With more than a billion monthly active users from around the world, TikTok is growing to be one of the most popular social media platforms. While this massive user base may be cause enough for brands to start using the platform, there’s also the fact that TikTok users spend an estimated $110 million per month, which makes it the top-grossing non-gaming app.
If that convinces you to use TikTok for your business, this post will help you find your footing on the platform. Read on to learn how to get started with TikTok for business.
How to Use TikTok for Business in 2024 - The Ultimate Guide:
Who Should Use TikTok For Business And Why?
Now you may be skeptical about using TikTok for your business because “Isn’t it just for Gen-Zs?” While the platform has a large concentration of younger users, the app is just as popular among young adults and middle-aged users.
According to statistics, 25% of TikTok users are between 10 and 19 years old. Meanwhile, people in the 20-29 age groups make up 22.4% of the platform’s user base. And 30-39-year-olds make up 21.7% of the total TikTok audience.
Additionally, you can find 20.3% of users between 40 and 49 years old. People over the age of 50 make up the remaining 11%. So if your assumptions about the platform demographic have been keeping you away from using TikTok, these numbers show that the platform’s audience is much more diverse than you’d think.
Source: explodingtopics.com
This variety allows businesses to connect with a large audience, increasing brand awareness and consumer engagement. TikTok users actively participate in conversations on the platforms, which results in high brand engagement, particularly when the content businesses create is perceived as genuine.
Moreover, the platform isn’t just for entertainment content (although the category is indeed popular). TikTok also sees a ton of informative and educational content from brands and influencers alike. That’s why you can see even the most unlikely brands winning on the platform.
Additionally, TikTok’s algorithm ensures that creative, captivating content reaches a vast audience, providing businesses with the potential to go viral. Partnering with influencers who have a significant following can help your brand reach more people and gain credibility.
Encouraging user-generated content through challenges and interactive features not only boosts engagement but is also a great strategy for cultivating a loyal community around your brand.
Scrub Daddy is an example of a brand that managed to amass a vast following on TikTok. With 4 million followers, they have become a standout success by consistently posting entertaining and amusing content.
@scrubdaddy Replying to @spencerlovescats13 Please become more familiar with this lore. #scrubdaddy #smile #cleantok #cleaningtiktok #americasfavoritesponge @Duolingo ♬ original sound - Scrub Daddy
Their engaging videos often feature clever product demonstrations and humorous skits that resonate with a wide audience. Scrub Daddy even collaborates with other popular brands like Dunkin' and Duolingo, further expanding their reach and appeal.
10 Steps to Using TikTok for Business
If you’re convinced that TikTok is the right choice for your business, it’s time to learn how to start using it. Here are the steps to use TikTok for business:
Step 1: Creating Your TikTok Business Account
The first step, of course, is creating a business account. To do this, download the app and register using your phone number or email address. If you have a registered social media account for your business, you can also use that to sign up on TikTok.
From your “Me” page, click on the “…” button at the top and select “Manage Account.” Choose the option to “Switch to Business Account,” select the category that best matches your industry, and that’s it. You now have a TikTok Business account that you can use for engaging with your audience and posting content about your business.
Step 2: Optimizing Your Profile
When you’re serious about using TikTok for business, it’s not enough to just have an account. Once you have your account set up, you’ll get the option to edit your profile. This is an important step because your profile acts as a digital storefront for your business. So it’s important that you optimize it to authentically represent your brand.
That means updating your bio, profile photo, and URL. Here are a few best practices to help you get this step right:
Get your account verified
Having a verified account on TikTok is crucial for business users as it enhances credibility and trustworthiness. Verification signals to users that your account is authentic and trustworthy, which can significantly boost your brand's reputation. It also helps in increasing visibility and discoverability on the platform, as verified accounts are more likely to appear in searches and recommendations.
Additionally, a verified badge can protect your brand from impersonation, ensuring that your audience engages with the legitimate source. Overall, verification adds a layer of professionalism and reliability, essential for building a strong brand presence on TikTok.
Choose a photo that perfectly represents your brand
Your profile photo should not only look great, but it should also visually represent your brand. Make sure there’s a consistent and coherent visual identity across all your social accounts. This would involve using the same logo and/or colors that would help people make an instant connection between your TikTok profile and your brand.
