When you’re looking at ways of reaching your potential customer base and promoting your business, brand and products to a wider audience, TikTok is one of the fastest-growing platforms for business marketing. You’ll know this incredibly popular platform for its short-form videos – get it right and your marketing can translate to conversions and reach.
TikTok has over 1 billion active users worldwide and offers a unique opportunity for small and medium-sized businesses to connect with their niche audience and improve brand awareness.
If you’ve used other online marketing channels such as Facebook, email, or online advertising, then I cover how you can use TikTok to promote your business: from the platform basics and creating a TikTok business account to developing a TikTok content strategy and measuring success.
TikTok for business
Before diving into how to use TikTok for marketing, let’s look at the platform and why it’s proving popular for businesses.
TikTok is a social media platform that enables users to produce and distribute brief videos accompanied by music or other audio clips. The app is known for its videos that often go viral with hundreds of thousands or even millions of views from its highly engaged user base of young adults and Gen Zers. TikTok provides a unique opportunity for a business to reach a younger demographic that may be harder to engage on other social platforms.
TikTok users are primarily between 16 to 24 years of age, with a user base of 25% female audience and 18% male. This makes it a perfect platform for businesses aiming at a younger audience.
But TikTok isn’t just for Gen Zers – the platform has also seen a surge in popularity among older demographics. This means that even if your target audience isn’t exclusively young adults, TikTok may still be a valuable platform for reaching new customers.
Creating a TikTok account for business
Now that we’ve covered the basics of TikTok and why small businesses should use it, let’s move on to creating a TikTok account for business. Here’s our list of top tips and best practices for setting up and managing your TikTok business account:
Set up Your Account
To create a TikTok business account, simply download the app and sign up using your email, phone number, or social media account. Once you’ve set up your account, switch to a Pro Account to access TikTok’s analytics and other business features.
Optimise Your Profile
Your TikTok profile is the first impression Tiktok users will have of your business on the platform, so it’s essential to make it count. Use a clear and recognisable profile photo and banner image that aligns with your brand’s visual identity.
Write a catchy Tiktok bio that communicates what your business does and what users can expect from your content.
Create Engaging Videos
TikTok is all about visually engaging content that captures Tiktok users’ attention and keeps them engaged. Create high-quality visuals and sound that showcase your brand’s unique voice and personality.
Experiment with different types of Tiktok videos, such as behind-the-scenes footage, tutorial videos, product demos, or tutorials.
Collaborate With Influencers
TikTok influencers can be a valuable asset for small businesses looking to expand their reach on the platform. Look for influencers whose Tiktok audience aligns with your target demographic and collaborate with them to create sponsored content or promote your products/services to the Tiktok community.
Share User-generated Content
Sharing user-generated content on your Tiktok feed is a powerful way of increasing your presence and building trust and authenticity with your audience. Encourage users to create organic content and share videos related to your brand or products by using branded TIktok hashtags or running a user-generated content campaign.
9 Steps to using Tiktok for marketing your small business
Now that you understand how to create and manage a TikTok account, let’s develop a strategy for your business. Here’s our top nine steps to get you started:
- Define Your Business Objectives
Before diving into TikTok marketing, define your business objectives and how TikTok fits into your overall marketing strategy. Are you looking to improve your brand’s Tiktok presence, drive traffic to your website, or generate sales?
Clearly defining your objectives will help you measure the success of your TikTok marketing efforts and adjust your strategy accordingly.
- Define Your Audience
Understanding your target audience is essential for creating TikTok content that resonates with them. Use TikTok analytics or data from other social media platforms to identify your target audience’s key demographics, interests, and behaviours on the platform and attract new customers.
- Create a Content Calendar
Consistency is key on TikTok, so create a calendar that aligns with your objectives and target audience. Plan out your content in advance, including topics, video ideas, and the right hashtags.
- TikTok Advertising and Measuring Success
Use TikTok analytics or other social media tools to track the success of your TikTok strategy. Look for patterns in your data to see what types of content perform best and adjust your strategy accordingly. If you run video or in-feed ads on the TikTok app, use the TikTok ads manager to check and manage the results.
- Experiment With Paid Advertising
TikTok provides several advertising options, including in-feed ads, top-view ads, and brand takeover ads. Experiment with different types of ads to see what works best for your business and target audience.
- Brand Hashtags and Create Challenges
Branded hashtag challenges are a popular way to increase brand awareness and user engagement on TikTok. Brand a hashtag, create a challenge that aligns with your objectives and encourage users to create and share video content related to your brand and use the hashtags.
TikTok do’s and don’ts for business owners
TikTok is a unique and highly engaging platform that offers small businesses a powerful way to connect with their target audience. However, following some basic do’s and don’ts is crucial to ensure your TikTok marketing efforts are effective and aligned with your brand values.
What you should do
Use high-quality visuals and sound to create professional-looking mind-blowing videos. This will help capture the users’ attention and keep them engaged.
Consider using a tripod or other stabilising equipment to ensure your Tiktok video is smooth and easy to watch. Further, use relevant hashtags when jumping on trending challenges to increase visibility and reach a wider audience interested in your niche.
What you should NOT do
Don’t post irrelevant or offensive content that could harm your brand’s reputation. The Tiktok algorithm features a Digital well-being feature that flags inappropriate content and will take it down. However, it’s a red flag as far as your credibility and brand voice are concerned.
Be mindful of cultural differences and sensitive topics, and ensure your content doesn’t malign one’s culture. Don’t ignore user comments or messages – engage with your audience and build relationships.
User interactions play a crucial role in TikTok’s algorithm. Therefore, engage with your audience and show appreciation for their support.
Don’t use TikTok solely as a sales platform – focus on providing value and building a community around your brand. While TikTok can be a valuable platform for promoting your products/services, focus on adding value and building a community around your brand.
Share behind-the-scenes footage, product demos, or tutorials, and engage with your followers to create a loyal fan base that supports your brand.
Measuring success on TikTok
Measuring success on TikTok is essential for refining your strategy and making data-driven decisions. Here are our tips for measuring your business results on TikTok:
Use TikTok analytics
Use TikTok analytics to track follower growth, video views, and engagement rates. TikTok’s built-in analytics dashboard provides valuable data on your account’s performance, including follower growth, video views, and engagement rates.
Look for patterns in your data to see what types of content perform best and adjust your strategy accordingly. Analyse your data to see what content performs best and what times of day or week your followers are most active.
Use this information to refine your content strategy and make data-driven decisions. Additionally, consider using a TikTok hashtag tracking tool to monitor the success of your hashtag or other campaigns.
Use hashtag tracking tools
Consider using a TikTok hashtag tracking tool to monitor the success of your branded hashtag challenges or other campaigns. Hashtag tracking tools like Hootsuite or Sprout Social can help you monitor them by tracking the number of mentions and engagements.
Use the data you collect to refine your TikTok strategy and make data-driven decisions. Continuously monitor your TikTok analytics and other data sources to refine your TikTok marketing and make data-driven decisions that align with your objectives.
Summary
TikTok offers a unique opportunity for small businesses to reach a highly engaged audience through videos and user interactions. By creating a TikTok marketing strategy that aligns with your objectives and target audience, you can effectively promote your products and services on this popular social media platform.
Use TikTok’s algorithm to your advantage, experiment with different types of content and paid advertisements, and stay consistent with your content calendar.
