What began as a shiny, new entertainment platform keeping us all occupied during lockdown is now a thriving social media channel that is reshaping the way we present ourselves and our businesses to the world.
Nowadays, you’d be hard pushed to find any young, savvy business that is not trying to make it on TikTok, and rightly so. Thanks to TikTok’s unique short-form video format and casual personality, the platform has gained over 1.5 billion users, all of whom could stumble across your content at any given moment, depending on the content of their #fyp. From a newbie's perspective, harnessing this social media beast may seem hopeless – but never fear, we are here to give you some tips to help you along the way!
1. Track Down and Get to Know your Audience
With over a billion users worldwide, finding your audience can be a little like trying to find a needle in a haystack. The best way to begin is by getting to know your audience through research so that you can establish how to tailor your content to suit them. Enlisting a social listening platform, like Brandwatch or Keyhole to track when and where your brand is mentioned and in what context is a great way to find out what conversations your brand is involved in. Then you can create accordingly.
2. Be Reactive
Being successful on TikTok and maintaining a consistent presence is a full-time job and we appreciate that you have lives; however, being reactive on TikTok is the best way to stay relevant. Hop on the latest trends, stitch the latest videos and use the trending sounds!
3. Strike a Balance between Promotional and Organic Content
Too much promotional content may deter audience members, as not everyone is a fan of the hard sell. However, too much organic, creative content may confuse people as to what your brand is about. Striking a good balance between the two will ensure that your brand’s purpose is clear, but your brand personality is malleable and you don't take yourself too seriously.
4. Hashtags, Hashtags and More Hashtags!
Incorporating relevant and topical hashtags into your content makes your videos easier to discover and ensures that they are grouped in one place, improving accessibility. Check out which hashtags are trending but only use the ones that are relevant to your brand. Using too many may result in your content seeming illegitimate.
5. Comment on your Comments
TikTok can’t do all the work. The platform is great at putting your content in front of the right people but it is up to you to engage with them and keep them interested. Start conversations, exchange pleasantries, like comments, do whatever you need to do (within reason) to get audience members on your side. Engaging with comments and reactions will help your videos to gain and maintain traction and set you apart from your competitors who may not be so chatty.
6. Channel your Inner Inspector Gadget
Investing in high-quality equipment will ensure that your videos are the best they can be. Recording your content directly from your phone is recommended as all of the sounds, stickers and filters are easily accessible through the app. Sometimes, however, the microphone on our phones can be poor, so consider investing in a compact microphone set-up for the crispest audio. In a similar vein, our phone cameras may not always cast us in the best light so think about grabbing yourself a ring light for some consistency.
7. Be Yourself!
Don’t try to be something that you're not. Although a funeral parlour has every right to be on TikTok and engage with the latest trends, some viral trends and sounds may be less appropriate than others. Use your personality to your advantage and celebrate your niche rather than trying to blend in with the crowd.
Remember that TikTok can be a pretty volatile environment: what is trending and popular this week may not be next week, so keep an eye on it at all times and try to remain up to date.
If you would like to find out more about how you can use TikTok to grow your business, get in touch with us today!
