TikTok remains one of the most powerful social media platforms in terms of growth and opportunity, both for standalone influencers and creators, and for businesses and brands.
With over a billion monthly active users, many of whom use the app for product and brand discovery and to pick up tips and ideas from their peers and from other creators, if your business uses TikTok effectively then the growth opportunities are endless.
Which is why we’ve created this article. Keep reading for some of our top tips on how to use TikTok for your business.
How to Create a TikTok Business Account
Before you can really start unlocking the benefits of using TikTok as a business, you first need to create the right kind of profile.
Once you’ve set up a profile, click on your profile page and then select the menu button in the top right hand corner. Select ‘Settings and Privacy’ then ‘Account’ – then click on ‘Switch to Business Account’.
The conversion process will ask you for a series of details including your industry or market, before sending you away with your brand new and exciting business page!
This is when the fun really starts…
Optimise Your Business Profile
By far the most important thing to do with a fresh and new business profile is to build the foundations of a compelling and reputable profile and accent.
Remember that your profile page is the shop window for your business on TikTok and is where most users will go after seeing one of your videos, and before visiting your website. It’s an integral part of the customer journey and needs to support your TikTok efforts and drive captive audience members towards your website.
Some tips to help optimise your profile include:
- Changing your profile photo to your brand logo – or, if you’re a sole trader business, to a picture of you. Your profile picture adds personality to your business and makes you relatable
- Create a punchy bio that sums up your brand, what you offer, and what your mission or vision is
- Think about the best URL to reflect your brand and how you want to leverage TikTok traffic. If you’ve got several other online touchpoints that you want to highlight, the consider a Linktree link with a series of branches – otherwise, keep it classic with a website homepage or landing page
Your profile page should communicate everything that you want new followers and potential customers to know about your brand.
Get to Know the Algorithm
Every social media platform has its own algorithm to try and appease and adhere to. On TikTok, the best strategy for a business is to combine unique and original content with some videos which piggyback on existing trends, using trending audio or challenges to pick up extra traffic and engagement.
Hashtags and captions will help to ensure that your content remains on the ‘For You’ pages and in the feeds of your most active audience members, while interactions and likes can make or break the success of your new videos.
Some businesses kickstart their own success by buying banks of likes or followers from reputable sites like Twicsy, while others opt for organic growth by focussing on very targeted and niche content for their core audience.
Create Content for Your Target Audience
TikTok is best conquered with a niche, giving yourself a specific market to target and appeal to. When you start creating content, you will find that the most successful videos you share are those that tap into your niche and what makes you different.
Working this out early, and identifying your audience, will help you to create valuable content from day one – sharing content that your audience will be interested in.
From there, and with a growing business profile, once you hit 1,000 followers you can start scheduling Live Streams and engaging more with your followers.
Be Engaging With Your Customers
Have you heard of user-generated content? This is the kind of social media content that uses reviews, testimonials, and other content generated directly by customers and consumers – repurposing it as part of an indirect marketing technique.
Of course, if you want to receive these kinds of reviews and testimonials, you need to engage with your customers and ask for their feedback. And with so many customers using social media as part of their everyday online journey, why not ask for that feedback through informal and direct conversation on TikTok?
TOP TIP: Good or bad, respond to all comments you receive! This provides that your business cares about its customers.
Balance Content Types
Balancing different types of content against each other is a good way of keeping your profile and grid fresh. If one day sees you sharing a longer how-to video, make your next video super short and snappy – getting involved in a dance challenge or introducing a member of the team.
Explore Collaborations and Partnerships
There’s a reason why businesses of all sizes and across all industries tap into influencer marketing on a regular basis – and it’s because it works! Consumers love to buy products that their favourite celebrities and influencers are using, and it doesn’t end there.
On TikTok, consider partnering with other businesses in your industry to deliver some collaborative content, and work with influencers to highlight the selling points of your products or services from a consumer perspective.
Identify Your TikTok Goals
This may be number seven on our list, but it’s arguably one of the most important steps in using TikTok for business growth. You need to identify what your goals are on TikTok in order to drive the right messages with your content, captions, and CTAs.
TikTok Advertising is a way of channelling paid advertising services into your growth on the app and is particularly popular with businesses looking to facilitate conversion and an increase in sales via their social channel. For those that want to grow and increase visibility, it is compelling, memorable, and interactive content that really counts.
Armed with a good profile, a solid strategy, and more than a few creative ideas when it comes to both original and trending content types and videos, TikTok can be a valuable asset for businesses across all industries. And if in doubt, or you’re unsure where to start, consider following some competitors to see how they leverage the platform and use TikTok to their own advantage.
