As an influencer or a marketer, learning a new social media platform and how it “ticks” (see what I did there?) can be a daunting task. With the implementation of stay-at-home orders due to the Coronavirus pandemic in early 2020, TikTok has skyrocketed to stardom among Gen Z/Millennial and Gen X users alike.
Many unsuspecting users found themselves with a quick ticket to a large following on the platform, lending itself to be deemed as a network for endless opportunities for creators to grow, regardless of the size of their existing audience.
TikTok held their first ever Ready, Set, Grow summit for small and medium businesses on March 24, 2021. The event lasted more than two hours with multiple topics discussed and panelists answered many of the biggest burning questions. We’ll save you the trouble of trying to track down a copy of it online; here are the five biggest takeaways from this year’s TikTok summit.
Just Start
The biggest piece of advice from TikTok experts: Just jump in and begin! Everyone starts somewhere, so don’t feel the need to wait until you have fancy lighting or a nice studio to shoot in. Creators might not feel 100% ready to create perfect content, but the beauty of the app’s culture is any one piece of content can go viral, regardless of its production value.
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- Pro-tip: Make sure you’ve converted your account to a business profile so you’re able to collect insights on your following as well as the audience that is viewing your content. This will help you later down the line when you start thinking of things like a posting schedule.
Join a TikTok Community
TikTok’s algorithm serves you content you watch repeatedly, so blending in with other creators in your vertical will actually get you served to more of your target consumer. When you’re just starting out, search hashtags that relate to your business and join the communities that are using those hashtags. Use those same hashtags on your content to end up on the ‘For You’ page of your ideal consumer. Feel free to put your own spin on trends or content within your vertical so you can stand out among the crowd!
Teach Your Audience Something New
TikTok video’s that teach the viewer something, have shown the most growth. Consumers of TikTok look to the platform for tips/hacks on products they should be using for greater convenience, increased productivity and a better user experience. TikTok also values content on how often it is watched through, or “looped”, so the more views your video gets per one viewer, the better! Content that teaches a skill or shares a set of tips is often watched more than once so it sticks in the viewer’s memory.
TikTok Trends are KEY
Trends are a great way to grow quickly when you’re just starting out. For example, content where fashion influencers follow the same trend and use the same song to show their clothing hauls is a one-stop shop for fashion consumers to find new fashion creators, and therefore new places to shop and new products to try.It’s important to hop on trends early. Trend forecaster and TikToker Jera Foster-Fell recommends how to find trends early:
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- Keep your eye on the ‘For You’ page for trends that repeat themselves across different creators/verticals. Don’t be afraid to put your own spin on it, you might start your own mini trend!
- Follow trend alert accounts like @gingermarketer or @jera.bean so you can jump on trends early. This will give you more exposure when people go to look through the trend’s hashtag or sound.
- Use the ‘Discovery’ page to see what trends might be lurking there. They are most often being pushed by TikTok, which will favor you in the algorithm when you participate.
Learn from Others in Your Community
Look through other small businesses profiles and see what trends they’re participating in or what content they’re creating. Interact with this content if you have something to add by ‘dueting’. This helps you build momentum and visibility off the creator who originally posted.This could also start a relationship between you and someone else in your field, which could be a great collaboration opportunity down the line!
Ready to jump into TikTok, but need a helping hand? Reach out to our Influencer Management Team with your questions today. Send us an email at info@findyourinfluence.com