TikTok is a whole new world for organic advertising with huge discoverability. But you must do it the right way. Marketing on TikTok is so unique - unlike any other platform. People on TikTok want to be entertained, not sold to.
Here are 10 tips on how to promote your business/brand on TikTok:
1. Catch attention right away! Start your TikTok off with an attention grabbing sentence or action.
2. Talking to the camera is key! Put a face to your brand. This doesn’t necessarily need to be the founder/someone in the company.
3. Treat your videos on TikTok like FaceTime or Snapchat with friends. Nothing fancy and very authentic.
4. Pro Tip: do something while talking like your makeup, cleaning, preparing food, etc., to catch and captivate attention.
5. Be relatable! Talk about things that a majority of people would understand/relate to/want to comment on.
6. Don’t be “addy.” If it looks like an ad, people will scroll. Note: This is very different from Instagram where a professionally produced video will perform well – content doesn’t always cross over between platforms.
7. Indirect advertising: show something but don’t directly promote it/talk about it. For example, if you are a shoe brand, wear the shoes in the video and do a “fit check” but don’t directly talk about the shoes/promote them. Leave it to people in the comments asking, “where are your shoes from!?” and comment back!
8. The comment section on TikTok is just as popular as the videos. Do something or ask something that will get people commenting. You can even do something a little bit controversial (without being offensive) or bizarre - something you know people have opinions about and will spark conversation about it in the comments.
9. You don’t need to stick to one niche. Broaden the spectrum of what your brand is and what you stand for so you have variety in your content. I recommend experimenting with different types of videos and topics to attract multiple different audiences. Test and Learn!
10. Utilize influencers – have influencers incorporate your product into their regular TikTok videos for authenticity. Also ask them for UGC (user generated content) for your own platforms.
One of my favorite examples of a brand with incredible TikTok advertising is Duolingo! Check them out for inspiration.
Contact me if you want consulting on TikTok for your business/brand.