How to use TikTok for your business (a step-by-step guide)
It’s official…TikTok is now the most popular website in the world! Thanks to its breakneck growth, the social video platform has overtaken Google to become the most visited online property.
TikTok now has over a billion monthly active users, making it a fantastic way for businesses to reach potential customers. So if you’re not using this app for marketing yet, it’s time to rethink. Here are just a few reasons why you must consider marketing on this video powerhouse:
TikTok for your business
The benefits of marketing on TikTok
So this social media upstart is undoubtedly huge, but is it a good way to market your wares? To answer that question, here are the key benefits of using TikTok for your business. You can:
- Increase brand awareness: thanks to its massive reach, TikTok allows you to spread the word about your company through short but powerful videos
- Grow your audience: with large followings in over 150 countries, this platform can help you attract more prospects and customers
- Sell products and services: TikTok offers a novel way to promote your products without seeming ‘salesy.’ Use engaging videos to attract interest in a natural way
- Enjoy free promotion: TikTok users love to share good content with their friends and family. Create quality video and enjoy massive reach as your content is shared around the world
A step-by-step guide to marketing on TikTok
Getting traction on TikTok may seem like a daunting idea. Where do you even start? Don’t worry, I’ve got your back. Here’s how to get up and running as a TikTok marketer in just 10 steps:
Step #1: create your account
The process begins with downloading the TikTok app from Google Play or the Apple App Store. Register for an account using your phone number, email address, or social media account.
Next, you need to change your account into a Business account to access more features and benefits. When that’s done, you’re ready to start sharing.
Step #2: optimize your profile
Before you go any further, be sure to optimize your profile. This is critical, as it acts as the gateway to your business.
Add an engaging bio that summarizes your unique selling proposition, then add a profile photo and a link to your website. Choose an image that represents your brand well but which also has impact. Remember that most people use TikTok on their phones, so your profile pic needs to look good in small sizes.
Step #3: identify your target audience
Although TikTok has enormous reach, not everyone will be interested in your products. So you need to identify the type of user you want to attract, especially concerning:
- Gender
- Age
- Location
- Interests
- Values
The more you can dial this in precisely, the greater your success will be.
Step #4: analyze the competition
Standards are high on TikTok, with many amateur creators putting together very professional videos. If your competitors are on the platform, you need to know what they are up to. Then you can match or exceed their performance.
Find out what content they are producing and study how people engage with the videos. Learn lessons from what they do but don’t just try to copy their style. Use their ideas as a springboard that inspires you to create even better marketing videos.
Step #5: get to grips with the algorithm
If you simply start uploading videos to TikTok, you are likely to fail. First, you need to gain a working knowledge of how the platform works.
Spend some time watching videos on the app to understand what influences the TikTok algorithm. You’ll soon see that good use of captions and hashtags will help you rise to the top of the feed. Most importantly, you need to create content that people love to engage with. The greater the engagement, the better the video will perform.
Step #6: develop your content strategy
With all this research under your belt, you are now in a good position to create your plan of attack.
Outline the kinds of content you will create and decide how often you will publish. While entertainment-style videos get the most views, you can also do well with more practical content. Consider making these types of videos:
- Tutorials
- Lifehacks
- Do-it-yourself instructions
- Valuable advice
- Explainers
It’s a good idea to mix things up with different types of content. Attention spans are very short on TikTok, so have a variety that keeps things interesting.
Step #7: create great videos
Next, you need to create your videos. Fortunately, you don’t need an elaborate production setup to do this. Most TikTok creators record videos using their phones, perhaps with a ring light or two to help them look good.
However, you should aim to make your videos as professional as possible. If the audio is muddy or the images are too dark, users will simply swipe to the next video.
This is very much a case of practice makes perfect. Your first attempts at making TikToks may seem rather amateurish. But with practice, you will improve tremendously…just keep trying!
Step #8: partner with influencers
If you’re looking for a shortcut to success, working with influencers is the way to go. Many TikTok creators have built up enormous followings, enabling them to reach millions of people with their content.
You can leverage this power by partnering with influencers relevant to your niche. Sometimes it’s enough just to offer them a free product. Other times, you will need to pony up some cash to get the deal done.
Then the influencer will create videos featuring your product and share them with the world. Many businesses have used this strategy to achieve rapid growth and massive sales.
Step #9: advertise to grow your reach
The simplest and most direct way to get results is to pay for advertising. You can now advertise on TikTok in much the same way as you would on YouTube or Instagram.
Right now, we’re still in the early days of TikTok ads, so rates are surprisingly low. You can get an excellent ROI with just a modest investment. But this is likely to change as more businesses catch onto the potential. So now is a great time to start and reap the rewards of being an early adopter.
Step #10: Analyze your results
The real key to success on TikTok is to keep optimizing everything you do. TikTok offers advanced analytics tools that show you what’s working (and what’s not).
Make the most of these tools to see how you can level up your performance. You may find that making a few simple tweaks to your approach can have stellar results on your outcomes.
For example, it’s a good idea to work out the time of day when your videos get the most engagement. Then if you post regularly at those times, your overall performance will improve significantly.
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The easy way to start marketing on TikTok
There’s no doubt about it—TikTok offers enormous potential as a strategy for growing your business. But you may be wondering how to tackle all the steps needed to get up and running.
Fortunately, you don’t have to. With the help of my professional partners, I can take that problem off your hands. In the course of my work as a marketing broker, I’ve teamed up with the best TikTok marketers on the planet. And now, this A team is ready to help you get outstanding results with your campaigns.
Get in touch today to find out how we can launch your sales into the stratosphere. It doesn’t cost a cent to talk, but I’ll put you on track for success in this social media world.