Chipotle, for instance, uses the same profile photo as on Twitter and Instagram. This helps them to maintain a consistent brand image.
@chipotle
Sum up your brand in a short bio
With TikTok, you only have 80 characters to write a short description about your brand. To make the most of this space, keep it short and to the point without losing your brand essence. You could include your slogan or catch phrase. Or you could even add a short bio quote that aligns with your brand personality.
BUXOM Cosmetics uses just three words in their TikTok bio that matches what they stand for i.e. big, bold, and sexy. This is short and concise while perfectly aligning with the brand’s personality.
@buxomcosmetics
Be strategic about your URL
TikTok allows you to include one clickable URL in your profile. So you need to be strategic about what link you add. You can link to your homepage, landing page, blog post, or even app download page depending on your goals. But make sure the URL is recognizable so it’s trustworthy–a vital factor to get people clicking on your links. It should also be clean so it doesn’t confuse people.
For example, florence by mills includes a link to their LikeShop page so viewers can quickly find (and buy) the products from their TikTok feed. The URL clearly shows the brand name so it looks clean and reliable. Similarly, you can use other link in bio tools to easily guide people to your content or products. Here are some powerful tools for that purpose:
@florencebymills
Step 3: Understanding Your Target Audience
While your specific goal may be unique, there’s one main reason why you’re using TikTok–to connect with your audience. But you can’t connect with your audience if you’re not creating the kind of content that resonates with them. This is why it’s crucial to take a closer look at who your audience is and understand what kind of content they’d be interested in.
As we’ve established earlier, TikTok has a diverse demographic of users even though it may be most popular among Gen-Z. Think of where the TikTok user base overlaps with your target demographic.
Use social media analytics and direct feedback to analyze their behavior, preferences, and interests. Then, develop detailed buyer personas to represent your ideal customers based on demographics, behaviors, and motivations. These personas help you tailor your content strategy to meet the specific needs and preferences of different audience segments, increasing relevance and engagement
Leverage social listening tools to see what type of content resonates with your target audience. These tools track trends and audience preferences, offering valuable insights into what content is currently engaging viewers.
Furthermore, conducting a competitor analysis can be highly beneficial for identifying your target audience and understanding what type of content engages them. By studying the content that performs well for your competitors, you can gain insights into the preferences and behaviors of your shared audience.
This includes analyzing metrics such as engagement rates, popular themes, and posting frequencies. Additionally, observing competitor interactions with their followers can help identify successful engagement strategies and content trends,
Take a look at what Gymshark is doing on TikTok. The brand has successfully cultivated a vibrant community of 5.5 million followers by fostering a sense of belonging and motivation among fitness enthusiasts. By actively engaging with followers, responding to comments, and encouraging user-generated content, Gymshark has nurtured a loyal and highly engaged fanbase on TikTok.
@gymshark
Step 4: Understanding and Mastering the TikTok Algorithm
If you’re serious about using TikTok for your business, a crucial step is to understand how the platform’s algorithm works. You need to know the factors that influence the TikTok algorithm so you can use them to your advantage and improve visibility on the platform.
The algorithm curates each user's For You Page (FYP) based on their interactions, ensuring personalized and engaging content. Key metrics influencing the algorithm include:
- User interactions (likes, comments, shares, video completion rate)
- Video information (captions, hashtags, audio)
- Device and account settings (location, language preference, device type)
TikTok’s algorithm promotes videos by initially showing them to a small, targeted group of users based on their interests. If this group responds positively (by engaging with the video), it is then shown to a larger audience.
This cycle continues, allowing videos to gain momentum and potentially go viral. The algorithm adapts in real-time, ensuring that engaging content reaches a wider audience while maintaining a personalized user experience.
For businesses, mastering the algorithm can enhance product promotion and community building. By creating engaging, high-quality content that encourages interaction, brands can increase their visibility and reach on the platform. Participating in trends and challenges is particularly effective, as it aligns your content with popular topics, making it more likely to appear on users’ For You feeds.
Moreover, using popular TikTok sounds is another excellent way to improve your visibility in the TikTok algorithm. Look for opportunities to leverage them in your videos so people searching for the sound can find your content more easily.
