Let’s Talk About How to Promote Your Business with TikTok

Everybody who hasn’t been in a cryogenic state for the past couple of years has heard about TikTok. It’s the newest social media platform where users create and share 15-second videos known as TikToks. While a lot of the content includes lip synching or dancing, more local businesses who target young audiences are turning to TikTok as a way of connecting with potential customers.

You might be thinking, great – how do I do that? I know nothing about TikTok! Not to worry. We’re here to help, and by the time you’re finished reading this article, you’ll have the basics down and you’ll be ready to get started.

Who’s Using TikTok?

Let’s start with your audience because honestly, TikTok isn’t for everybody. If your target audience is businesspeople, you should be focusing on LinkedIn and Facebook, not TikTok. Here are the numbers you need to know:

• TikTok has 800 million active users worldwide
• 60% of US users are between the ages of 16 and 24
• The average user spends 500 minutes each month on the TikTok app
• Nine out of 10 TikTok users access the app more than once per day
• 23% of internet users in the US have seen at least one TikTok 
• TikTok is used by twice as many women in the US as men
• Businesses have spent more than $50 million on TikTok

We should also note that the average age of TikTok users is increasing with the age of the app, which was first launched in September of 2016. While businesses have been slow to adopt its use, we expect that to change in 2021.

How to Create a TikTok Business Account

Creating a business account on TikTok is easy. Download the app to your phone or tablet and then follow these steps:

1. Tap “Me” on the menu bar at the bottom of the page and the tap “Sign up” to connect with your mobile number or email address.
2. From the “Me” menu, click the three dots (kebab menu) at the upper right corner of the page and then tap “Manage My Account.”
3. Choose “Business Account” from the “Switch to Pro Account” menu.
4. Choose the business category that best describes your company.

Choosing a business category allows TikTok to provide you with customized content via its algorithm. These four easy steps will enable you to set up your TikTok business account quickly – and you’re ready to go!

How Do Businesses Use TikTok?

TikTok is a social media app and that means that there are two ways to use it. The first is to create content and hope that it gets attention without you paying to promote it. While that’s not a great idea on Facebook thanks to its algorithm, TikTok users can go viral without spending any money. The second option is, of course, to use TikTok’s advertising platform to run ads and get your content in front of your target audience.

If you know how to create an ad on Facebook, you can create an ad on TikTok because it works the same way. You’ll select an ad objective and target audience, then create a headline, video, and call to action for your ad. Using TikTok business, you can access detailed analytics and metrics to track your ad’s performance.

Ideas for TikTok Marketing

TikTok comes with a suite of video creation and editing tools. A hallmark of TikToks is that they are sped up, which allows users to share longer video content that still fits within the 15-second timeframe. 

Of course, you can use other video editing software as well. The makers of TikTok have created CapCut video editor, a companion app that you can use to access additional video editing tools. It’s available for both Android and Apple devices.

While a lot of TikTokers focus on creating silly content to share with their followers, there’s a growing trend toward informative content ideas that can work for businesses. Here are some suggestions.

1. Create a tutorial or how-to video. TikToks are ideal for how-to videos because speeding up the content allows you to put a lot of information into a brief video – ideal for today’s short attention spans. A quick scan of TikTok will show you that even private users are making how-to videos for cooking and craft projects.
2. Day in the life video. If you want to quickly introduce your TikTok followers to your team, you could do a series of day in the life videos introducing each team member and showing what they do in a day. A combination of video and graphics can put a human face on your business.
3. Product demo video. Most people say they would rather watch a brief explainer video than read a product description. That makes TikTok ideal for demonstrating your product’s capabilities in a way that’s fun and easy to understand.
4. Before and after video. If you sell a product or offer a service that leads to significant transformations, you can create TikToks that highlight the transformation. For example, an interior designer could show before and after videos – or even a sped-up video showing stages of the transformation ending with the finished design.
5. Case study video. Case studies are great for attracting new leads. Choose a client, take video of their journey, and then use TikTok’s editing tools to trim it into a 15-second clip that illustrates how your company can help people.
6. Song parody video. Not every business TikTok needs to be serious. If you can find a way to take a popular song and create parody lyrics that relate to your business, it’s a great way to go viral and get your company in front of a whole new audience.
7. How it’s made video. Do you have a unique creation or manufacturing process for your products.? TikTok is a great place to show it off.

What we hope you’ll take away from this is that making TikToks is easy and it can help your business connect with a whole new audience. There may be a bit of a learning curve, so we suggest searching for other businesses on the app and watching their content before you start to create your own.