How to Grow Your Business on TikTok

TikTok is the fastest-growing social media platform in the world right now. It can be discouraging to know where to start as a business on this platform. It can seem tricky for brands that are used to the overly formal and scripted content that works over on Instagram or Facebook. We know that participating in trends and keeping videos short and sweet are super important but here are some of my more specific tips on growing your business on TikTok!

Show the human side of your business.

People use TikTok to watch relatable content. The last thing users want to see are ads on their "For You Page". You want to make sure that your videos don’t feel like you’re trying to sell someone something. One of my biggest tips is to humanize your brand. By this I mean, show the people behind your business. Have someone take us through their typical workday, show us behind the scenes, give advice, etc. Make sure it’s something quick, relatable, and authentic. Keep it fun and playful while still showcasing your brand voice and values.

Post consistently

This may seem like a no-brainer, we’re used to hearing "consistency is key". But, this is a little different than the other social media platforms' version of consistency. Some of the biggest creators gained their audience by consistently posting multiple times a day on TikTok. Now, as a brand/business this can be a little tricky. What I recommend is monitoring the usage behavior of your audience. In order to do this, I would start posting at many different times/days and seeing with trial and error what works and what doesn’t. Make sure you’re a business account and check the built-in analytics to see what times/days work best for your audience.

Create content that drives engagement

Ask the viewers questions and create videos based on responding to those questions in the comments by using the video reply feature. To do this, go to the comment you’d like to respond to and tap the comment, there will be an option to "record". This is where the comment will be added as a sticker on your video to show that you’re directly responding to that comment. By doing this, it shows that you take the time to read your viewer's comments and care about answering their questions or concerns.

Here are some ideas to drive engagement by using the video reply feature:

• Show how you package your orders, a great idea for this could be asking people what product they want to see being packaged and reply with a video of you packaging it.

• Have people comment on what state they want to see a product being packaged for and respond with a video of packing orders to arrive in that state.

• Encourage followers to ask any questions they have in the comments and reply to the most frequently asked ones or interesting ones with a video.

Since TikTok videos are so quick, you also have to be able to catch your viewers quickly. Here are some great ways to do this:

Hook 'Em

Start some of your videos with a hook or eye-catching text that’ll have your viewers wanting more. For example, “Unpopular opinion...", "3 tips for...", "Can I tell you a secret...", "Why everyone is obsessed with...”.

Sync to the Sound

Make sure that each frame of the video matches the beat of the song. This may sound tedious, but it makes a huge difference. Not only does it help with the visual aesthetic but it also increases curiosity from your viewers wondering what frame will come next, keeping them intrigued.

Use Trending Sounds

Use a trending sound that correlates with your video. This is a great way to get clever and really hit your niche. It also quickly catches the viewer's attention. An example of this could be the sound that says “literally how is she so attractive”:

In this video, a jewelry brand uses this sound to show off how their jewelry doesn’t tarnish even after wearing it in water. The sound plays and it cuts to her jewelry still looking brand new even after being worn in the shower and at the beach etc. The sound correlates greatly with the point that she’s trying to make!

Hit a Niche

Get specific. Hit a niche. For example, if you have a clothing boutique, videos like “Outfits that I think each zodiac sign would wear” or “Outfits I think these college majors would wear” and show outfits from your boutique that you think represent each of those niches. This is great because it gets people excited to see their zodiac sign or major and if it represents something they’d actually wear. Add a call to action in your caption that all of the outfits are available on your website and you’ve just gained more website traffic!

Tiktok can be unpredictable but that’s the beauty of the app. What we do know is the tips that I mentioned above, will help you, in the long run, to consistently grow over time. It’s all about trial and error with TikTok, but what you can do is be consistent and try new things along the way! What are some of your tips when it comes to growing a business on TikTok?