What is TikTok?
TikTok has been named the fastest growing social platform of all time, with record breaking numbers in the short span that it has been available. It is a social media platform which enables users to share short videos.
The user has 2 options, either to create a 15 second clip or a 60 second clip. The app uses a combination of music, effects and graphics and the result is endless possibilities of video creation. It is mainly popular amongst 16-24 year olds, but the usage of the platform for older generations is rapidly increasing.
The latest TikTok statistics show that, as of January 2021, the platform has 689 million monthly active users worldwide. In addition to this, the latest TikTok statistics show that as of April 2020, the popular video app has been downloaded more than two billion times worldwide on both the Apple App Store and Google Play. Not only is this one of the most downloaded apps in the world but the daily usage is extremely high, when it comes to the daily time spent on TikTok, users spend an average of 52 minutes per day on the app.
TikTok is clearly not going anywhere and already businesses are starting to take advantage of the features. Make sure you are all ready to go on this guide of how to use TikTok for your business:
Algorithm
What makes TikTok unique when compared to the other leading social media platforms is their algorithm. It’s easy to show up on others feeds and gain views even when you have little followers or existing content. It takes in a number of factors including; interactions (likes, shares, accounts they follow and comments) and video information (sounds and hashtags). There are 2 separate feeds which your videos shows up on; the “Following” page which shows only accounts a user follows, and a “For You” page with randomised content. This is the key to being able to market yourself with accounts that don’t already know about you.
Is your audience on TikTok?
Before getting started on TikTok you must get to know your audience on the platform. If you’re only targeting a small niche this can be advantageous; you’ll be able to curate unique content specifically for your audience.
Once you have identified your audience you need to find out; how they behave, which videos do they react to the most and what the most popular approach is.
You should focus on what your audience is reacting to; what type of content do they like, how many likes/shares does your curated content get? This key information will be useful whilst building a strategy and utilising TikTok to market your business.
Content tips:
The number 1 rule of TikTok for marketing is to remain short, informative and catchy. The average TikTok length is 16 seconds. You need to make the most out of this to provide interesting, fun content to keep the user watching.
Content
Subject
The first step is to provide relevant, engaging content that will be useful to the viewer. Depending on your business this can be as simple as giving tips on how to do certain tasks. Videos by businesses are often used to help the viewer learn something new, this will catch the audience eye.
Show off work
Showing work that you have done, your products and work for clients is a great way to promote your services on the platform. Many successful businesses on TikTok have followed this structure on the app.
Inspiration
Show others inspiration for their work, certain websites to visit, where they can find good information for them.
Latest News and Updates
Provide daily updates on what is going on within your market in small clips. This is a great, easy way to provide regular posts which will keep users coming back for more.
Success Stories
There is a lot of success stories featured throughout TikTok. Showing how you can turn from being in one situation to a much better situation is interesting for viewers.
Advertising
If you have a product that is worth promoting on the app and will cause interest, TikTok is an excellent platform to project.
Trends
Hashtags
Hashtags are a quick, easy and reliable method of providing content within your segment. TikTok has millions of daily videos so you want to make sure your content is filtered to target your audience.
Trending sounds
Take advantage of trending sounds via the home page; this is where users use the same sound to make different content but it will automatically keep you people’s feeds. You may have seen viral TikTok videos with dance moves and signature sound tracks. This an effective way of increasing reach and ending up on other’s feeds.
Trending effects
You can also use trending effects and filters to get yourself into other’s feeds. This reflects your business to be up to date and current whilst increasing views organically.
Theme
Use a theme, this is the best way to provide a smooth customer experience. This should coincide with other social media platforms and can be done by using the same structure for videos, the same colours and fonts and the same settings for posts. Providing a theme will make the brand presence much stronger and reputable on the platform, enhancing the number of users interested in your profile.
Consistency
TikTok’s algorithm is complex and dependant on many factors, however, one way that you will be rewarded on TikTok is by posting regularly. The best brand post on TikTok an average of 3.1 times a week. Aim for posting at least 3-5 times a week and depending on your success scale up or down to suit your target audience.
Engagement
As with other social media channels, a key factor of growing your business is to engage with your followers and new people. Sharing others and following similar profiles on TikTok is essential to grow your company. Leading to more people naturally as you will be in the mix within your market.
Analytics
If you want to take your TikTok business profile to the next level, there is the option to pay a membership for a TikTok Pro Account. This integrates a built in analytics software into the app where you can measure your success of videos, seeing who has viewed, which location and how they have found you.
Talk To Us
For any enquiries on social media marketing feel free to give us a call or email us at Stone Create. Don’t forget to follow us on TikTok @stonecreate for tips, tricks and fun!
