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TikTok is one of the most popular social media platforms today, a great source of entertainment for more than 80 billion monthly active users worldwide. It mainly appeals to the younger demographic, as it helps them create trendy videos with fascinating music that they can easily share with their friends.
You’ll be surprised to know that this social media network is not all comedy sketches and dance challenges. Several businesses that target an older demographic now advertise on TikTok, creating videos that stand out, boost visibility and increase sales. Use TikTok to reach your target clients in a fun, creative way.
What is TikTok?
TikTok is a platform for sharing and discovering bite-sized video content, allowing users to create short, engaging videos up to 10 minutes long. In addition, it comes with an assortment of in-app special effects, music, and filters.
Millions of influencers, brands, and content creators now use TikTok to express themselves, further their online presence, grow their following, and monetize their videos.
The thing is, just like any other social media platform, TikTok has reached a saturation point where it’s almost impossible to get people’s attention and get your message across without an incredible amount of work. Strategies vary, but it all boils down to good storytelling, not a fancy production.
TikTok For Business: To-Do List
1. Watch Videos
If you just joined TikTok, don’t jump into content creation right away. Instead, take the time to look around and see what other entrepreneurs in the same industry are doing in this part of the online world. View their profiles and check how they set themselves apart from the rest. Moreover, explore in-app filters and tools before officially recording your first ever video.
2. Create Videos
It’s time to create videos and share them with your followers! Should you upload it to the app or record it in the app? This part can be a bit overwhelming for you as a newbie since there are so many audio and visual effects that you can incorporate into your work. Apart from those in-app options, there are third-party apps that you can use to add more exciting elements to your videos.
3. Interact with People
Never miss the chance to interact with followers, potential clients, and fellow business owners. Follow their accounts and leave comments on the videos you loved the most. Consequently, you can respond to other people’s comments on your video and pin your favorites. Just press on the comment you’d like to pin, then tap Pin comment!
4. Spend Virtual Coins
TikTok Coins are in-app currency paid for with real money. Audiences use it to buy virtual gifts during live streams to show their appreciation for their favorite content creators. Once received, the gifts become Diamonds that creators can exchange for cash and withdraw through their PayPal accounts.
The TikTok Live Stream Program is not for everyone, though. To unlock TikTok Live, you should be at least 16 years old with 1,000 followers. As a new content creator running a growing business, focus on creating quality, engaging content to attract a wider audience and eventually monetize your account in various ways.
5. Explore TikTok Ads
Organically growing a social media page won’t happen overnight, even if some of your videos go viral. If you can, explore TikTok advertising. Choose from a vast range of ad formats that meet your campaign objectives and boost publicity for your business.
Top view ads, in-feed ads, brand takeovers, or hashtag challenges? Whatever your goals are, a creative, powerful campaign is essential in attracting engaged users, converting leads, and maximizing visibility on this platform.
TikTok Best Practices
1. Think Vertical and Create Vertical
Tiktok videos are designed to be watched on smartphones, so vertical format is the norm. Don’t expect your viewers to rotate their screens just to watch your video, especially when they see it from their For You Page. Those in vertical formats fit instantly on your viewers’ screens.
Some users, however, still share landscape videos or edit their landscape shots to fit in a vertical frame. But, according to TikTok, vertical videos see a 40.1% increase in impressions compared to those who choose to upload in horizontal or square format. The best strategy is to shoot your video vertically, so you wouldn’t have to deal with a complex editing process.
2. Shoot High-Resolution Videos
TikTok’s top-performing videos have 720p to 1080p video quality, about 30 frames per second. If you’re recording in a low-light area, 720p or 480p may be better for your video. Grainy videos wouldn’t boost your visibility and help you with your marketing.
Quality matters in all social media networks, especially on TikTok! While you’re uploading on the platform, see that you have a strong internet connection. A bad connection or any interruption in the saving process may result in errors and video glitches.
3. Add Music and Sound Effects
When adding music to your TikTok videos, you have two options. First, use music from your personal files, and then second, add sound effects from TikTok’s audio library. You can even apply a voice filter to change your voice! Transform a simple, raw video into a creative material that can effectively promote your products and services.
Feel free to experiment with different sound effects to see what suits your aesthetic. In addition to your favorites, my advice is to take into account the latest trends in music. Just don’t add music that is not copyright safe.
