Tips for using TikTok for business

There are a lot of questions when it comes to TikTok. Is this a social media platform or a video-sharing one? What is the TikTok app? Can you reach any other audiences besides Gen-Z there? Is TikTok good for promoting a business? 

So, before jumping to TikTok for businesses, let’s answer the question: what is TikTok?

TikTok is a short-video-sharing platform where you can create and share content on any topic. Unlike other social media channels, TikTok doesn’t rely on your friends to keep you engaged but rather on your interest. 

So, how do businesses use TikTok for marketing? In this article, we’ll answer this question along with other essentials: 

• What is TikTok Marketing?
• Benefits of TikTok Marketing for business
• How to build a successful TikTok Marketing strategy
• How to set up a TikTok business account
• How to create effective content for TikTok
• How to grow your follower numbers
• Common mistakes on TikTok
• Pros and cons of TIkTok Marketing for business

Ready? Let’s get started! 🚀

What is TikTok Marketing?

TikTok Marketing is the way you use the platform to market your products or services. It requires a strategy, a business account, and a content plan. Also, you need to remember that your followers can become your clients, so growing your follower base is essential here. 

➡️ To learn more about TikTok Marketing for small businesses, check out our article. It’ll give you a good understanding of how to use TikTok to market your business.

Business benefits of TikTok

Of all the platforms, why TikTok?

Unlike social media channels where you can boost your account with paid ads (e.g., Facebook and Instagram), TikTok is a platform where hyper-relevant, personalized content is a must. So, in order to be seen on your audience’s feeds, you really need to cater to your audience’s interests. 

On TikTok, joy drives users on their retail journey. TikTok commerce must be entertaining. You may need to spend time learning TikTok marketing trends and testing different niches, types of content, and posting schedules, but all of this will pay off. 

TikTok offers unique benefits for businesses:

• Spending less on ads, while promoting your business with organic content instead 
• Reaching the audience that you wouldn’t be able to on other platforms (~50% of TikTok users don’t have Instagram, and almost a third don’t use Snapchat)
• Working with a highly engaged audience (On average, TikTok users open the app 17 times a day and spend 85 minutes on it)
• Selling to an audience that is willing to buy (49% of users have purchased a product after seeing it advertised on TikTok. There’s even a trend with more than 11 billion views called #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt) 
• Promoting and selling products directly on the platform with a social commerce solution from TikTok and Shopify — TikTok Shopping
• Building long-term relationships with your clients

Fundamentals of TikTok for business

Why is TikTok good for small businesses? TikTok is a platform where content is based on insights. If you can truly relate to the person in a video, then it’s a hit. So, instead of creating polished videos, make something authentic, and don’t be afraid to be funny.

Here’s a list of things you need to remember about TikTok:

• Create vertical videos, as most users watch TikToks on mobile devices
• Make your videos up to 30 seconds. Longer videos just don’t do as well.
• Keep up with trends and use them in your content (hashtags, music, effects)
• Post regularly (1-4 times a day), if you want to stay visible to your audience and maintain a presence
• Use hooks in your videos to make them more engaging, like questions, subtitles, jump cuts, and sounds
• Collaborate with creators, influencers, and other brands to expand your audience
• Track your analytics to adjust and tweak your content strategy accordingly

✨VistaCreate super tip: TikTok users love to be entertained, so if your brand personality is easy-going, open, and fun, TikTok is the best platform to promote your business.

So, do you think TikTok might be the right fit for your business goals? This guide will walk you through building a solid TikTok Marketing strategy, setting up TikTok for business, and creating engaging content — all with TikTok Marketing examples and practical tips.

4 steps to grow your business on TikTok

1. Solidify your marketing strategy
2. Polish up your business account
3. Plan and create your content
4. Adapt for growth

1. How to build a successful TikTok Marketing strategy

Before building your TikTok Marketing strategy, you need to understand what a marketing strategy is in general. This marketing strategy guide from our team can help you with it. 

Building a solid TikTok Marketing strategy requires:

1. Identifying your customer persona: research your audience, study how they spend their time, and learn what types of content they enjoy including what hashtags they use.
2. Researching your competitors: find accounts from similar businesses to see how they communicate their brand, what types of content they feature, and how often they post.
3. Setting specific goals: always set goals you can measure and achieve within a specfic timeline.
4. Planning your content: schedule what, when, and how often you’re going to post.
5. Analyzing your results: use TikTok analytics to track if you’re reaching your goals. Otherwise, how will you know you’ve chosen the right platform and if you are heading for success?

2. How to set up TikTok for your business

A Business or Creator account gives you access to analytics with valuable insights. For example, you can understand better who your audience is, when they are active, and what kind of content they like.

