TikTok has seen steady growth over the last few years. Throughout the pandemic, its target market expanded as more millennials and older generations began to make accounts and post videos. As of now, there are over 1 billion users on the platform, making it an ideal space for creative modern marketing.

Short-form video dominates the platform, which is exactly what makes marketing on TikTok so effective. It gives businesses and individuals alike a unique opportunity to connect with audiences quickly, creatively, and even comedically.

Whether you’re new to TikTok or you’ve had an account for a while and want to hone in on your marketing endeavors, let’s cover some tips you can use to boost your business and find success on the platform.

Understand Your Audience

While people of all ages are on TikTok, it still tends to cater to a younger audience, overall. About 60% of TikTok users are between the ages of 16-24. Whether you’re catering to that younger audience or you want to tap into older generations on the platform, it’s important to understand your demographic and what they’re looking for.

Thankfully, the app makes that relatively easy.

You can start by searching for interests or keywords in the search bar. You’ll immediately see a variety of hashtags associated with those words, and conversations centered around them. From there, you’ll be able to see demographics like age, gender, and location.

Once you start sharing content regularly, you can rely more on your own data and analytics. You’ll learn more about the behaviors of your target audience, including the videos they’re most engaged with, the time of day that they’re on the app, and more. TikTok is about both navigation and engagement. The more you learn about your audience and what they’re looking for, the more you can boost your engagement and create videos that appeal to them.

TikTok is unique in that it allows users to respond to your videos with one of their own. They can even “stitch” your video and post a side-by-side response to their followers. Pay attention when users do this. Not only will your video be shown to their followers, but it presents a unique opportunity for you to engage with them even further and show off the “human” side of your business.

Planning and Proper Production

One of the great things about marketing on TikTok is that you don’t need a video production degree to put together short-form content that looks good and makes an impression. Of course, you can be as professional as you choose, utilizing a high-tech camera and editing equipment.

However, your content can be just as effective (and more relatable) if you shoot from your phone and use the app itself to edit your videos.

Before you start shooting and posting, however, it’s important to treat your TikTok posting plan like any other marketing strategy. Planning things ahead of time will make a big difference, and will ensure you’re creating relevant content that people will relate to. Having a clear plan will improve workflow and keep things running smoothly while bringing your ideas to life. The standard steps of video production include:

  • Outlining a creative brief
  • Defining the message
  • Identifying the audience
  • Proposing a budget and timeline
  • Shooting
  • Editing
  • Publishing and sharing

These steps are nothing to rush through and each one should be given special attention. If you want your video to stand out, it needs to look good and be creative without seeming too polished and stiff.

Building Your Success

So, you understand your demographic and you have a fantastic marketing plan in place for your videos.

Now what?

How can you make sure the content you’re publishing gets noticed and boosts your business?

There are a few tips you should always use within your strategy to boost growth, including:

  • Using the right hashtags
  • Following current trends
  • Keeping your videos short and snappy
  • Following up on your content
  • Replying to other users

You can also create campaigns and utilize paid advertising on TikTok. The app lets you choose your goal – views, website visits, or new followers – and you can promote your content through a set budget and timeline. Like other social media platforms, your ads will show up based on analytics and your target demographic.

If you don’t want to pay for traditional ads, consider linking up with a popular TikTok influencer. Many users with millions of followers are happy to work with businesses they believe in, or those with solid products and services. Think about influencers that would make sense talking about your brand, and you could capture many of their followers.

 

Whether you’re new to the world of TikTok or you just want to jump on its rising popularity, use these tips to find success on the platform. Most importantly, don’t be afraid to have a little fun while you’re at it!