The Ultimate Guide to TikTok for Business
This is the ultimate guide to TikTok for business whether you’re small or large. It’s no secret that TikTok is one of the most popular social media channels on the planet. The app has been downloaded more than a billion times and it’s not just for kids anymore.
Businesses are starting to catch on and want to know how they can use this platform for their own marketing strategy. In this blog post, we will share our tips and tricks so you can start using TikTok in your marketing plan today!
Why Use TikTok for Business instead of Youtube?
The reach and the ability to grow organically is one of the best reasons to use TikTok. You can see from my channel what can happen in a short amount of time. This app isn’t just for kids anymore, there are people of all ages around the world using it daily. This is why you need to a TikTok marketing strategy.
In 9 months consistently posting on both Youtube and TikTok you can see there is a HUGE difference. On TikTok I have over 775K followers and almost 50 million video views.
During that same time on YouTube I have 1.5K subscribers and 29.6K video views.
Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate each and every subscriber and video view!
In fact, if you like this content I would love it if you visited my YouTube channel and subscribed.
Very Important: Make sure and download the TikTok app on your phone, you don’t get all of the same information on a desktop!
Excellent Resource: If you want me to walk you through this step by step on video, Grab my Free TikTok Training.
Do Your Research on TikTok
It’s important to do your research on TikTok before you get started. This is one of the biggest mistakes that new businesses make on the platform. You need to know how are you niche and competitors operate on TikTok.
Start your research by checking out their pages and hashtags. Finding accounts that do well in your industry is a great way to start getting inspired for your own account.
Niche Keywords
Click on the search icon at the bottom of the TikTok app and then enter the keywords for your niche. This will give you a good idea of what other people in this niche are doing. Make sure and put together a list of popular channels so you can keep up with what they are doing.
Lookup City Keywords
If you’re a local business make sure and enter your city and surrounding cities while doing your research. Your videos will show up based on geography as well as many other factors. Knowing what’s going on in your area can really help out with video creation
How Long are Videos in Your Niche
Each niche is a little different so it’s important to do the research. TikTok is recently allowed channels to post videos up to three minutes long. When you’re first getting started I don’t recommend that you do this. Most videos are 60 seconds or less. I have found my most popular videos to be 15 seconds or less.
15 second videos are typically watched the entire time. Having your videos watched completely, helps them grow in popularity and increases your chances of going viral.
Look at The Number of Video Views
Anything over 50k Views is a popular video. I would search for videos that are 50K to 100K views and see what they are doing. In most niches if a video has over 500K views, it’s considered a viral video on TikTok. You definitely want to learn how to go viral on TikTok!
Put Together an Engaging TikTok Profile
Your TikTok profile needs to be creative, engaging and you need to stand out from the crowd! This means using high quality videos or photos – do not use content that you do not own.
Pro Tip: You have to have 1000 followers before TikTok will allow you to have a “Link in Your Bio”. Once you get that, you can send people to your website or a page that hosts your offers, here is mine.
Don’t be afraid to get creative with your profile bio and description! You want potential fans to know exactly what they are getting when they follow you on TikTok so give them the full picture in a few sentences or less.
Business Account Versus Creator Account
It’s critical that you don’t open a business account but if you already have, no worries you can easily change it. The reason you want a creator account is because it allows you to use popular music with your videos. Part of the TikTok algorithm is based on the music you choose.
If you want to discover how to go viral on TikTok, choosing popular music is a big part of it. Unfortunately, business accounts don’t have access to the same music.
Creator Accounts Include Video Analytics
Video analytics allow you to see how many views, likes, and comments your videos have received. You also see where the views are coming from and the most popular time that your audience is watching your videos. This really helps you figure out when is the best time to post on TikTok.
Naming Your TikTok Channel
Picking the right name for your channel is important. You should choose your niche or your business name. If your an online business in the Entrepreneur space, you will want to make sure the keyword is in your name. Here is my newest TikTok channel Entrepreneur Scott as an example.
We do this to make it easier for people who are searching the platform. You want your channel to come up if someone is looking for a business like you or a niche that fits into what you do on TikTok.
Creating Your TikTok Business Videos
When you’re creating your TikTok business videos do not do the same thing that everyone else is doing. After doing your research, you should have a good idea on what is popular in your niche.
Emulate their videos but don’t copy them.
The Video Hook
When it comes to video the hook is what makes people stop scrolling and watch your video. My hook is me sliding into the screen and getting their attention. You can see that in the video below.
