TikTok has over 5 million businesses on its app competing to be on top. You should know how to grow on the platform if you’re a business. Using tools like FollowZilla is a good start, but there are other ways to grow. This article will explain everything you need to know to grow your platform.
Why Should People Use TikTok for Business?
TikTok is where the youth go. If your business caters to Millennials and Gen Z, you must have a TikTok account.
Meanwhile, TikTok for business has many features you can use to grow your branding. For example, you can create cool filters that people will love using branded effects. You can use TikTok’s many tools, such as advertising and analytics.
If you wish to grow, TikTok can make your business feel personal, and you can create incredible pieces of content that people will love. Let’s explain.
7 Ways to Promote Your Business on TikTok
1. Setting Up Your Business Profile on TikTok
First, you should create a business TikTok account before anything else. To do so, you can easily switch to one if you haven’t done so already. Open the app and select Profile > Menu > Settings and Privacy > Manage Account > Switch to Business Account.
Viola! You will see the following information if everything goes well:
Now that you’ve done so, you can take advantage of all the features. However, before you do so, ensure your profile is filled up. Have a good description that tells people what your business is about. Use a clear profile pic. Have links people can click on if they wish to purchase your products.
2. Know Your Target Audience
If you want to know how to use TikTok to promote your business, one essential way is to understand your target audience.
This rule applies to any marketing strategy. You must know the day in the life of your average audience member. One way to do this is to look at a profile considered competition. Who are the people following this profile? Who do they follow? What videos do they post? Knowing this lets you create an image of what your target audience enjoys, when they are the most active, and how they’ll respond to your products.
3. Content Creation Strategies
If you want to know how to start a small business on TikTok, you should know that it’s all about what you post. The exact winning content will depend on what your business is about. However, some tips apply to almost any business, including:
• Take advantage of trending hashtags and challenges. Adding a unique twist to what’s hot right now will help you thrive on the platform.
• Have your video captivate audiences in three seconds. Avoid making your videos overly long unless you have to.
• Create well-edited, high-quality videos. Use trending sounds that will fit within your content.
4. Build Engagement
One way to learn how to promote your small business on TikTok is to build engagement. Create content that encourages users to like, comment, and share. Post at the times when your audience is the most active.
Don’t forget to interact with your audience if someone leaves a comment, likes, or responds. Feel free to collaborate with other users by performing duets and sharing their content. Doing these things equals an engaged audience.
5. Use Features
Use all of TikTok’s features, and you should see results. We mentioned Duets, which involve you doing something (like dancing) alongside another person’s videos. There’s also Stitches, where you add your video after someone else’s. And, of course, you can add filters to your videos to give them a unique flair.
Consider live streaming as well. Live streaming involves interacting with your audience in real-time. It can be a great way to build hype for a product or show your audience you care.
6. TikTok Advertising
Like many social media platforms, TikTok has advertising tools you can use. You can create in-feed ads that capture your audience’s attention and make them forget they’re watching an ad. It’s also easy to create an advertising campaign that matches your budget. Just go to “Creator tools” and choose “Promote” to start setting up your ads.
7. Measuring Success: Analytics and Metrics
Finally, TikTok has an analytics tool that you can use to see where you’re at in your marketing campaign. Go to “Creator tools” and choose “Analytics” to open the information you need.
You can see how many followers, comments, and shares you’ve gotten every few weeks or monthly. You can combine your likes, comments, and shares, divide them by your number of views, and multiply the sum by 100. This will tell you your engagement rate.
If your analytics are going well, then great. However, if stagnating, you may need to change your business strategy. Remember that TikTok is a constantly evolving platform. You will be left behind if you’re not changing with the times.
Successful TikTok Business Campaigns
Many brands have become even more famous by launching TikTok campaigns that resonate with their audiences.
One example is Duolingo. You’ve probably heard of this language-learning app and its owl mascot. Their videos depict the mascot going after people slacking off on learning a language.
Another example is GymShark. Being a fitness brand, their inspirational body transformation TikTok has become all the rage.
Most case studies you’ll read about have several things in common. They take their branding and adjust the messaging to reach a younger audience. Usually, they’ll do this using humor or creating emotional content that people will want to share.
With a great content strategy, your account will feel more like a business. It can feel like a friend who is just having fun. Of course, you should never let your branding get lost in your content; you can do both, having fun branded content that doesn’t feel too salesy.
Conclusion
Your business can thrive on TikTok if you know what you’re doing. Its platform rewards a prosperous marketing strategy with unique content uploaded frequently. So before you go deep into the platform, ensure you have a marketing strategy ready, and don’t be afraid to adjust it down the road.
Frequently Asked Questions About Using TikTok for Business
Is TikTok for business free?
Yes, creating a TikTok account for business purposes is free. However, there will be associated costs if you choose to use their paid advertising features.
Can I use a personal TikTok account for business?
Yes, you can use a personal TikTok account for business purposes. However, switching to a TikTok Business Account is recommended for access to additional features like analytics and advertising tools.
Should I use TikTok for my small business?
Yes, TikTok can be a valuable platform for small businesses. It offers a large, engaged audience and creative ways to showcase your brand, products, or services, mainly if your target market includes younger demographics.
What are the disadvantages of TikTok for business?
Disadvantages of TikTok for business include potential challenges in reaching your target audience if they are not active on the platform, the need for consistently creative and high-quality content, and navigating the platform’s algorithm for content visibility. Additionally, the fast-paced trends on TikTok can require businesses to be highly adaptive and responsive.
Wanda Neal is a social media manager at FollowZilla, the company that helps people, brands, and companies get more activity on their profiles on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Spotify, Twitter, and other popular social media networks.