6 Tips To Get Started on TikTok
A guide for small businesses to build their brand on TikTok
TikTok is one of the most popular social media platforms today, with around 41% of U.S. users actively using it. The largest groups of users fall in the 18-24 and 25-34 ranges (70.1% of all users). This makes TikTok an invaluable marketing tool for small businesses. Because it is a place where people go to create and share videos, it’s a great place to build relationships and amplify brand visibility. And, if you sell online, it’s a great resource as 71.2% of TikTok Shop users make purchases after seeing products in their feed.
So, how do you get started?
6 Tips For Creating an Engaging brand on TikTok
1. Optimize Your Profile
- Choose a name that reflects your brand and then create a bio that reflects your brands voice. It may be tempting to try to be the next NutterButter, but stay true to your brand.
- Research your how your target demo interacts on TikTok. Look into hashtags and trends that are relevant to your brand and your target demo.
- TikTok offers a handy guide on how to set up your account.
2. Brainstorm Video Ideas:
Think about what interests people about your brand or your products. You can also look at how previous content you’ve created has performed on other platforms and ask yourself, “What about this caught people’s attentions and how can I expand this into a larger idea?”
A few ideas that do well on TikTok are:
- Behind the scenes footage
- Quick how-to's or Tutorials
- Customer Testimonials
- Product/Service Show Cases
- Stitch Videos with other users or with competitors
3. Find What’s Trending
- A quick way to reach new people is to join in on trends. You don’t have to and shouldn’t rely on trends to carry your content, but mix it in with your promotional videos. Try to focus on trends that work with your brand or product, but don’t force it.
- Use trending audio clips in your videos, but don’t use them randomly. When audio clips start trending, there is usually a reason why- focus on that and figure out how you can make them work with your product.
4. Filming Techniques
This depends on the overall look you’re going for in your videos:
- For more polished videos use natural light or a ring light and make sure your background is professional.
- For casual content you can be more relaxed but be aware of the lighting and your background.
- While you’re filming try getting the same shot from different angles or perspectives to see how each feel.
5. Edit Your Videos
- Don’t upload a raw footage- TikTok users expect something a little more polished, especially from brands. TikTok’s app has editing features within it that can help with cutting videos, adding filters, and creating smoother transitions between cuts. If you want more control, you can edit your video first in other apps and then upload it into TikTok.
- Use Filters sparingly- Don’t go overboard with effects and filters to keep your videos feeling more professional.
- Make your videos accessible- To make your videos more accessible to all users, use text overlay and captions.
6. Promote Engagement
- Promote with Hashtags- Encourage users to engage with your videos by researching popular and trending hashtags that fit with your video’s theme. You can also create a hashtag for your brand for users to tag. Millennials are the most likely group to create a post and tag the brand in it so help them out by creating other fun hashtags too.
- Encourage interaction- Ask questions in your videos or use call-to-actions to promote interaction with users. Treat comments like conversations and respond professionally to strengthen your relationships.
At first it’ll take a while to see the engagement and views you’re expecting. It can be difficult to learn what time to post and what types of content performs well. Experiment with it all because and you start to tweak things a figure the platform out it gets easier and you’ll find your engagement grows just by you using it. TikTok is a great way to reach an incredibly large audience. 49% of Gen Z and 36% of Millennials make purchases through TikTok Shop, so if you’re able to, it’s a great place to expand your business. The key is to be true to your brand, experiment with different trends and topics, and have fun!
Need help getting your TikTok strategy off the ground? Contact us today for a no-obligation consultation!
