless you already have one).
- Familiarize yourself with the application and its user interface.
- Look at how other similar brands might be using TikTok to market themselves.
When done with this preliminary stage you can then proceed ahead to setting up a business account as follows:
- On the top right corner of the “Me” page select the three dots.
- Go to “Manage my account” and choose the “Switch to Pro Account” option after which you can select the “Business Account.”
- Select the category your business falls under or is most closely related to so that you can get notifications accordingly such as of events etc.
- Add a link to your website and your business email address.
You can then begin creating videos using TikTok’s array of content creation tools such as TikTok Ad Studio and several other video templates.
Still feeling a little clueless about how to make the most of this platform? Now that we have established how to set up a business account, we can move on to helping you figure out the best way to market on this platform with the tips below:
Hashtags!
Uploading a video on TikTok is pretty easy. The tricky part is making sure you get views. How do you do that? Well one of the most organic ways to market yourself is to effectively use hashtags. You can use about 30 hashtags on TikTok with each hashtag consisting of at least 3 characters.
Not sure which hashtags to use for your video? Take a look to see what kind of hashtags your competitors are using or use the search bar on TikTok to enter a broad general hashtag related to your video after which you will be suggested other related hashtags. You can then use those for your video plus it will help get those brain juices going so you can think of unique hashtags for your business.
You could even start a hashtag challenge. You could make a video with your brand hashtag that catches the attention of users. If it’s well made you may just begin a viral trend where people try to imitate you and spread your hashtag. This can tremendously help grow your following.
Frequent Scheduled Posting
It doesn’t matter which social media application you use. Frequent posting is incredibly important. By posting around three to five times a week at the same time you develop consistency and your followers then remain engaged and interested in you. However, in the case that you do not post regularly or you post at very random times with large gaps between posts your followers will get bored and un-follow you. On the other hand make sure you do not post too much all at once as this can annoy your followers since they might feel like they are being spammed and un-follow you. Remember they want to check out other TikTok-ers too.
Use Trendy Music
If you are not up to date with the latest songs then you should go check out Spotify or YouTube and find out the most current popular songs or just songs that sound right and match your video. TikTok became popular with its ability to put music in the background and when followers watch your video with a good background song it is going to make a huge difference in their attraction to your videos.
Interact With Your Audience
Interaction with your audience can be fun and a great way to develop consumer engagement. This is fairly easy to do as well since users can comment on your videos and you can even reply to their comments. Brands which frequently respond or give witty replies soon gain a reputation for being attentive and funny. And I mean who doesn’t like a little dose of humor.
Partner/Collaborate with Other Influencers or Brands
Ads aren’t what they used to be and thanks to so many streaming services most people do not watch traditional commercials anymore. Gen Z, in particular, has grown up with high-speed internet and streaming on their TVs from the get-go thanks to internet packages so what do you do if you want to advertise your goods? Collaborate with influencers on TikTok or other companies. Using this method is effective in helping you and your partner reach a wider audience through promoting the both of you.
TikTok Ads
TikTok offers different types of ads: Infeed Native Content, Brand Takeovers, Hashtag Challenges, Branded Lenses. Some of these methods are more organic others and the type of advertising method you use also depends on the money you are willing to spend. Do your research before you invest in an ad and if you are sure then make sure to use the right type of ad for your product/service.
On a Final Note
Advertising and growing a business is never an easy task. This is why it is important to stay up to date with the current trends and this means applications that are used by your target audience. We live in a world where you got to be on your tip toes and continually innovate to stay competitive so make sure to use TikTok to help you do that.
