Leveraging TikTok in 2024:
How Can Your Business Do It?
TikTok is quickly growing to be one of the most popular social media platforms. With over a billion monthly users, it’s easy to see how being active on TikTok can really increase the number of eyes on your business.
Launching a TikTok account for your business can propel you into social media success, but there are a few things you’ll need to keep in mind to leverage the platform for conversions.
Whether you’re looking to work alongside a TikTok Marketing Agency in London or want to undertake the journey solo, this is everything to know about leveraging TikTok for your business in 2024.
What Businesses Should Use TikTok?
If you’re skeptical about using TikTok for your business, you aren’t alone. While it may seem like TikTok is predominantly for younger users (and there are many young users on the app), there are also many young adults and middle-aged individuals using TikTok regularly.
TikTok has a much more diverse user demographic than most businesses realize, making it suitable for just about every business. TikTok audiences actively participate in conversations on the platforms, allowing your business to experience high brand engagement that could lead to conversions.
What Kind of Content Does Well on TikTok?
TikTok’s algorithm encourages creative, captivating, and genuine content from its users. User-generated content is also a common tool for businesses on the app to help boost engagement and create a community for their brand.
Think of creating content that encourages users to watch and interact with your page. Product demonstrations, reviews, viral challenges, and influencer content are all examples of content that typically does well on TikTok for many businesses.
How To Use TikTok for Your Business
If you want to start your business on TikTok but are unsure where to start, these are the steps you should take to create a successful TikTok presence.
1. Create Your Account
The first step to getting your business on TikTok is to create an account. Download the app and register your business. Once you’ve made your account, you’ll want to ensure it’s set up as a business account so you can access all the analytics. Simply go into settings, select “Manage Account”, and select “Switch to Business Account,” then choose the industry that best aligns with your industry—and that’s it!
You are now all set up with a TikTok business account that you can use to post content and drive engagement.
2. Optimize Your Profile
If you want to use TikTok for business seriously, you can’t just get by having an account set up. You must ensure it is optimized to represent your brand and be recognizable to users fully. Update your bio, profile photo and URL so your audience can quickly find and identify your page.
Choose a profile photo representing your brand and ensure your marketing is consistent across all your social channels. You can also get your account verified to increase your page’s trust and credibility. A verified page means that your users know the page is legitimate and not an impersonation. Verifying your business TikTok helps to add a layer of authenticity to your profile.
3. Know Your Audience
Knowing your audience and the kind of content they interact with most often is one key to TikTok’s success. Knowing the kind of content your audience resonates with is a surefire way to encourage interactions and connections.
Use analytics tools to find out exactly who your target audience is and tailor your content strategy to meet the expectations of that demographic. If your target audience most commonly interacts with UGC, consider emphasizing that in your content strategy. If they prefer viral or tending challenges, try to incorporate those into your posting schedule as much as possible to help drive engagement.
4. Familiarize Yourself with The Algorithm
The TikTok algorithm is known for being fickle, and if you want to make an impact on the platform, knowing how it works is crucial. The algorithm curates each user’s For You Page, AKA FYP, differently so everyone gets unique and personalized content. There are a few different factors that influence the algorithm; these include:
- User interactions
- Video information (captions, hashtags, audio)
- Device and Account Settings (location & language settings)
The TikTok algorithm shows content to a small group of users first, and if that group responds positively, it’s then broadcast to a larger audience. For businesses, creating high-quality, engaging content that encourages interaction is vital to mastering the algorithm. Participating in trends and challenges is an excellent way to land yourself on FYPs, as your content aligns with popular topics on the app. You should also utilize popular TikTok sounds to help improve your visibility on the platform.
5. Check Out Competitors
There’s no better way to find out what is (and isn’t) working for your industry than scoping out the competition. Keep an eye on your competitor’s platform and take note of the type of content that typically does well for their brand. You can use this content as inspiration for content that you can create in your social media strategy.
Explore how they interact with followers and the trending challenges they’re participating in. Knowing what works for a similar business in your industry is a great way to guide your content.
6. Develop Your Content Strategy
Content is king, and that’s particularly true on a platform like TikTok. You should be optimizing your content strategy based on research and data. Try to outline the kinds of content that do well on the platform and draft up potential videos you can create and how often you want to publish new content to the app.
A comprehensive content strategy and schedule is a great way to ensure you consistently post effective content to help your business see results.
7. Consider TikTok Ads
If you’re looking for an instant boost for your business, paying for TikTok ads might be a good option. However, TikTok ads do require financial investment, so it’s important to set them up and manage them carefully to get the ROI you’re looking for.
8. Keep An Eye on Analytics
TikTok is a platform that is constantly changing, growing, and evolving, and if you want to see success, you need to grow with it! Make the most of TikTok’s analytics tools to track your performance and look for opportunities to improve your reach.
Some key metrics you may want to monitor are content-specific engagement, hashtag reach and optimal posting times. Use this data to guide your strategy, and you’ll be well on the way to success!
It’s Time to Get Started!
Now that you’ve got all the essential information you need, it’s time to get on TikTok. Start with a well-optimized profile, a strong brand identity, and a great content strategy, and you’ll be on your way to seeing real results!
Remember, TikTok success doesn’t happen overnight, so be consistent and patient, and align your content with your industry for the best chance at success.