The Video Content – The Story
I recommend when you first get started that you focus on 15 seconds or less videos. They take less time to create and I’m more likely to be watched completely. Make sure you get to the point fast and deliver value.
Rambling on and on will not work on TikTok. Pick one point to cover and do it quickly. If you try to cover too much and have a longer video it’s less likely to go viral.
Obviously there are exceptions to every rule and if you have excellent content people will watch it regardless of the length of the video.
Adding Music to Your TikTok Video
Adding music to your TikTok video is really simple. Once you upload the video at the bottom left you will see a search icon for Music. You can either pick the suggested songs or scroll down to categories.
Once you click on categories you will see TikTok viral music. I have found that picking one of these works the best.
Pro Tip: when you add your music you will see an icon at the bottom right that is a music symbol. If your video is you talking, make sure and turn the music volume down to 4%.
Add Titles to Your Videos
Titles are really important because they tell the viewer what your video is about. They are also your chance to optimize the video so people can find it in searches.
Titles should include keywords related to what you do on TikTok and be short enough for them to read quickly while scrolling through their feed. This is really important if you want more views, likes, or comments!
Add Captions to your TikTok Videos
Adding captions is also important to add to all of your videos. Many times people are watching the videos in a place where they can’t have sound. It also appears that adding captions will help your video get more views.
Some of your viewers may not be able to hear so this way they will still be able to watch your videos. I have had multiple “thank you” comments from people who appreciate the captions.
Add Hashtags To Your Videos
Hashtags are really important because they help people find your video when searching on TikTok. They also let the algorithm know what your video is about.
The hashtags you use should have a nice balance between general and niche.
You can find the most popular TikTok hashtags here . I recommend creating a list of your top 20-30 hashtags to start with and then testing those out. You will need to see which ones are working best for you based on likes, comments, views, and follows.
Make sure and do research regularly to see what hashtags are trending on TikTok.
Testing Hashtags
Testing hashtags is important because you don’t want to overuse one that isn’t working well for your TikTok videos.
You can also use general hashtags like #business or #entrepreneur if they fit into what you are creating on the platform. The more specific ones tend to perform better though, so stick with those.
It’s important that you test different hashtags until you find the ones that work best for your videos!
Longtail Hashtags on TikTok
Hashtags on TikTok are the same as keywords on YouTube. You can judge how competitive a hashtag is by the number of use. For instance, #fyp is one of the most popular with 4234B views and growing daily. Your chances of ranking for this as a new channel are slim.
If you have less than 10,000 followers I would try to find hashtags between 50K and 100K views. The lower the views the less competitive the hashtag is.
When you first get started do you want your videos to get views, this is a critical part of marketing on TikTok.
The Description of Your TikTok Video
Your description is another great place to add keywords and get more views on your videos! The first two lines are what show up in the feed when someone searches for a specific topic or hashtag you used.
For example, if you search #iphonetricks you will see my video below. You can click on it to watch it and read the description!
Adding a link in your bio is really important (once you have 1000 followers). This way people know where to go if they want more information from you or to see your current offers. I recommend creating a landing page on your website that is specific for TikTok with resources, blog posts, guides, etc.
General Hashtags Slightly Outside of Your Niche
In the description try using keywords like- creating entrepreneur life and TikTok for businesses. If someone searches those terms they might find your video in the search results! Don’t be afraid to use keywords and hashtags that are slightly out of your niche but still related.
Pro Tip: Don’t use hashtags that have nothing to do with your video. TikTok will see this as misleading viewers and your video could be taken down.
Pin a Comment to Your Video
As soon as you finish your video and post it, make sure and leave the first comment. If you click on this comment you can pin it to the top. This can be a general comment initially that will engage your audience.
Once the video has views and comments you might find the same question is being asked over and over. This is a great time to pin a new comment to answer that question.
Youtube Video instead of Reading
How To Grow on TikTok
Growing on TikTok will take some time but I think it offers the opportunity for organic growth. Many people are saying that TikTok for business in 2021 and 2022, is the social media opportunity of the decade!
Based on my results and growth, I have to agree with them!
Be Consistent on Your Channel and Hashtags
You have one chance at making an impression so be consistent with hashtags and your channel. This means uploading on the same days and times each week, do not miss a day or skip over hashtags!
Consistency is the key to creating a successful TikTok channel.
When people subscribe to your channel they are expecting you to upload regularly so do not let them down!