To set up a business account on TikTok, you need to:

1. Sign up for TikTok (obviously 😂): Head over to Google Play or the App Store, and download the app. 
2. Edit your profile: Add your brand name, description of what you do, profile photo, and link to your website (if you have one).
3. Create a TikTok business account: Find “Settings” to manage your account, then go to “Account Control,” and switch to Business. Select your business category. Done. 🙌

➡️ If you need a more detailed step-by-step guide on setting up a TikTok account for your business, check out our article on TikTok Marketing for small businesses.

Business account tips for TikTok

Once you set up an account for your business, optimize it with these simple TikTok Marketing tips.

Add a link to your website

You can promote your other channels on TikTok, whether it’s a website, a landing page, or another social media page. Just add a link and a short explanation of what you do to your TikTok profile description.

Mind the character limit

You’ve got 80 characters in your TikTok bio to describe your business — don’t exceed the limit. Keep it short, snappy, and engaging.

Use emojis in your bio

Emojis are perfect for emphasizing your brand’s personality and showcasing your products or services without taking up space in your bio.

Add a CTA to a description

Whether you want your audience to check out the new product on your website, subscribe to your YouTube channel, or take a short survey on their experience with your brand, let them know. Use a CTA for that!

3. How to create effective content for TikTok

TikTok is famous for its scary-accurate content targeting. This is what users appreciate TikTok for. So, if you want to reach more people with your videos, you need to provide real value in them, be entertaining, and keep up with trends.

Before creating content on TikTok, learn more about content strategy in general: why would you need one, how to choose the right platforms, what types of content you can use, and how to build a content strategy for your brand. We have an article on starting Content Marketing for your business — don’t hesitate to read it. 

So, how do you start creating videos for TikTok? You can shoot a video directly from the TikTok app or upload one from your phone. Remember that TikTok is meant for short videos, so anything over 30 seconds might be less effective.

➡️ Get more tips in our article on TikTok Marketing. 

Content tips to rock TikTok 

Now, let’s go into details. How do you create content that attracts new clients to your business? 

Let’s start with the basics:

• Use vertical format (9:16) — TikTok is a smartphone-oriented app
• Prioritize HD quality footage — 83% of top-performing videos have a resolution of 720p+
• Keep it short (~15-30 seconds) — 1 in 4 top-performing videos have a duration between 21 and 34 seconds
• Leverage audio (whether it’s a track, a voiceover, or sound effects) — 88% of users think that the appropriate audio is essential to the TikTok experience
• Don’t forget hooks — Use catchy video titles, introductory questions, jump cuts, trending effects, and sounds. 

This is a good start for any TikTok video. But if you want to take your content to the next level, use these tips:

Create a Content Marketing strategy

Are you going to only use TikTok or other platforms as well? How should you pick the right platforms for your business? And what can make your content strategy effective? Learn these essentials in our step-by-step guide on Content Marketing. 

Get inspired by your competitors

Before creating content for your business, do some research. Analyze the success of your competitors: what types of content get the most views, how often they are posting, and what trends they are using. 

TikTok offers a Business creative hub for this purpose, an in-app resource with trending videos from businesses in your area.

Find your niche and stick to it 

Experiment with different types of content to see what works for your brand and stick to it. Many successful TikTokers create variations of only one type of content, like cooking videos or makeup tips. 

Leverage TikTok trends

The trend discovery tool is a TikTok resource where you can see top-performing songs, hashtags, creators, and videos. Use it to keep up with content trends.

✨VistaCreate super tip: Use hashtags with between 300K-2M views, otherwise your videos can get lost.

Create a brand hero

TikTokers would rather see a human than a product in videos. So, humanize your business. This will help you reach more people and be more memorable. The Silk Labs is a good example. The founder started posting videos with herself in them because “authenticity can actually translate into dollar signs for small businesses.”

➡️ Learn more about brand mascots in our article.

Collaborate with TikTok creators

Forget about polished personalities! TikTok offers the creator marketplace where businesses can discover the perfect creators for their brand and audience. These people stay true to their styles, which helps build trust.

➡️ For more insights into the world of influencer marketing, check out this article.

Post regularly

How often should businesses post on TikTok? To grow your business on this platform, you should post videos 1-4 times a day (every day!) Use a common trick from bloggers: batch pre-recorded videos on weekends to have content ready for the week ahead. 

Also, test the best posting time with the help of analytics tools. Usually, the best time is when your followers are the most active.

Repurpose your videos from other platforms

Use videos from other platforms, like Facebook or Instagram, but modify them to fit the TikTok’s aesthetic. Make them concise, dynamic, entertaining, and educational if that’s the intent. An AI-based tool — Smart Video — can help you edit videos quickly and effortlessly.

Leverage storytelling 

Telling your audience a story every time you create a video can help you hold you audience’s attention till the end. You can use a trending video idea and then modify the ending to fit your story. The element of surprise is something TikTokers love.

Bring value with your content

44% of TikTok users want on-brand content to be entertaining. Additionally, 45% also want to discover something new. So, if you can share any life hacks or tips regarding your products, do it!

