So you’ve decided to adopt TikTok into your marketing strategy – Congratulations! This initial bold step is the start of a very satisfying and exciting adventure!
Why use TikTok?
Over the past couple of years, TikTok has grown rapidly in popularity, becoming one of the largest international social media platforms in the world. With hundreds of millions of subscribers, TikTok is without a doubt one of the most promising platforms for business today. They offer entrepreneurs the opportunity to access a wide audience for marketing their brands and products. As a small business owner, there are plenty of ways you can leverage the power of TikTok to grow your business and expand your market reach.
Where do I start?
Some of the most common methods TikTok marketers typically use include
- Posting regular content to keep their audiences engaged
- Taking part in viral challenges
While all these tactics are very successful on the platform, there are several additional measures you can use to improve your marketing advantages on TikTok -these will increase your access to a wider audience while also building up your brand presence.
Put an attractive profile picture on your profile and create an interesting bio to capture the curiosity of your audience and clue them in on what your business is all about. Include personal details about your business, such as when you began and any special dramas you may have encountered or people or customers who make your business unique.
When crafting video content for your audience, keep it focused and on task, but social and inviting. Never say more than you have to, to keep your audience engaged. This means you’ll have to make sure what you are doing and saying is something your audience wants to know. If the information isn’t relevant or important to them, by solving a problem or helping them achieve a goal, then they will click off as quickly as they clicked on. Include keywords and phrases important to your business, so you’ll attract an audience which is interested in your business. You are looking for your clients (who will become loyal customers) not just a lot of views.
A few words about hashtags, from a business person’s point of view – Hashtags should help your users find, share, and ultimately, notify you of their presence so you can begin to engage with them. But you can’t just attach hashtags randomly and expect a successful viral to develop.
Why should you use hashtags on TikTok?
The whole point of posting videos on TikTok is to get noticed. Hashtags are your ‘business card’ to getting noticed, and if done with random casualty, will bring you nothing – dead silence.
If you use trending hashtags mixed , your posts will drop to the “For you” page, where many people will view your stuff. The more people engage with your content, the more TikTok brings them to you. By forgoing all the broad strokes of general posting, namely using hashtags which don’t point to you directly, however, you will have more ‘sees’ but less ‘do’s’. In business, go for the ‘do’s’, and use the hashtags relevant to your business.
Do I need a strategy?
Yes! Decide what your objectives are for your business, and then use those guides to create your goals.
Do you want :
- Larger social presence,
- Larger reach
- New followers
Grow your brand awareness (by reaching your audience) to increase community engagement and increase web traffic.
Who is my audience?
Determine your perfect client, and structure your hashtags to that person. Are they young or old? Do they have specific skills, or are they a consumer buyer? Do some thinking to outline your perfect client, and then aim your strategy to this profile.
Remember, your videos will not immediately reach a wide audience if your account is relatively new. However, by posting consistently and to your profiled audience, you will become a favorite of TikTok’s algorithm and thus, attract new followers and build a significant audience faster.
Once you have covered all these bases, the next thing you want to think about is the kind of content you post. Effective content creation is crucial to any successful marketing strategy on TikTok.
What should I post on TikTok?
First, you need to give your followers a compelling story about your journey and how you have developed your business over the years. Make sure your videos convey the emotions you are feeling when speaking about your business since this will make your content more compelling. Using humor in your videos will also make your content more captivating and increase your viewership.
Here are some business accounts which discuss several different areas which discuss business operations.
Elyse Breanne Design describes her day in a 60-second video, starting from reading for her law classes to packaging her self-designed sticker and notebook orders.
The owner of Essentielle Cosmetics shows her trauma of being broke… But because of her emotional posts, something wonderful happens.
If you are showcasing your products, you can maximize the impact on TikTok by using trending sounds and songs. Celebrities have been particularly successful when it comes to creating dance trends that help them market new music and skyrocket sales. However, trends on TikTok aren’t just limited to songs and dance routines. As a matter of fact, you can pretty much create a video trend out of anything, including comedy skits, pranks, cute animal videos, fitness and workout tips, cooking hacks and so much more. In addition to this, you need to give your customers pointers on how to use your products and provide troubleshooting advice for any problems they may be experiencing. This will help to foster trust and improve customer satisfaction.
nagam Beauty gives a hair tutorial on how to use her products. She doesn’t talk, she instead has a soundtrack in the background. She has instruction drop-ins which guide the person along in using her hair products. Well done.
makeupbyalaha , a make-up retailer, explains and demonstrates how to re-pack a broken powder-based makeup product. She explains the process and also hints to make it work.
evangeline_label shows how to wear one of her tops in 3 different ways. Great for promotional purposes, selling 3 tops in one!
mustardseedessential is a candle retailer, and she shows you how to remove air pockets from candles you make at home (with her kits).