@theredchickz Replying to @ebk.wrxckless you can get it on the side bro #fried #chicken #friedchicken #theredchickz #losangeles #la #coleslaw #pickle #pickles #bread ♬ La Vida - Snow Tha Product
Step 5: Scoping Out the Competition
Is your competition on TikTok? If yes, what are they doing? What types of content are they creating and are their followers engaged?
Looking at your main competitors and seeing what works/doesn’t work for them is a great way to build out your TikTok marketing strategy. Since they’ve already given the platform a try, they could serve as a valuable source of insight for your business.
Make sure you keep a close eye on the types of content that seem to get the most engagement. And see if there are any creative approaches you could replicate or get inspiration from.
Analyze how they interact with their followers, the trends they are participating in, the challenges they are joining, and the hashtags they are using. This can provide you with insights on what resonates with your shared target audience.
Additionally, consider the frequency and timing of their posts. Observe if there are specific days or times when their content gets higher engagement. Understanding their posting schedule can help you optimize your own. Learning from your competitors doesn’t mean copying them but rather using their successes and failures to refine your unique TikTok strategy.
Step 6: Developing a Powerful Content Strategy
Based on your research, you can start building out your TikTok content strategy. This involves outlining details such as the types of content you’ll create and how often you’ll publish new content.
While entertainment and dance content seem to dominate the platform even in 2024, informative and practical content is just as popular. That means how-to and tutorial videos, DIYs, life hacks, advice, etc. So find a way to work these categories into your content strategy to engage your audience. And make sure you try to maintain a balance between different content types to diversify your feed and appeal to different types of people.
Funny and entertaining videos may be great for engagement, but you can also provide tutorial videos on how to make the most of your products to inform and educate your audience. This is a great way to get people more invested in your brand’s content so they can keep coming back for more.
Brands can also create filters for other users to share. Custom filters can increase brand visibility as they are used in user-generated content, spreading organically across the platform.
Sharing user-generated content is another effective strategy for further promotion, as it provides authentic testimonials and fosters a sense of community around your brand. Additionally, branded challenges encourage participation and can quickly go viral, significantly boosting brand awareness and engagement.
Mastering TikTok SEO
To maximize your reach on TikTok, it's crucial to optimize your hashtags and captions for search value. TikTok SEO involves using relevant and popular hashtags that align with your content and audience interests. This improves the discoverability of your videos, ensuring they appear in search results and on the For You page.
Incorporating keywords into your captions is another important aspect of TikTok SEO. Descriptive and keyword-rich captions help the TikTok algorithm understand the context of your videos, making it more likely that your content will be shown to users interested in those topics.
Content Calendar and Consistency
Additionally, you should also build a content calendar specific to the platform. Just like on other social networking platforms, consistency is essential to maintain strong visibility on TikTok. So creating and following a content calendar can help you keep up the momentum and maintain the right publishing frequency.
Take, for example, how Le Creuset regularly shares cooking videos that utilize the brand’s cookware products. Many of these videos show the products in action to speak for the quality. Others are just meant to be pleasing to the eyes and entertain viewers.
@lecreuset Indulging has never been so beautiful: Meet Ganache. ? #lecreuset #lecreusettiktok #foodtiktok #foodtok #tiktokcooks #kitchendecor #kitchenstyle ♬ original sound - Le Creuset
Step 7: Partnering with Influential Users
With the ability to reach millions of users at once, influential TikTokers have the power to make your business an overnight success. Having the right influencer promoting your brand in front of their followers is a great way to instantly boost your visibility on the platform.
Your TikTok influencer marketing strategy could be as simple as getting an influencer to briefly mention your brand. But ideally, find a way to have them feature your product or service in a way that would resonate with their followers. You could also partner with influential creators for a duet, get them to use your branded hashtags, or have them promote your brand challenge to drive participation.
When mattress brand Simmons wanted to use TikTok to connect with a generation of young consumers, they partnered with a diverse range of TikTok influencers. These influential creators helped bring visibility to the brand’s #Snoozzzapalooza hashtag challenge, encouraging over 2 million video submissions and garnering 6 billion video views.
