TikTok? For business? Wondering how an app known for dance trends and entertaining sketches can be used in the same context with your business? Well, you have to remember the first rule of advertising: find an audience.
With the video-editing and sharing platform expected to surpass 1 billion users by the end of 2021, TikTok is currently one of the most popular social media platforms worldwide and has one of the fastest-growing user bases.
This means, with the right strategy, you have the opportunity to reach an ever-expanding base of potential customers in one swoop simply by creating the right sort of video content. Amazing, right?
But still, we return to the question. What is the value of a platform like TikTok to businesses, both established and emerging? What does this platform offer in terms of reach and convenience that established social media giants like Facebook and Instagram do not already offer?
The Value of TikTok to Your Business
The first and foremost value of this ingenious app to your business promotion efforts is simply that it offers another channel to promote your business (and you can never have too many marketing channels). With close to 1 billion active users and more joining every day, you simply can’t ignore the fact that it offers a means to reach a lot more people in a different way.
And even if the predominantly young user base is not your exact target market, you can bet that your content will make it onto other platforms through them. Creating more exposure for you. And exposure is always welcome.
But beyond the population of new users, TikTok offers even more unique advantages for business, like:
Creative Expression
One of the most awesome things about TikTok is that it not only allows you to create and share content with your followers, your users can also create their own content with the app as a response to your brand content. Using features like Stitch, Duet or the green screen feature, users can use your brand soundtrack or a popular voiceover to create their own videos and share.
This creates a sort of cascading effect. If you create video content and it becomes popular with your followers, they can create their own video using your sound effects and music. And the more people that use your sound effects, the more people can see your brand content centered around that video.
Unfiltered Content Creation
TikTok removes the need to strive for polished perfection with your videos. In fact, the most popular videos on the platform are usually just normal videos recorded with mobile phone cameras. This means your marketing team can take a break and just be themselves while creating content on TikTok. The funny slipups in the office, the quirky backstories, and inside jokes, are the type of content that goes viral on this app.
Trends and Hashtag Challenges
Normally, you would be wary about jumping on a trend created by other people or even other brands to promote your business. The reverse is the case on TikTok, however. You can create content around popular trends and hashtag challenges (yes, even dancing challenges) and use this to gather even more followers to your brand account. And the app’s algorithm is structured such that it will show your content directly to your followers on their For You page. Which makes your content easily discoverable, which is a problem most other social media apps have.
High engagement rates
Well, consider this; according to recent data, TikTok is currently showing better engagement rates across different follower levels than Youtube and Instagram. Yep, you heard us right. TikTok is beating the kings of video content at their own game (you can get off the fence now, thank you).
How to Get Started with TikTok for Business
So how do you get on the TikTok for business bandwagon? Here a few tips that can help you get started with taking your brand onto the app and taking advantage of the exposure.
1. Familiarize Yourself with the Platform
Like virtually any other video-editing platform on the internet, TikTok has a learning curve. And even previous video-editing knowledge might not be of much use on the app as it has its own peculiarities. Before you start creating content, take time to learn how to use the effects, how to add music to your videos, how to find new Reels and TikTok trends, even the best times to post new content.
2. Choose Your Niche
Choosing a niche is a universal rule of content creation and TikTok is no exception. The platform has an aura of generality that might deceive you into thinking you don’t need to niche down, but it is absolutely false. There are niche channels and trends within the app that will boost your exposure faster than if you just tried to jump on every popular trend you come across. Pick a niche that aligns with your business and stick to it.
3. Create a TikTok Content Posting Schedule
Once you know how to post new content, then you need to create a content schedule around them. With TikTok likely being one of many tasks on your long to-do list, you don’t want to spend too much time reacting to trends and creating new videos on the fly.
Creating a content schedule allows you to plan out your strategy for putting out content that will generate engagement from your followers. And using a platform like Plann, you can both create your schedule and automate your posting all from a single dashboard.
4. Create Your First Video (and Never Look Back!)
Follow the advice from TikTok for Business: “Don’t Make Ads. Make TikToks.” The platform allows you to create bite-sized videos in 15- or 60-second durations so you can choose whichever length is appropriate for the content you have in mind.
Keep it simple and don’t try to make it perfect. It’s TikTok, not a music video. Make your videos relatable and avoid hard-sales content. If you choose to create your first video around an already existing trend or challenge, make sure you put your own spin on it.
5. Edit Videos and Add Music
TikTok offers a comprehensive video-editing experience in-app and you should take full advantage of it. Music and sound effects are your best friends. Use them.
Schedule ahead your TikToks with Plann
Start small, use the tips above, create a schedule with Plann, and go conquer the world with your business-boosting, bite-sized videos.
