TikTok is offering marketers new and exciting ways to engage with audiences through short-form videos. The social networking service is a relative newcomer when compared to Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, having only launched globally in 2017, but its cultural impact has been staggering.
As app downloads and user engagement skyrocketed, brands were eager to jump on board to connect with target audiences. TikTok has made that easier with the launch of TikTok for Business, a new platform that helps brands “connect and grow” with the “wonderfully expressive community” on the app, which stands at an impressive 1 billion monthly active users (MAUs).
Marketers are now experimenting with all sorts of content, from creative high-energy clips and live streams to hashtag challenges and branded quizzes and games to reach audiences. And as the influence of social media reverberates far beyond a single platform, creating content on TikTok can do wonders for brand image and visibility online. Here’s how to get started.
Open a Business Account
After downloading the app, you can create a Business Account for free. All you need to do is select a category for your brand and add an email address and website to complete a basic profile, which can be updated later. Even if you already have campaigns up and running on other social media sites, you should take the time to familiarise yourself with TikTok’s features, its algorithm and what makes it unique.
Browsing videos in the “For You” section and taking a look at what your competitors and popular creators are doing will give you a good idea of how to use TikTok. This is a place for quirky, eye-catching content and not formal, information-heavy messages. Users on the platform want authentic, memorable videos they can like and share. These are more likely to go viral too, which can be transformative for small businesses.
After getting to grips with TikTok as a platform, you can start brainstorming a few ideas for your own content, and setting out an editorial calendar. Don’t be afraid to experiment with different formats and features right now, as in TikTok’s own words, it is an “outlet for genuine self-expression”. And using a mix of formats initially can help you to find what works for your business.
Define your audience and set goals
TikTok’s audience is typically younger, and it is very popular with Gen Z, but different demographics have embraced the app during the last 18 months, so you might find it is a perfect medium for engaging with new audiences. When you have identified the users you want to reach, you can start setting specific goals. Do you want to increase sales, build a community or boost brand visibility? TikTok lets you track metrics and link them to these objectives with a range of “powerful” analytics tools.
One last thing before you start publishing videos – head back to the profile section to upload a photo that includes your brand logo and colours, and write a short bio within the 80-character limit. Make it concise and catchy, and put in a couple of emojis to add personality. You can also include a call-to-action here and a URL that points to a landing page, which is very useful if you want to drive traffic to web pages.
Create content
With all that in place, you can finally start creating content, using TikTok’s unique formats and features. There is a handy “Tap to Create your first short video” prompt when creating for the first time. Clicking the black plus button will take you to a recording page where you can choose between different run times and start recording your video. The key here is to ensure both the picture and sound quality is excellent. You can also add music and effects, including colour filters, to make your video stand out.
When you have finished recording, you can add a description, hashtag and links among other actions, before publishing it for everyone to see, with the red Post button at the bottom of the page. It might take a few attempts to get everything just right, but you will soon be sharing funny clips, short tutorials, concise how-tos and quick looks for new products and services with ease.
Grow your audience
Posting high-quality content is the best way to drive views and follows on TikTok, but you need to engage with other aspects of the platform to support your online reputation management. Just like on Twitter and Instagram, make sure you respond to comments and questions from viewers, and comment on, like and follow other content creators so you are seen to be active within the community. Social listening is also critical on TikTok, as new trends and memes you can act on will be popping up all the time.
Once your first-party content creation processes are up and running, you can start thinking about developing videos and live streams with influencers. The Duets feature is a good jumping-off point for engaging with videos from other creators but to really move the needle, you might need to commission an influencer for a longer-term partnership. Working with these influencers can get you noticed by demographics and audiences you might not be able to reach on your own.
Explore advertising
In addition to posting organic content, you can also use TikTok for advertising. The TikTok Ads Manager streamlines the setup process and includes a user-friendly interface to make the task of running ad campaigns easier. TikTok says everything can be managed without leaving the dashboard. The advertising solutions include:
- In-Feed Ads that are circulated in user’s “For You” feeds.
- In-Feed One Day Max ads that take a “premium” position in “For You” feeds.
- TopView ads that are clickable and run as soon as users open the app.
- Branded Hashtag Challenges to encourage user-generated content.
- Brand Effects that use AR to create quizzes, games, try-ons and more.
The final step is to dig into the analytics features that TikTok has baked into its platform, which offer an excellent overview of how campaigns are performing. You can use these metrics and feedback to hone your strategy for future videos. Getting to that endpoint with outside assistance can be challenging, though. Working with an agency such as Atlas SEO could be the solution if you need support for your social media marketing. Contact us today to find out more about our services.
