This is a full guide on how to market effectively on TikTok. The guide gives statistics on the app and explains how to increase your chances of gaining more views and followers. We will share our insights on how businesses can also get in on the trend to boost their sales and online traffic.
About TikTok
Facts
- 83% say that TikTok played a role in their purchase decisions.
- 57% have been inspired to purchase something based on something they saw on a TikTok.
- 42% say they’re on TikTok to discover new things.
- 67% believe the app gives them ideas about new brands and products.
Statistics
- TikTok has been installed on over 2.6 Billion devices worldwide.
- TikTok was the 2nd most downloaded iPhone app in 2020.
- US TikTok users spend more than 850 minutes per month on the app.
What is TikTok?
TikTok is a social media platform that focuses on the creation and sharing of short videos. The app is used by young people as a creative outlet through singing, dancing, comedy, and more. The videos are then shared with the TikTok community. It has become increasingly popular for businesses to market on TikTok to reach that younger audience who are their target audience.
How did TikTok grow so fast?
There are several reasons for this. It is very easy to use, video creation and sharing are very simple and there is not a very steep learning curve. There were a lot of celebrity endorsements one of these being jimmy Fallon who encouraged people to take part in a challenge he started. Fallon Now has a partnership with TikTok.
What is a TikTok Video?
A TikTok video is a short-form video. Original they were only 15-seconds long but now have an option to record a 60-second and 3-minute video. Videos can be created on any topic and can feature singing, comedy, dancing, and more. The videos can also add a sound which can be a mainstream song on the radio or a custom sound from another TikTok user. Videos can also add effects like a green screen, for example.
Create The Perfect TikTok
In our TikTok Marketing Guide, we will give you everything you need to create a TikTok. You don’t need any editing apps or software it can all be done inside the app. All you need to do is log in to your account and tap the + icon. Then hold down the pink circle to begin capturing video. You have now made your first TikTok. The next stage is the editing process which is crucial to gaining views on the video. Here you can bring your creative flair and add extras to tell a story.
Add Music
To add music tap sounds to explore TikToks sound library. Use the trim function to choose which section of the song you would like to be played over the video.
Switch Cameras
To make a more interesting video switch between your front and back cameras. To do this you just simply press the flip button on the screen or double-tap on the screen.
Change Speed
The speed button is at the bottom of the screen and can be adjusted to suit the pace of your video. If you want a drama-filled video you may opt for a slow-motion video, for example.
Apply a Filter
To apply a filter tap on the filter button. Then browse the categories such as Landscape, Foof, and Vibe. There is even a beauty Mode to make you look flawless on camera.
Shoot Hands-Free
The timer button on the right-hand side will give you a countdown and then begin recording once the time is up.
Add Effects
Add effects by pressing the effects button. Here you’ll find categories like New and Trending. Adding trending effects may boost your views as they are normally used in conjunction with a trend and accompanying sound.
Add Text
Tap on the pink tick to access more editing tools such as Text. Here you can type in your message, change the style and duration. Text can be used to help the story you want to tell.
Record a Voiceover
Add a voiceover to add another layer to your TikTok. Tap the voiceover button and then choose what time you want to add a voiceover by pressing on the mic and speaking into it.
Grow Your TikTok
How To Get Views On TikTok?
There are many ways to increase your chance of gaining more views and followers on TikTok. The following are some helpful tips:
1. Hashtags
As easy as it sounds, adding hashtags to your videos can help them get recognized. For example, if you have just made a TikTok dancing to a viral trend then add a hashtag of the name of it. Anyone who then clicks on that hashtag will be able to see your video, increasing your chance of gaining more views.
2. For You Page
The For You Page is the main page on the platform that shows new creators and videos suited to your taste, based on what you have previously viewed. If you post regular content then it’s likely you will feature here at some point.
3. Interact With Others
Engaging with your followers or any user by leaving a comment on other videos will encourage people to take a look at your profile and check out the videos you have posted. This is a simple way to start growing your following.
