How to use TikTok for Business

Since 2016, TikTok has taken the internet by storm. Starting from the teens to the cool grandmas. You can find anyone and everyone on TikTok grooving to the trendiest songs and snippets. However, not every entrepreneur identifies the potential of these sixty-second videos for their business.

You might TikTok is only used for funny lip-sync videos, but there is so much more. With so many cool features, TikTok is currently one of the top priority platforms for entrepreneurs and business leaders worldwide. If you are wondering how to leverage TikTok for your business, we got you covered. Let’s dive right into it.

5 Ways to Use TikTok for Business

The algorithm of TikTok is based on personalization. Users get recommendations of videos that they have already viewed in the past. This algorithm allows users to discover new content under the same niche where their interests lie. There are 5 different ways you can use this algorithm of TikTok and make your brand go viral. Let’s check them out.

Is Your Audience on TikTok?

There are countless brands such as Guess, Gucci, and others that use short videos on Tiktok to interact and engage with their audiences. Since the number of active users is massive in TikTok, you can find pretty much every age group of people here that can be relevant to your business. You can target a vast audience base, including influencers, politicians, celebrities or even the common people. If your videos manage to go viral, there is no looking back for your business!

Understanding the Platform

Tiktok is no longer limited to teens grooving and lip-syncing on the latest beats. When you create a business account with Tiktok, you get a wide range of features to help your business grow significantly. 

Here you can create content anywhere from five to sixty seconds long and attract the audience into your business. With the large music library, you get access to every local and international track. You can create videos with some of the most eye-catching and engaging filters and effects such as face zoom, sprinkles, and more to attract the audiences real quick. You can also add tracks from your Apple Music and remix them with effects. Lastly, you can follow the industry giants to analyze how they use TikTok for their business and even buy virtual coins against real cash that can be used as virtual gifts to your customers! 

There are more such exclusive features that can be used to promote your business on TikTok. The key is to explore and unleash your creativity. But today, let’s now jump directly to the strategies and the ways to use Tiktok for your business. 

#1: Create Your Own Content on TikTok

The first step towards making your business viral on Tiktok is to create original content on TikTok. While creating content on TikTok, ensure that you are not just copying the trends on TikTok. Sure, you can use the same tracks as others, but your content idea should be unique to stand out from the rest. A unique touch to your videos can be the ultimate solution to going viral on TikTok. Revealing your business’s true personality via the content can help the users feel more connected and related to your business.

Since TikTok is not a platform for mundane and professional explainer videos, you need to dive deep into your creative corner and add a dash of humor to your content. Irrespective of your target age group, humorous and entertaining content works best in TikTok. Starting from your employees performing a specific challenge at the workplace to your adorable office pet. You can generate endless content ideas with Tiktok. The goal is to be playful and entertaining to attract audiences. 

While creating engaging and fun content on TikTok, do not forget to include different effects and features in your video. Adding effects to your videos on TikTok can make a significant difference. You can browse through the sound library and find out the most iconic tracks to create a lip-sync video with some fresh effects on it.

In case you are confused, here are the steps to create your first video on Tiktok:

Step 1: Open the application and tap on the black plus button at the bottom of your screen. 

Step 2: Approve all the required permissions and choose the timer for the video. Click on the red circle and start recording!

Follow the below-mentioned steps to add a song to your first Tiktok video:

Step 1: Click on the Music Library and tap on the red checkmark button to confirm

Step 2: After the track loads, return to the recording screen and click on the Sounds icon. 

Step 3: Choose the song from that list and start recording. 

#2: Curate and Share User-Generated Content on TikTok

Another incredible way to advertise your business on TikTok is to use user-generated content. While unique and creative content always wins, utilizing user-generated content during the days when you are out of your creative ideas can do the trick. 

Nike has a similar approach. Instead of only posting video content of their own, they also focus on sharing user-generated content. If you search with the hashtag #nike, you can find billions of users grooving with their Nike merch. Thus, if you are on a hunt for a budget-friendly or rather absolutely free marketing strategy on TikTok for your business, utilizing user-generated content is the way to go.

#3: Advertise on TikTok

Like any other social media platform in the world, Tiktok also allows businesses to use paid ads for their businesses in their application. There are four different ways TikTok allows you to pay for the ads within the application:

Brand takeovers: These ads appear in the feed before the regular content. These ads are linked to the business’s landing page. You can use these ads for different categories. However, only one ad can be shown per category each day. 

Native ads: These ads range between nine to fifteen seconds and play between the user content. Users have the option to skip or scroll past these ads.

Sponsored hashtag challenges: To make it big on TikTok, you need to use the right hashtags. Hashtag challenges have been the trend on TikTok for ages. You can find new challenges every other day on the Discover page and millions following it. As a business owner, you can sponsor a specific hashtag challenge and obtain a custom banner across the Discover page. Whenever users tap on it, they will be transferred to a few videos demonstrating the rules and the regulations of the challenge while promoting the business. 

Samsung also used the Hashtag challenge to boost its user-generated content strategy while advertising its new features. The #GalaxyA campaign was trending during the launch of their Galaxy A smartphones. Users who bought this smartphone created content with the latest features of the device with the hashtag, making it viral on TikTok. 

Branded Lens: Since effects are also a widespread trend on TikTok, you can design a specific Tik tok filter related to your business and make it available for the users. This filter will be live for 10 days and is automatically included in the top 10 trending lists. The more people who create content using your filters, the higher will be the brand awareness. 

#4 Use Relevant Hashtags 

Like we said, if you want to make it big on TikTok, you need to be a pro with your hashtag research. Spend some time every day identifying the most trending hashtags. However, simply choosing any trending hashtag isn’t the right way. Observe the type of hashtags your target audience usually clicks on and the type of hashtags that are relatable to your business. Using hashtags strategically can help capture your audiences’ attention real quick!

#5: Develop Influencer-Created Content on TikTok

Like any other existing social media platform, TikTok also allows businesses to use influencer marketing as their marketing strategy. Many trending influencers have millions of followers with varying degrees of influence. Choosing the best influencer that comes under your industry can bring a tremendous ROI. Simply send them your product and ask them to create content about it while advertising your product or business as a whole. However, you need to be careful about the type of influencers you need to partner with. The influencers you choose should align with your brand’s values and work within your industry. 

Conclusion

Tiktok for businesses is a hidden gem that only a few entrepreneurs identify and leverage in the right way. As a business owner in any industry, you can use TikTok to promote your business through a variety of different videos and ads. The ultimate plan is to strategically choose the best trends on the platform, add a dash of humor, creativity, and uniqueness combined with a set of relevant and search-worthy hashtags. If done in the right way, TikTok can quickly transform your profit digits in no time.