You should also try to give your followers a peek into your creative process by making videos of every step right from the construction to packaging and shipping. If your followers have a clear picture of the process, they will be more trusting of your brand and likely to make orders for your products. Always let them know when they can order and ensure that you deliver on time. It is also important for you to thank your customers for supporting you by buying your products. This will make them feel appreciated and impactful to your business thus increasing the chances of them sticking around for the long haul.
Here are some TikTok videos to help you begin your business – keep a close eye on how they put their videos together, the simple language they use, and how the camera is positioned. By seeing how others shoot their videos, you’ll see how you want to do yours, developing your own style and identity for your business brand.
behindtheglow2 runs through the process of packing their crystal products by hand, showing how the personal tough works for their specialized products.
hollymcnair25 shows how much effort she puts into making custom products. In my opinion, showing their unique specialty skills, setting them apart and shows the customer the background into each order..
cosmic.cases sells custom phone cases – this is a video which shows their custom packing for shipping. No words, just a soundtrack and the process. You could shoot this in less than 5 minutes, while giving your customers a glimpse into your scene beyond the sale.
Arrae shows how thankful, yet overwhelmed, he is for having so many orders. No words, just music and descriptions – and humor.
vianney gives new business owners many ideas for package product options.
xxl.scrunchie shows how she saves a lot of money by printing her brand sticker on her own.
Katarina shows how she takes a picture of products using a laptop and mirror.
And lastly, a very important element of TikTok marketing – Don’t forget your customers!
Pay attention to customer feedback and give everyone’s voice value. Behind each comment, are 5 to 10 more who didn’t, so listen and reply, both in the comments and also in revamping your product or service. When creating content, it is vital to mention the reviews you are getting from your followers, whether positive or negative. This not only lets your audience know you care, but that their input is important to you. It also gives you the opportunity to correct errors or misunderstandings you have with your customers – a happy customer is a return customer!
There are many benefits of sharing your business’ personal journey with your followers, including
- identity and similarity
- engagement to create a more personal bond
- empathy with your customers
- singles you out from competition
- everyone wants to be cared about – this shows your vulnerability
Building your brand presence on TikTok requires you to be proactive when it comes to promoting your profile. This can be as simple as requesting your followers to check out your profile or asking them to watch other videos you put up. An effective call to action will help you to improve your engagement with your existing followers and find new ones.
pink turtle soaps This is a wonderful example of a new product introduction, while at the same time, asking customers for their opinion and comments. Love the display, love the quick video speed.
Another great way to improve your marketing strategy on TikTok is by collaborating with other content creators. This can be something as simple as leaving comments on viral posts and sharing opinions, inviting positive feedback. Engaging with followers on the comments section of posts by other TikTok users provides you with the opportunity to draw interest to your profile and potentially attract new followers to your business profile.
Should I use ads?
Finally, don’t forget to leverage TikTok ads. The platform now has a formal advertising system that allows you to advertise on the social network.
Here are the three types of ads offered on TikTok –
- Hashtag Challenge Ads – the user is provided with a banner ad that redirects them to a page bearing the instructions and rules on how to participate in a challenge.
- In-feed Native Ads – these are very similar to traditional ads. They give you the option to add website links and purchase buttons on the ad so that users can order the product that you are selling.
- Brand takeover Ads – they employ a mix of GIFs, image clips, and video clips that link to a hashtag challenge or landing page.
Naturally, starting out on TikTok as a small business owner may seem like a daunting prospect at first. There is no guarantee that you will have a hassle-free journey. Just as with any other endeavor, TikTok marketing comes with its own unique challenges. However, by taking the right steps, becoming proactive, and maintaining a positive mindset, you can overcome any challenges that you encounter along the way, catapult the growth of your brand on TikTok very rapidly and gain a wider audience.
Millions of entrepreneurs have capitalized on this platform to grow their businesses and you too can take advantage of the endless opportunities that TikTok offers to small entrepreneurs. There is so much that you can learn from the businesses that have succeeded through TikTok. If you are just starting out on the platform, therefore, it might be helpful to follow these successful users to find out what works for them, learn from their mistakes and adopt the strategies that work best for you.
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