4. Post Regularly
Posting regularly is key to market effectively on TikTok. By posting regular content it will increase your chances of getting views as the app is filled with content the more you have the more that will be seen. And when you post regularly you have a better chance of landing on the For You Page.
5. Share On Other Platforms
It is common for people who have posted a video on TikTok to share that content elsewhere on other social media apps, such as Instagram or Twitter to bring the content to another audience.
Businesses & TikTok
How Can Businesses Use TikTok?
There are several ways businesses can use the social media platform. As the world is rapidly changing businesses need to keep up with the trends to boost sales and traffic. Businesses can use TikTok in the following ways:
- They can create their own profile and upload videos about their business showing behind the scenes or new products. The more you post the more you engage your audience and the more familiar your audience will become with you.
- Businesses can also work with influencers to help market their products on the platform. If you don’t have a big following yet maybe this might be a good way to boost your following fast by reaching out and working with an influencer who has a few hundred thousand followers.
- Businesses can pay to advertise on TikTok. It is not a huge market for advertising a the moment like Youtube is but it is constantly growing and becoming more popular.
How to get paid for TikTok?
Most influencers on TikTok make money by direct partnerships with brands and creating ads for them. Companies can pay hundreds to thousands per branded video that are promoted by an influencer. This of course depends on the individual’s level of influence and their following.
TikTok Marketing Strategy
So we’ve gone over all the basics of the app and how to create a TikTok, now it’s time to draw up a marketing strategy going forward. This is important as you need to know who your audience is and what type of content to create. Once you’re set on this then stick to it, it’s now part of your strategy.
Target Audience
You have created your TikTok account now who do you want to attract to your profile and why? If you’re a business that sells sports equipment, then, of course, you’re aiming for people interested in sports. You want them to visit your profile and to ultimately visit your website and make a purchase.
Value
How will you bring value to your TikTok followers? Are you there to entertain, inform or inspire your followers? Once you decide this it will influence the type of content you create.
Content Themes
After you have decided your niche then you need to create content around that niche. For example, here at Digitalbootcamp, our niche is Digital Marketing. Our content for TikTok would then cover topics like Social Media Growth, SEO optimization, and Website Creation. The content themes should cover a variety of topics.
Research
It is now time to research TikToks and what is trending. If you want your “For You” Page to cater to your niche then follow accounts that you like and engage with their content. You can also search your niche in hashtags to find more content that relates to your niche.
Brainstorm
After you have researched videos you like then write down some notes on them on what you liked and what worked well for them. You can now start adapting videos that you like to your niche. You also have to take into consideration your skills and what TikToks you want to create
Creating
If you have a lot of time in your business to make TikToks then you need to become trend-heavy. You need to be quick for this and post while the trend is still relevant and you need to be able to put your spin on the trend. The benefit of doing this is that you have a better chance of going viral and getting on other people’s “For You” Page.
If you don’t have the time to go trend-heavy then you need to post content that is timeless, for example answering common questions. What are themes that come up over and over again? The benefit of doing this is that you can create all this content at once and then post them over a few days or weeks as it will still be relevant.
Posting
How Often Should You Post On TikTok?
If you are wondering how often you should post then you should post as often as you can keep consistent. For example, if you post 3 times a week then keep to this. If you do want to scale quickly then you should aim to post 2-3 times daily. TikTok rewards frequency so if you are uploading daily at the same time everyday TikTok will help you gain more views.
When Should I Post On TikTok?
When you’re thinking of when to post a Tik Tok then you should think about when your audience is most active. This could be early in the morning or late in the evening. The only way to figure this out is to post at different times and get an overview of what your views were like depending on when you posted them.
You can also schedule your videos to upload at a certain time on TikTok for desktop.
Can I Post My Tik Toks To Instagram Reels?
Yes, you can. The downside is that you will be left with a TikTok watermark on your video. Instagram has been reported to suppress videos with these watermarks on their videos. The workaround is to use the website https://snaptik.app/ and download your video with a removed watermark. You can then post it to Instagram reels although the quality may be reduced.
