How To Get Started on TikTok

Written By Hello Media

We’re not here to preach the TikTok trend - we know you’ve heard it by now. It’s 2022, TikTok isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, but the big question remains: “should your business be investing in your limited time creating TikToks?”

TikTok is one of the fastest growing social media platforms with a whopping 1 billion users and it generated an estimated $4.6 billion revenue in 2021. It is expected to reach 1.5 billion users by the end of 2022, making it the largest social media platform. Do you want the opportunity to reach an audience that size? If you said no, we’re calling your bluff. The ability to reach an entirely new and fresh audience (organically) is now easier than ever with TikTok, but we understand how overwhelming the idea of adding another responsibility can be. At this point, we want you to consider the opportunity cost of NOT being on TikTok - what kind of reach and revenue is your business missing out on if you DON’T build a presence on TikTok?

Here’s the thing - we think you know it’s time to be on TikTok, so we won’t add to the pressure. Instead, we’re going to share five different tips for your business to get started and leverage TikTok to grow. Before you dive into these tips, we encourage you to study the platform for awhile. Learn the ins and outs of TikTok to figure out how it can best benefit you and your business. Find inspiration on the For You Page or from the Discover Section when you access the app. Get yourself familiar with the navigation and functionality of the platform and then start creating!

1. Use a Variety Of Video Structures

You need to spice things up on TikTok! The sky is the limit with these quick videos, but there are a few video structures that commonly preform well and are easy to recreate.

  • Highlight a story or experience: This will help build trust and loyalty with your audience, which will increase overall watch-time on your videos (which we’ll talk about later). Highlight the emotional value that your product or service has with clients. Get creative with how you create these videos. You don’t need to sit in front of the camera and share a testimonial, point-blank. Record a time-lapse of you working behind the scenes, or record yourself packing up a product to be shipped out and use the voiceover feature to tell your customer testimonial or experience!

  • Role Play: While we are a HUGE fan of adding value through tips and tricks, on TikTok, a popular way to achieve this is by role-playing. Instead of getting straight to the point with your tips and facts by talking directly to the camera, try to ‘role play’ with characters for a more digestible piece of content. You will do this by talking about a common pain point your customer might have, and then sharing how your business solves that pain point. Instead of trying to explain exactly how this works, we’re going to show you a few examples:

  • Time-lapses: This is the best and easiest way for you to start. Set up your camera and record yourself doing your service, packaging a product, or working behind the scenes. Speed up that video and upload with a trending song on TikTok or a voiceover explaining the video! It doesn’t get easier then this, and trust us when we say: it works! Users are enamored by time-lapse videos, so take advantage of it by adding in some value or promotional material when you can!

  • Video Series: Establish a recurring staple on your profile that users can keep tabs on. Try not remain consistency on your account when you can - it’s not always about having a TikTok go viral! Doing these series will keep your audience coming back for more, and prove that you have authority within your industry. Be fun with your series titles by using some wit or alliteration, like “Decisions from a Dietitian.” (A series of food choices a dietitian might make in an average day).

2. Humanize Your Videos

Some of the most successful brands on TikTok have one familiar face (or a small group of faces) that regularly show up and represent their brand. TikTok is one of the only platforms that encourages and rewards authenticity and ‘raw-footage.’ The more humanized your content is, the better it will preform. Pull back the curtain, show your face (or any human face) as often as you can, and connect through vulnerability and relatable content.
A brand that does this really well at humanizing their videos and adding familiarity with a small group of faces is Obe Fitness

3. Leverage TikTok Trends

I know what you’re thinking, “I don’t want to dance or lip sync!” The good news is, you don’t have to do every single trend and feel like a dancin’ fool to succeed on TikTok! We’d be lying if we told you that trends and culture didn’t matter on TikTok - they definitely do. We see a lot of brands start promoting their business and sharing industry jargon right out of the gate, but that brings us back to point #2 - these types of videos aren’t connecting to your audience on a human level. You need to tap into the ecosystem of all the trending songs, challenges, and hashtags when you can! Of course, if something feels unaligned to your mission as a brand, don’t do it! We suggest uploading at least 5x/week to make the most of TikTok, and utilizing a trending song or hashtag in at least two of those videos.

4. Build TikTok SEO

SEO (search engine optimization) is process of improving your account to increase its visibility when people search videos or information within your particular industry. TikTok is not actually a search engine, like Google or Pinterest; however, there are some things you can do with keywords, hashtags, and text bubble that can help users find your content better! TikTok has an incredibly smart AI system that is scanning and analyzing different aspects of your video (language, audio, text bubbles, etc) and can help organize that content to targeted viewers. Here are two diffferent places to integrate keywords:

  • Text Bubbles: To see the full benefit of keywords in text bubbles, this has to be done within the TikTok app! TikTok will not pick up on text bubbles that were created in a different app and repurposed. When you’re creating the text bubbles on your video, think of popular keywords (that are relevant to the topic) to include. If you’re not sure what keywords to include, think about your target audience. What would they be searching on Google? Those are likely going to be some great keywords to infuse!

  • Bio/Name: Make sure your bio/name field (not the username) has a keyword infused! For example, if you sell children’s swimwear, the words children’s swimwear should be somewhere in your bio/name field. Now, of course, if you’re a massive and well-known brand (like, Nike), you don’t need to do this!

5. Connect Through User Engagement

There are two main reasons to focus on user engagement within your comments. The first (and most important) is to build a community with your followers. Social media is a place for connection, and encouraging your users to comment and chat with you is a great way to achieve this. Engagement with your followers on TikTok is going to help your brand build trust and loyalty, which encourages a user to make a buying decision with you! The second reason that engagement is so great is a sneaky little ‘hack.’
But first, let’s take it back to basics:

The main metrics that the TikTok algorithm focuses on are:

  1. Watch time

  2. Profile Views

  3. Shares

You can increase your watch time by encouraging your followers to comment on your video. When someone clicks “add comment” or is reading the comments the TikTok is actually still looping in the background, and that indirectly increases the videos watch time! Sneaky, right? Here are a few calls-to-action that you can leave in your caption to encourage comments:

  • Tag a friend

  • If you agree, drop a comment below

  • What do you think?

Bonus Tip: Leave Perfection Behind!

When you’re building a brand on TikTok, it’s important to remember that this is an app where imperfections are embraced. Users respond positively when content feels authentic and genuine, so don’t worry about editing mistakes or creating the perfect video. Being yourself will go a long way toward your success as a small business owner on TikTok. Try to be yourself, don’t spend too much time editing your videos, and post relatable content for the target audience you want to attract. 

Conclusion

Users on TikTok are highly engaged, love sharing content, and open up TikTok multiple times a day. Small businesses can show off their creative side, add humor to their posts, and find music that resonates with their target audience. Remember, this platform is about fun and creativity, not serious high-pressure sales. Start by keeping things quick and easy, and let your confidence with the platform grow! If you're struggling to find the time or energy for TikTok, let's have a chat. We can help determine a solution-based strategy that attracts potential customers and meets your goals as a business.



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