There’s no point in trying to ignore it any longer. TikTok is a fully-fledged marketing behemoth for businesses. Not long ago, it was the overlooked newcomer to the packed social media scene, but now it sits alongside the likes of Instagram and Facebook as one of the most effective promotional tools around.
You only have to look at the user statistics as evidence. Not only was TikTok the most downloaded app worldwide in 2019, 2020, and 2021, but the platform also boasts over one billion monthly active users.
If you haven’t done so already, now is the time to jump onto the TikTok bandwagon. It’s a place where your business can be authentic, creative, and have fun. Most importantly, the platform is a goldmine for attracting organic traffic to your products and services.
Are you unsure how to get the most out of this social media channel? If so, here are five key tips to improve your chances of going viral with TikTok marketing.
1. Go with the trends
In the same way, you’re on TikTok as it is the in-thing right now. It’s vital that you stay on top of current trends. You’ll know this is important if you have spent even just a few minutes browsing through TikTok. The platform is all about trends and being in the present.
Due to their very nature, you never quite know what trends will appear. Some literally explode from out of nowhere, whereas others are based around current events. It adds unpredictability to your workload, sure, but it also provides guidelines of sorts for you to produce fresh, original content.
When following the trends, speed is key. Trending topics often don’t stick around for long. In fact, they can disappear as quickly as a single day in certain situations. Furthermore, being first to the punch gives your content a better chance of hitting the mark with those currently searching and watching videos under your chosen trend.
2. Tell a story
When the TikTok video length was only 15 seconds, crafting a story on the platform was a serious challenge. Now the video length has been upped to ten minutes. However, there’s greater scope to put together a compelling, valuable tale that will resonate with viewers.
A story, when done right, is able to grab your audience – and it won’t let go until the video ends.
The text overlay feature is the essential element when storytelling. All it takes is one short sentence to grab the attention of a viewer. This could be done to establish a problem, tap into people’s fears, get them intrigued, and so on. With this foundation, you can then add layers to your story with additional text and visuals, getting scrollers to stop and pay full attention to your video.
3. Stitch up
There are many techniques and strategies available when it comes to constructing a TikTok video. However, one of the most valuable – and effective – options is to use the Stitch feature.
As the name suggests, ‘stitching’ involves taking videos from different TikTok creators, attaching them together, and producing an original video of your own. Each Stitch is allowed to feature up to five seconds of footage per video, giving you a great way to put together creative and fun content. Moreover, you can also collaborate with others and tap into the audience they have cultivated.
For more information about this creation tool, Sprout Social has put together a helpful guide on how to Stitch on TikTok.
4. Post regularly
As with other social content, a consistent posting schedule is necessary to succeed with TikTok marketing. As well as keeping your brand visible to your audience, it is said a regular posting schedule will help appease the TikTok algorithm.
In terms of how often you should post, it is recommended to go with a daily schedule. This type of volume can be tricky to achieve, admittedly, but your videos don’t have to be groundbreaking creations each and every time. Even quick snippets can help fill gaps when necessary.
5. Practice and experiment
You’re not going to master TikTok right from the start. To get the most out of the platform, you have to continually practice and experiment. With this approach, you will continually improve and refine your video editing skills – and this extra polish can push your content to the next level.
It’s also advised that, for added inspiration, you consume other TikTok content on a regular basis. Also, consider watching tutorials, particularly if you’re a newcomer to the world of TikTok.