How Many TikTok Videos Should I Post?
When you first start your channel I recommend uploading 3 to 5 videos per day if you have the time. I would do this for the first two weeks to get your channel off to a fast start.
After that, I have found that uploading one video every single day has been the most successful. This does depend on the niche, if all of your competitors are uploading more, that’s a good sign that you should too.
If this feels like too much work for you right now then consider uploading every other day or once a week until it becomes part of your routine. It’s important to post regularly because it keeps people coming back to your page.
You do not want people to forget about you and unfollow your channel. This kills your efforts spent marketing on TikTok.
One post a week is still better than no posts at all! Here are even more tips on getting more followers on TikTok.
Create Engaging Content for TikTok Videos
You have to make sure that your videos add value and they are engaging. Your videos should either educate, entertain, or inform.
If you are creating a video that does not fit into any of these categories, then it will be difficult for people to follow and engage with your channel.
You have to stand out from the crowd in some way or another if you want people to watch your videos!
Include Personality In All Of Your Videos
It is important to use a lot of personality in your TikTok videos. You want people to connect with you and learn more about who you are as a person!
This is the best way for them to get excited about what you have going on, creating enthusiasm around your brand or products!
I think it’s really easy because everyone has their own personality and it’s just a matter of tapping into that. Remember to be yourself, because you are the only one!
Post When Your Audience is Active
Last but not least, you need to post when your audience is active so you have the best chance of getting noticed. When you first start it’s a little tougher to know when to post.
Pro Tip: You can always follow others in your niche and get notified when they post.
Depending on what industry you are in, there might be certain days and times that work best for your brand so do keep this information in mind.
TikTok For Business Analytics
Once your channel is up and running for a couple weeks you can simply go into your creator tools. One of the menu options inside of creator tools is analytics. This is where you will find information on your videos and followers.
Pro Tip: at the bottom of the screen on the app you will find a link to see more in-depth analytics on a computer. You can either tap the link and paste it into your Internet browser on your phone or on your computer.
This will give you even more in-depth information including when people are watching your videos. Now you know the most popular time to post for your channel and your audience.
Interact with Your TikTok Followers
Never forget that every follower is a person. If they ask a question or leave a comment it’s important to respond quickly and let them know you care!
You can also include your fans in the video by creating a hashtag that includes their names. This is another way to build loyalty with people who really support what you are doing!
Create a Video Answering a Question
Since you’re using TikTok for business, this is a great way to highlight your products or services. All you need to do is click on the comment and it will give you the option to film a video response. This shows people you are engaged and really care about their questions.
While you’re learning how to do all of the right things on TikTok, make sure and try to avoid these 7 Big Mistakes.
I also recommend using hashtags in your comments as well. You do not want people to think that you are ignoring them so be sure to interact with your fans and comment on their posts too.
This will help build a community around your brand and create a little rapport with your potential customers.
Bonus Tip – Don’t Forget About Youtube Shorts
YouTube shorts are vertical videos that are less than one minute long. Right now YouTube is really pushing #shorts in an effort to compete with TikTok. This gives you a great opportunity to grow on YouTube as well.
This is a great way to get your videos in front of a lot of people who may not follow you on TikTok.
I currently take my TikTok videos and upload them as YouTube shorts. This allows me to grow my following in two places using the same video. Another nice part of YouTube shorts is that you can leave a link in the description. This can be a direct link to an offer or to your company’s website.
Check out my YouTube channel to see exactly how I do this. While you’re there I would love it if you subscribe! 😉
YouTube and TikTok for Business
You can link directly from Youtube back to your channel on TikTok, creating more exposure for yourself and the content that you are creating! Tick-tock also allows you to add your YouTube channel to your profile.
Pro Tip: I use TikTok as a feeder to my YouTube channel. I do that by telling my followers to head over to YouTube for a more in-depth explanation of the topic.
You can also promote your videos on other platforms for more engagement and creating a following outside of TikTok. This is helpful if you want to grow your audience organically but it takes time, so be patient!
Final Thoughts on TikTok for Business
I have seen first hand how TikTok can be used to grow a business or brand and I would love for you to see the same results! I hope this blog post was helpful in making an informed decision about using TikTok as part of your business marketing strategy.
So now that you have some great tips on creating videos for TikTok I will leave you with one more thought…This platform is really fun to use and it’s creating an opportunity for me to connect with people all over the world!
Don’t be afraid of trying something new, get started today 🙂