If you are over the age of 30, TikTok might well be a new phrase for you, but it is certainly one that you need to know. The app is based on user generated content centred around the 13 to 24-year-old demographic, and is estimated to have a global userbase of around 500 million active members, this is more than twitter. If you want to market on TikTok, but you’re not sure how, don’t worry we’re here to help. Follow our guide for TikTok marketing for beginners.
Using Hashtags
If you are trying to upskill into the world of TikTok, chances are hashtags aren’t new to you. Like Instagram, hashtags are the be all and end all of TikTok, so you want to make sure that you not only use them, but you also use the right ones.
Spend time checking out what other users are doing and what hashtags you are exploring through to get a feel of what is trending and what has the potential to go viral. You could even look to create your own hashtag to make this happen when you have developed your TikTok strategy. Quantum Marketer has a thorough guide on trending hashtags.
Quality Content
You wouldn’t upload a poorly edited photo to Instagram, so what makes you think you could do the same for TikTok? Make sure that all your content is quality; you can use an array of editing tools to make sure that this happens, and you can also use TikTok in house editing. If you don’t edit your content well, you won’t stand out to users and your account will be lost in myriad of other content. Once you have started editing and have got to grips with it, make sure all of your content is reflective of this high standard.
Chose Your Marketing Strategy
Are you going to use TikTok influencer marketing or are you going to focus on the development of your own original content or both? Influencer marketing is set to be just as big or bigger on TikTok than it is on Instagram, so approaching an influencer on the application could be a beneficial move, especially if they reflect your views and have access to your target market. You don’t just have to collaborate with others in order to win big on the app, you can create your own content, but it must be of a high standard to increase your chances of being a viewed. A mix of both influencer and original content will be the way to get your foot in the door.
Bots
Like Instagram, you want to get as many genuine and real followers as you can on your account, but to do this organically takes time. Bots and automation tools are an excellent way to grow your feed whilst you concentrate on what really matters, content. You can purchase bots and configure them to like, follow and engage with even the most niche demographic and target market, but through this engagement, the chances are increased that these users will engage in return.
People like being validated and having their content likes and bots capitalise on this by doing it a high number of users per run, thus increasing your chance of growing your audience to market to.
Challenges
Like hashtags, challenges are also what drive TikTok forward. These can be anything but they all require audience participation, it could be you dancing, a video of a dog in glasses, you name it, there is a challenge for it. Challenges and their associated audiences will open up new communities for you and if your content is of a high standard and meets the challenges requirements you will be able to grow your audience and then market to them through your content, but you need to have a good grasp on what is happening on the app at any given time and be prepared to respond to it quickly so you don’t miss the boat.
Utilise the Free Pro Account
Make the most of the analytics that you can get your hands on free of charge by switching to the pro account, at the moment this is free. This will give you detailed reports into your reach, your audience, best interaction time etc. These analytics are amazing for showing you where your strategy was right and your strategy could improve, make the most of them and adjust how you post and review to build a more fail safe TikTok strategy moving forward.
Final Thoughts
TikTok doesn’t have a paid ad platform yet, so everything you do as a business or brand needs to be done the same way as users to increase your chances of becoming popular. As you are new to a TikTok based marketing strategy you need to evaluate both influencer marketing and your own content and see which one can increase your reach fastest. Like all other social media platforms, TikTok is a numbers game, you want to make sure you maximise your time on the app and get as many real, active followers as possible.