How to Use TikTok for Business: Top Best Practices
In the ever-evolving world of social media marketing, keeping up with the pace is crucial for individuals looking to connect their businesses with their target audience.
TikTok is a widely popular video-sharing platform that has taken the digital world by storm.
The platform's user base has rapidly grown to 1.67 billion users, and the average daily engagement time surpasses most other social media venues, presenting a unique opportunity for businesses to reach and engage with a younger demographic in an exciting and creative way.
At first blush, TikTok is a great platform for creators and influencers to let their creativity run wild and interact with their audience in a fun and engaging way. But how can brands use this platform to market their products and services? This article will explore some of the best practices for using TikTok for business.
Why Use TikTok for Business?
The idea of using TikTok for business isn't the most obvious option for most businesses. But when done right, its creative nature allows businesses to reach engaged audience and interact with them on a new level, leaving competitors behind.
Here are TikTok ideas on why you should use the platform for business.
- Find a new communication channel: TikTok is an excellent channel that can help you create a new communication channel for your business. The platform has over two billion downloads, providing an unprecedented opportunity to reach potential clients across various age groups worldwide. Most TikTok followers are under the age of thirty, so this enables businesses to tap into this influential market segment. By creating eye-catching and relatable content, you can capture the attention of young consumers, who are more likely to share and engage with your posts. Also, TikTok prioritizes content based on relevance and popularity rather than following, allowing people with any budget to gain traction and visibility.
- Keep up with trends: TikTok is famous for its fast-paced nature. What is popular one week can quickly become outdated the next. Staying on top of these trends on TikTok for business marketing helps ensure your content remains relevant and engages your audience. Trends also help you tap into new opportunities and reach a wider audience. Ensure you create content based on trending challenges or viral dances to help attract attention from users unaware of your brand. TikTok's algorithm is also designed to promote viral content; therefore, even accounts with few followers have the potential to gain significant visibility. Top trends can significantly benefit small businesses looking to increase brand awareness.
- Deeper connections with customers: Through short, entertaining videos, TikTok enables businesses to create deeper connections with customers. You can participate in challenges, trends, and duets that resonate with your target market. These viral conversations help build genuine customer relationships, creating a sense of community and loyalty toward your business. TikTok also ensures content is tailored to each user's preferences and interests. This personalized approach makes it easier for brands to reach their target audience and promote continuous improvement by analyzing user behavior and feedback.
As you can see, TikTok has great potential for business growth. So we've gathered the best ideas on how to use TikTok for business. Let's dive into details!
Top Best Practices on How to Use TikTok for Business
It is essential you understand TikTok to use the platform to market your business effectively. Below are the top best practices on how to use TikTok for business to help you grow and thrive on the platform.
1.Turn Your TikTok Account into a Storefront
The key to success on TikTok as a storefront is creating authentic content that resonates with your audience. Incorporate trending hashtags and utilize popular music tracks to make your videos more discoverable by the platform community.
Focus on entertaining or educational videos that align with the spirit of the venue. This approach helps build trust among viewers tired of constant ads in their feeds. Let's take a look at Lulus:
The company has a descriptive TikTok bio that helps interested visitors shop their products with ease and it also constantly posts videos that show off its products to spark interest and affect the consumer purchase intent.
2. Find Your Unique Style
TikTok has many users who hope for the attention of the same audience, so it is crucial to stand out and offer something different from other brands.
But first, you need to understand your target audience and the type of content they enjoy. To find a unique style on this platform for your business, you require trial-and-error experimentation, keep an eye on trends and take calculated risks. You can also frequently use TikTok analytics to understand your audience and the type of content they engage in. This information can help you create content that aligns with your viewers' increasing engagement.
For example, Lancome doesn't create TikTok videos from scratch to grab the attention of its audience on the platform. Instead, the company repurposes ads and social media content to fit TikTok style without spending much time.
You can incorporate storytelling, humor, or educational elements into your videos to see what works best for your company. Refining your approach may take time and effort, but once you get what suits your audience, you will be well-positioned for success.
3. Invest in Creating Branded Effects
Creating branded effects is an effective way to leverage TikTok for business.
Branded effects are custom filters and stickers that you can overlay on your videos, adding an element of fun and interactivity. The effects act as a visual representation of your brand and can help increase brand awareness and recognition. By users searching for specific keywords associated with certain effects, your business can reach new potential clients who may not have been exposed to your brand before.
Here's an example of how TikTok branded effects can look like to boost brand awareness and reach:
4. Boost Your Reach with TikTok Ads
Another practice on how to use TikTok for business is boosting your reach with Ads. One of the unique features of TikTok ads is the ability to create branded challenges.
Check out how one popular brand did it:
When you create a TikTok challenge and promote it with ads, these challenges encourage users to create content based on your company or product and share it with followers. This tactic creates user-generated content and increases business awareness and engagement.
Also, as these challenges usually go viral, they help attract significant attention among users who might not have come across your products or services. Incorporating TikTok ads while marketing your business can help you tap a massive audience base, increasing success.
5. Promote Your Business with TikTok Influencers
Influencers can greatly help promote your business as they have popular TikTok accounts with a large following and high engagement.
Working with TikTok influencers enables you to tap into their creative skills and unique style of content creation, giving your business an authentic voice. These influencers have loyal followers who trust their recommendations, increasing the chances of that audience engaging with your products.
By choosing a reliable influencer, you can leverage their influence to raise business awareness, drive traffic to your website or app and boost sales. Also, find an influencer whose style aligns with your brand values and target audience's interests.
Here's an example on how to promote your business with TikTok influencers. You can either invite them to become models for your next collection or send your product for review:
6. Join a TikTok Trend
Joining trends is an effective practice of using TikTok for business. Popular trends enable you to tap into the platform's massive audience and increase your company's visibility. When joining TikTok trends, ensure you add your twist and make it relevant to your brand. You can also draw inspiration from the current TikTok trends:
What is more, you can incorporate brand colors, logos or create catchy jingles related to your business. Also, popular trends show that you understand current drifts and actively engage with the platform's community.
7. Experiment with Video Formats
Experimenting with video formats is a significant practice if you want to harness the power of TikTok for your business effectively. Creating engaging videos can help you go viral and reach millions of users.
One format that works well on TikTok is showcasing behind-the-scenes footage of your business or giving a glimpse into the production process. User-generated content campaigns are also helpful. Encouraging users to create their videos using your products or services can create a buzz around your brand and tap into the authenticity and creativity that thrives in TikTok. These strategies build a sense of connection and trust among viewers and help expand your customer base.
8. Livestream offline events
TikTok is primarily known for its short videos but can also be used as a live-streaming platform. Livestreaming allows you to showcase your brand personality and create a sense of authenticity by giving viewers a behind-the-scenes look into your event. This strategy helps foster trust and boosts the overall perception of your business. Live chats and comments also help you connect with customers more deeply. By broadcasting events like product launches or industry conferences, you can amplify your business's reach and connect with users who cannot attend in person.
Here are several more ideas for your next TikTok live stream:
Conclusion
TikTok provides a unique and engaging platform for businesses to connect with their target audience in an exciting and creative way. By embracing a storefront account, using distinctive style and TikTok ads, investing in branded effects, involving influencers, joining popular trends, and live-streaming offline events, you can effectively promote your business on TikTok. Start implementing these practices today and watch your business grow and thrive on this popular social media platform!