If you’re on the fence about using TikTok for business, it’s time to buckle up and hop on the trend.
TikTok is growing in popularity with content creators and brands that are looking to grow their audience, increase engagement, and reach millions of people.
It’s a fun platform where you can highlight a less curated version of your brand, experiment with video, and drive traffic to your site.
In this blog post, we’ll share 5 tips to help you use TikTok for business, and start growing on the platform that’s taken the world by storm:
Why TikTok is Good for Businesses and Brands
With more than 2 billion downloads, TikTok’s popularity is on the rise and shows no sign of slowing down.
But it can be a daunting social media platform for some users. What if you can’t dance? Do you need to be a video expert? Luckily, anyone can use TikTok successfully — no dance or video experience required.
From educational videos to beauty transitions, there are many ways to use TikTok for your business or personal brand.
Take Maggie from @experimentingwithdecor for example. She started creating videos in April and has already racked up 26K followers on TikTok by sharing budget-friendly home decor ideas.
With a strong social strategy, TikTok can help you have fun with video content, build a niche community, and tap into a younger audience.
Learn how to make TikTok trends work for your brand and more in this 1-hour workshop with an all-star lineup of TikTok stars and experts!
TikTok for Business #1: Get Comfortable with the Platform
As the new kid on the block, TikTok requires a learning curve — especially if you’re not comfortable with creating video content.
Before you dive right into using it for your business, create a personal profile, and play around with the app first.
TikTok has various editing tools and effects — experiment with them, create different transitions and see what would make sense for your brand.
It can also be helpful to explore the Discovery tab and follow hashtags to see what other businesses (including your competitors) are doing.
If you’re a food brand, you may find inspiration from how a fashion brand is integrating their products into videos. If you’re a copywriter, you may think a personal trainer’s fitness tips are fun and engaging.
It’s important not to copy other people’s content directly, but rather to put your own spin on it in a creative way so your brand can stand out and connect with your target audience.
TIP: We’ve created a helpful guide to help you get started on TikTok and set up your account!
TikTok for Business #2: Choose Your Niche Topic
TikTok users like to follow unique accounts, and thanks to the algorithm, anyone can find your content.
By focusing on a niche topic, you’ll have more flexibility to be creative, have fun, and find a gap for your business to make an impact.
As a chiropractor, @drcody_dc‘s TikTok is full of videos cracking his clients’ backs and necks.
Why does this work on TikTok?
By sharing quick clips of his sessions, Dr. Cody is able to show the work he does and satisfy the thousands of viewers who are fascinated by the world of chiropractors.
Choosing a niche topic also helps because you can drill down and focus on certain aspects of your brand.
For example, if you’re a bakery, your TikTok could feature behind-the-scenes content that focuses specifically on bagels. You could become known on TikTok as the go-to account for everything bagel-making.
TIP: If you consistently share niche content, your ideal audience will find and engage with it. And as your community grows, you’ll be able to direct them beyond TikTok — like to your website.
TikTok for Business #3: Decide When and How Often You’ll Post
As with any other social media strategy, it’s a good idea to have a content calendar for your TikTok profile.
With this, you can brainstorm ideas, and plan out the scope of your TikTok content for the upcoming week or month.
When you first start creating content for TikTok, focus on sticking to a posting cadence that’s doable for you.
Similar to other platforms, TikTok rewards consistency. But rather than post 3 times a day, become overwhelmed, and then not post for months, start with 3-5 times a week and work your way up from there.
It’s also helpful to track analytics to see what resonates with TikTok users and what isn’t working.
The great thing about TikTok is you can pivot and experiment when necessary — all your audience cares about is that the content is still inspirational, engaging, entertaining, or helpful to them.
TIP: Create a Pro Account to get access to TikTok’s analytics. It will give you insight into your top territories, when your audience is most active, and help you figure out the best time to post on TikTok.
TikTok for Business #4: Leave Perfection Behind
“Be authentic” may sound cliché, but TikTok is the perfect platform to show your personality.
Unlike Instagram, where a cohesive aesthetic has become the norm, it isn’t necessary for TikTok.
In fact, according to LaterCon speaker Larry Milstein, co-founder of PRZM, “Gen Zers want brands who are bold and have personality, and aren’t afraid to make waves on Instagram.” And this translates to TikTok too where 60% of TikTok users are Gen Zers.
What does this mean? You can be yourself, have fun, and not take yourself too seriously.
A great example of this is fashion blogger, @thefashionheist. On Instagram, her feed is full of stunning fashion and model photos. But her TikTok profile @aichark is a different story.
On TikTok, she shares fun facts about pop culture — from Harry Potter to Gilmore Girls — and offers quick styling tips for anyone wanting to up their fashion game.
Her content is entertaining and educational. It gives her audience insight into their favorite films and TV shows, they get fashion tips, and they learn more about her too.
Authenticity can add a layer of connection with your community. They’ll feel like they know the person or people behind the brand — fostering more engagement!
TikTok for Business #5: Create a Challenge
TikTok is known for its incredible reach and the ability to go viral overnight. So why not create or sponsor a TikTok challenge?
Challenges are a great way for brands to fast-track their growth and reach millions of users.
One brand that hopped on the TikTok challenge trend? Healthcare company Kaiser Permanente.
By sponsoring the #OwnTheCurve hashtag and collaborating with TikTok influencer Addison Rae, they were able to encourage their target audience to wear a mask, stay home, and practice social distancing during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
And the hashtag has over 8 billion views!
But you don’t need to collaborate with big-name TikTok users to be successful. You can work with various users in your niche market or followers who frequently comment and engage with your posts.
There’s also an opportunity to cross-promote your challenge on different platforms like Instagram to drive users to join in on the fun. This way, you can leverage your audience elsewhere and invite them to be a part of your TikTok community.
Using TikTok is a great way to show another side of your brand, build a niche community, and target a younger generation of buyers.
It’s a fun platform for experimenting with video, and with the right strategy, you can use TikTok to grow your business.
Ready to use TikTok for business? This free 35-minute course will teach you everything you need to know about TikTok — from understanding the algorithm to creating viral videos.