Still not sure where to start with your content? Check out VistaCreate templates for TikTok. Templates are an easy way to create quick content for your business. Don’t forget our tips when editing a chosen template. 😉

The best examples for TikTok content

TikTok marketers suggest a content ratio of “30% Evergreen content + 70% Trending content.” Evergreen content includes posts that don’t lose relevance with time (how-tos, brand story, business tips, product tips), and trending content is what’s hot now (challenges, dances, top-performing formats, etc.)

1. Duets and stitchable content

This format allows you to combine your own video with other TikToks on a split-screen, just like the waterproof shoe brand Vessi did.

2. Product how-tos

Use this format to share your product hacks, like Le Creuset. The cookware brand shared a video helpfully explaining how to clean the Le Creuset dutch oven.

3. Business tips

Want to share your entrepreneurial journey? TikTok is the best place to honestly talk about your success and failures as well as share some tips.

4. Unique advantages

If your product or service has an advantage over competitors, make videos about it! Show what makes your product unique like Crew Supply Co or Refy do in their TikToks.

5. Brand story

Give a sneak peek by sharing how you came up with an idea for your brand and how you developed it.

6. Behind the scenes

Show the real side of your business, like what goes into your video creation.

7. A day in the life

This format is a huge success on TikTok. Share your daily routine as a business owner.

8. Top-X lists

The Top-X format is a simple way to catch your audience’s attention. If you’re a barber, share the top 5 haircuts for 2022. If you’re a dress designer, discuss the top 3 wedding outfits of the season. 

9. Sponsored challenges

TikTok users love challenges, so why not try to create a branded one. Here’s some inspiration from e.l.f. Cosmetics with their eyes.lips.face. challenge.

10. Lives

Turn on a Q&A section on your profile to gather questions from your followers. Then, go live to answer them.

4. Get ready to grow with TikTok business

So, you already know how to build a TikTok Marketing strategy, create engaging content on TikTok, and which content formats you can use.

The next topic we need to cover is growing your audience. Apart from posting videos 1-4 times a day and actively engaging with your audience, here are other things that can help you grow your follower numbers:

1. Analytics

This is the best way to find out what works and what doesn’t for your business. After studying the analytics, you can adjust your content strategy for better efficiency and results. Apart from TikTok analytics, you can also use other affordable platforms to track your progress, like Brand24, Popsters, or TikBuddy.

2. Collabs

Cooperating with creators, influencers, and even brands introduces audiences to each other. So, don’t hesitate to reach out to other brands for shared content. Choose collaborations by similar content categories, video formats, and audience sizes.

3. TikTok ads

Although TikTok doesn’t focus on monetization, you can still run ads that blend in with the rest of the TikTok videos. This will help you reach people with your content and grow your following. 
You can leverage different types of TikTok advertising, such as TopView ads, In-feed Ads, Branded Hashtags, Branded Effects, and Brand Takeovers.

➡️ Learn more about each type and see TikTok ads examples in our thorough article on TikTok.

Common mistakes on TikTok

Time to consolidate all the knowledge you now have about TikTok. Let’s talk about the most common mistakes people make on this platform, so you can avoid them:

• Making videos too long: Try to keep them under 30 seconds.
• Being “too corporate” on TikTok: This platform is all about authenticity, so don’t be afraid to show both your success and failures.
• Using your Instagram or Facebook videos on TikTok: This platform has its own rules, so you need to adjust videos to it (add pace, jumpcuts, subtitles, sounds, etc.)
• Neglecting trends: Trending hashtags, sounds, and formats can literally bring you to your audience’s feeds, so why not use them?
• Using the wrong video format: Most users watch TikToks on their phones, so make sure you create videos in a vertical format.

Pros and cons of TikTok for business

Every platform has its pros and cons, and so does TikTok. Let’s see what they are.

Pros of TikTok for business

• You can focus on organic content and spend less on TikTok ads
• You get a highly engaged audience — TikTok users open the app 17 times a day and spend an average of 85 minutes on it
• The TikTok audience is very likely to buy things they see on TikTok with 49% of users having purchased a product after seeing it advertised on TikTok

Cons of TikTok for business

• The competition on TikTok is high, so you need to create 1-4 videos per day in order not to disappear in the sea of content
• You need to keep up with trends constantly, which requires spending some time browsing content
• TikTok content is not that easy to create despite being short. But with VistaCreate, it’s definitely a little quicker

Wrapping up

Congrats! You’re now closer to understanding TikTok Marketing and how to leverage it for your business. Try to put your knowledge into practice. And don’t forget to save this article as a quick reminder of content tips and tricks you can use while creating videos. 

Also, check out our articles on Marketing Strategy, Content Strategy, and TikTok Marketing for small businesses. These will help you get even closer to becoming a marketing guru for your business. 😆

➡️ The essential marketing strategy guide for small business
➡️ The essential small business guide to Content Marketing
➡️ TikTok Marketing for small businesses in 2022

Stay tuned for more helpful tips and inspiring examples. 🙌