Gain a Business Following on TikTok With These Simple Steps
Nate Truniger here, the owner of The Vivid Agency, a social media marketing agency in Minneapolis, Minnesota. I have spent my career studying social media, running digital marketing campaigns for clients, and creating content that easily captures attention. Today, I am going to be giving you some concrete marketing tips and strategies to build brand awareness through TikTok. Ah, yes, TikTok. The social media platform that seemingly became famous overnight and is now a huge outlet for sharing short videos. As a business owner, you may think that TikTok is not a valuable asset to add to your marketing strategy. However, it most definitely is.
With nearly as many users as Instagram and the younger demographic switching over to this from YouTube and Instagram, you not only have a huge opportunity but also an urgency as a brand to be active on the app. TikTok is new, at least for brands, which makes it incredibly cheap for businesses just like yours to run paid ads through the platform. However, the best part is that you don’t even need to invest in paid ads. The advantage of this platform is it’s organic reach. If you are a brand that sells directly to consumers, you NEED to be on TikTok. Throughout the rest of this article, I am going to be running you through a few steps to build a following on this app.
Create an account
This one is pretty self-explanatory, but I thought I'd start with an easy one. You of course need an account in order to post.
Set goals, find target market, and choose genre
The second step is a bit more complicated. If you have already created a marketing plan for Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, or Linkedin, this should be similar. Adjust lightly. This will help you figure out what you should post and why. Are you trying to gain brand awareness and focus on increasing followers? Increase profits? Are you here to provide value to your audience? Are you going to place a call-to-action in your videos to direct the consumer to your website or other social platforms? Your goals should give you a clear indication of what you are trying to accomplish. Next, identify your target market. Find their interests, hobbies, and aspirations. What are they watching on TikTok? Are they more interested in something funny and light or more educational? Use these key ideas when forming content. This goes hand in hand with creating your genre, which basically encompasses what kind of style you will showcase in your videos.
Post consistently
No, but seriously. Set a goal for yourself and stick to it. It’s okay to start with once a week if that’s all you think you can handle, but eventually you should be trying to post at least once a day or once every other day. The more content you produce, the higher the chances your audience will see it. Keep in mind that TikTok is huge right now and some users create five to six videos every single day. There is a ton of content being poured out, so you need to make sure you are keeping up or you will be lost in the crowd. It’s a great idea to have back-up ideas for when you need something quick to post. That could be a short behind-the-scenes clip, an “office day” where you show your followers around the building, an employee takeover, office tours, advice to people in the industry, or just some short tips on an area you are knowledgeable on. You don’t need to have everything figured out, but you need to be willing to put in the effort.
Track results and tweak accordingly
Another benefit of posting consistently is that you will be able to see what is working and what isn’t. Make note of which videos do really well and which ones don’t. Ponder the reasoning behind this. What time of day did you post? Was the video a lot funnier than others? Did you provide a lot of educational value? Be cautious of the changing demands of your audience as well. Listen to what they are saying, give them what they are looking for, and always provide value. TikTok is just another way to connect with your consumers and help them remember your brand in a positive way.
TikTok is a very candid app. It does not require any fancy equipment or hours of setting up, shooting, editing, and posting. All you need is your cell phone. People want to see you! They want to be able to put a real face to a brand they care about and feel like they can relate to who you are. They need to build an authentic connection to your brand. It can be as simple as sharing your everyday routine. The most important step is just to start and to try. You will learn by taking action.
If you are a brand that is in Minnesota and are in need of a company to help you with social media management, content creation (photography, videography, graphic design), running digital ads, blogging, or would like more advice on starting a TikTok, we can help! We have helped several clients around the Minneapolis and Duluth areas. Check out our website www.thevividagency.com and fill out the Contact Us form to get in touch.