Should I Use Hashtags In My TikToks?
Yes, TikTok has said that using hashtags will lead to more views on your videos. The answer then lies in what hashtags to use. You can use the top trending hashtags to get views under that. You can also search terms related to your niche so for us it would be #digitalmarketing. Using hashtags like this will tell TikTok that this is what we want our audience to be interested in. Of course, you could always g down the route of using the most popular hashtags e.g #FYP. It is really up to the individual you can also see what other TikTokers are using. There is no real definitive answer of what exact hashtags you should be using.
Understanding Video Metrics
After posting a video, analytics normally takes a minimum of about 24 hours to update. Here you can see if people have shared your video and whether the views came from the “For You” page or your profile. This gives a good indication of what type of content is working for your audience and what isn’t.
TikTok Ads
Since it exploded on the social media scene in 2018, TikTok has had rapid growth. It has over 800 million monthly users. With TikTok Ads Manager, brands can connect with the worldwide audience they have grown. Here we will share everything from targetting the right audience, creating ads, and how to track the performance of your campaign.
Why Should You Advertise On TikTok?
TikTok’s audience is mainly Gen Z, but increasingly more older users have started jumping on the platform in 2020. Advertising on TikTok isn’t for all businesses but if your target audience is in the age range that is on the platform then it’s the place for you.
Reach And Engagement
TikTok has an audience of more than 150 countries and is one of the most downloaded apps worldwide in the last year.
How Do You Target Potential Customers?
On TikTok, you can target the right audience for your business by using age, gender, location, interests, and more. You can create custom audiences to seek your ideal followers.
Business Account
To avail of TikTok Ads then you must sign up for TikTok For Business.
Selling On TikTok
TikTok has a partnership with Shopify with a range of built-in features. These include TikTok Campaigns, Audience Targeting, and more.
If you want to embed your TikTok content on your website then you can do this through https://getvop.com. This lets your customer see your social media content and build more of a relationship with your business. It can show the actual people behind your business so your customers don’t just see products or sales but also the people working in the business.
Can I Track Sales That I Received Through TikTok?
Yes, if you install TikTok Pixel (https://ads.tiktok.com/help/article?aid=9663) on your website, eCommerce store, and ads then you can track events when a customer makes a purchase.
Tracking Tik Tok Shopify Sales
When you make sales through TikTok then you can manage all these sales through the Shopify Dashboard. If Merchants want a better understanding of their sales they can use Shopify apps like Magic TikTok Pixel’ to track sales in TikTok campaigns.
How To Grow Organically On TikTok
Value
The content must bring value to the viewer. For example, on our TikTok, we post content related to Digital Marketing in the form of tips and how-to videos. The viewer is learning something or finding out how to use something because of the content we produced. For example with less than 5 followers, we produced a TikTok on how to get a Google Certificate for free and within 2 days it had over 3,500 views and rose the follower count over 130+. Viewers learned something from the video and they shared it with their friends/family on how to get one too. Viewers are then more likely to follow you if they see you have the same style of content on your profile. They know they will always get value from your content. This is a key part to our TikTok Marketing Strategy Guide.
Consistency
If you want to grow on TikTok then you must be uploading every day or at least 5 days a week. The more you post the more TikTok will reward you. The more you post the more chances you have of having a viral video that will increase your followers. In our first few days on TikTok, we posted twice a day and posted at different times to get a feel for when our best time to post was.
Quality
The quality of your video needs to be high. TikTok videos shot on iPhones tend to look better than videos from an Android so be careful what device you use. You may have great content but not a great camera so people will be put off by the video on first look. Viewers will return if the quality of your videos is high.
Trends
Keeping up with trends is vital for growth on TikTok. Trends can come in many forms such as a trending skit, dance, song, and more. If you post a video relating to a trend the chances are you will receive more views as it’s something people are looking for. For example, if you want to post a video on your top podcast recommendations and you are doing a voice-over then add a sound. Take a look at the TikTok Viral Chart and pick one of those and lower the volume. As you are using a trending song your chances of more views increase.