4. Keep Your TikTok Videos Short, Sweet and Valuable
Your videos must communicate the message you’re trying to get across from the first second. Shorter TikToks perform better, with a 1.6% impression increase for videos between 21 and 34 seconds. Indeed, creating shorter videos has now become a strategy to achieve more social exposure.
These videos boast powerful brand recall and are a major source of engagement. Why is that? Simply because people don’t have much time on their hands. Thus, when they turn to their social media accounts to take a break, they tend to spend most of their time watching and engaging with short but highly entertaining videos.
5. Use Hashtags
Hashtags are a crucial part of your TikTok strategy. From increasing visibility and building community to promoting new products and services, using the right hashtags go a long way in serving your videos in front of the right audiences. Using popular hashtags is fine, but it may not help you get conversions and engagement with massive competition.
The For You section, TikTok’s main feed, serves content to users based on captions and hashtags. Therefore, research thoroughly what hashtags and keywords you should use based on the niche audience you want to reach.
6. Create Episodic Content
Create episodic content once in a while and encourage your viewers to tune in! One of the best things about creating an online series is that you can be the boss, producer, and host of your own show. The challenge with TikTok videos is that they are short, so plan carefully. You only have a few episodes to make your marketing message stand out.
If you’re a life coach who wants to talk about mental health, share three videos with connected parts instead of just posting just one. For each episode, you can share bite-sized tips on avoiding stress and anxiety and some relaxation practices. Then, come up with a launch and promotion schedule based on analytics.
7. Establish Good Relationships with Influencers
New business owners who are just learning more about marketing online don’t usually venture into influencer marketing, but it’s best to research it as early as possible. There’s nothing like working with other thought leaders and influencers in the same industry! Here’s a brilliant suggestion that you would undoubtedly enjoy.
Instead of instantly working with influencers to bring your message to life in their own unique way, start off by interacting with them. Grab their attention by commenting with meaningful replies on their TikTok videos. Moreover, attend local events where you can meet like-minded professionals – those you can potentially create TikTok videos with!
8. Post Daily Content
Some TikTok videos take days to produce, but sometimes, filming a simple message for a few minutes in your home office will do. For example, if you’re a solopreneur who wants to show her audiences what day-to-day work looks like, strike a short yet worthwhile conversation with them.
Share the small challenges you encountered during the day and how you got through them. Exactly how you would share your thoughts with friends. To resonate with prospective clients, do human-to-human service and establish relationships as the focal points of your message, even though generating leads and sales are parts of your goal.
9. Write Engaging Captions
Writing engaging, compelling TikTok video captions is just one of the steps towards virality and visibility. Remember that every TikTok caption, including hashtags, is limited to 100 characters, so be specific and strategic. Do you want to redirect them to your new blog post or online course?
Come up with catchy phrases, words, and statements that appeal to your target audience. Something they would love to see! Ask open-ended questions to encourage interaction. Also, feel free to add a call to action statement on occasion. Just stay true to your voice at all times to stand out from the competition.
10. Optimize your TikTok bio
How to make a positive first impression on TikTok? Your TikTok Bio, of course! Use it to tell your target viewers who you are and what you do. As always, keep it short and sweet! You can add emojis that perfectly mirror your brand image if there’s some extra space.
Like in other social media platforms, you’re welcome to add a CTA and link in your TikTok bio and change it from time to time. When it comes to adding links, you have two options. First, it’s to add a single URL to send traffic to a blog post, landing page, or any other page. Another strategy is to share various URLs with just one link with the help of Linktree or other similar tools.
TikTok: The Key to More Sales and Visibility
Now that you’re familiar with TikTok’s best practices, it’s time to get to work. To make significant progress, make TikTok a part of your business strategy to make some progress.
However, committing to the best practices alone will not result in long-term success. As you work towards your social media targets, try your best to maintain a good mindset. This can be difficult, as we deal with stressful business situations from time to time. Being an active TikTok user and constantly practicing creativity can be tricky without a positive mindset. You can do it!
Know your goals, exercise your creativity, connect with more people and generate more sales. Maintain an optimistic outlook in life, overcome all challenges and elevate your business, one TikTok video at a time.
Need help with your business’ TikTok strategy? I have a foolproof plan that can lead to huge engagement and viral videos. Let’s chat!