@montanatucker Since all other festivals are cancelled, I’m headed to #Snoozzzapalooza ! Who’s coming ?! #Simmonssleep #sponsored ♬ #SNOOZZZAPALOOZA - Simmons
Step 8: Boost Sales Through TikTok Shop
TikTok Shop is a powerful tool for e-commerce businesses. By integrating shopping features within the app, TikTok Shop provides a seamless and interactive shopping experience, making it easier for users to purchase products without leaving the app. This can significantly boost brand visibility and drive traffic to your store.
TikTok Shop supports live shopping events, where brands can showcase products in real-time and interact with viewers. Businesses can also capitalize on user-generated content by allowing customers to feature products in their videos, providing authentic testimonials and encouraging viral marketing as users share their experiences with their followers.
Moreover, TikTok Shop offers analytics tools that provide insights into customer behavior, preferences, and sales performance. These insights help businesses refine their strategies, optimize product listings, and improve their overall marketing efforts on the platform.
Integration with major e-commerce platforms like Shopify makes it easy for businesses to manage their inventory and sales across multiple channels. By leveraging TikTok Shop, businesses can boost sales, enhance brand loyalty, and drive long-term growth.
The Raw., a Malaysian cosmetic brand, leveraged a full-funnel strategy combining Reach & Frequency (R&F) Top Feed, Community Interaction, and Shop Ads to enhance brand awareness and drive TikTok Shop purchases during the Ramadan/Raya season.
@theraw.official RAMADHAN 2024 COMING SOON ✨ Are you EGGcited❓ Here's the sneak peek of our HOT SELLING PRODUCT ‼️ 🛒 Check Out the products at yellow bag NOW ‼️ Get GLOWING & HEALTHY SKIN with The Raw. #TikTokShopBazarRamadan2024 #theraw #therawbrand #therawskincare #therawskin #therawkulitsihat #therawsociety #rawmadhan #skincarelokal #skincareviral #productviral #arbutintheraw #ReTeeNOLDskin #ubatjerawatpink ♬ suara asli - Ramadhan 2024🙏🌙 - PP IDUL ADHA
This approach led to a 23.8% increase in conversion rate and a 10.2% reduction in cost-per-purchase among users exposed to branding ads, demonstrating the effectiveness of integrating branding and Shop Ads.
Step 9: Using TikTok Advertising to Maximize Reach and Impact
Another excellent way to give your business TikTok an instant boost is by paying for TikTok advertising. Since this requires some financial investment, it’s important to carefully set up and manage your TikTok ads to attain good ROI. This starts with a clear and realistic goal and a defined target audience.
You can then design your ad keeping these two factors in mind. Create a powerful TikTok ad strategy that will help you get your business in front of the right people and leave an impact on them. Utilize one (or more) of the following types of TikTok advertisements.
TopView Ads
TopView Ads appear at the top of users' feeds when they open the app, making them highly visible. These ads can be up to 60 seconds long and are excellent for creating a strong first impression.
In-Feed Ads
In-Feed Ads are native ads that appear in the For You feed. They are skippable and can be up to 60 seconds long, although shorter ads tend to perform better. These ads are great for seamless integration into users’ browsing experiences.
Brand Takeover Ads
Brand Takeover Ads allow your brand to dominate the app for a day. These ads can include images, GIFs, or videos and appear as soon as users open TikTok. They provide a powerful way to generate immediate visibility and engagement.
Branded Hashtag Challenges
Branded Hashtag Challenges encourage user participation by inviting them to create content around your branded hashtag. These challenges often go viral, significantly boosting brand awareness and engagement as users share their videos.
Branded Effects
Branded Effects let you create custom stickers, filters, and special effects for users to add to their videos. This interactive option helps boost engagement and allows users to become brand advocates by incorporating your effects into their content.
Pangle Ads
Pangle Ads are designed for in-app advertising within TikTok’s partner apps. These ads can help expand your reach beyond TikTok by placing your content in other popular apps, providing additional visibility and engagement opportunities across a broader network.
Spark Ads
Spark Ads allow brands to boost organic content, either from their own account or from other users, directly within TikTok’s ad platform. This ad type is excellent for leveraging authentic content and user-generated posts, enhancing credibility and engagement while maintaining a native, organic feel.
Step 10: Using Analytics to Grow and Optimize
Finally, success on TikTok requires constant optimization. Make the most of TikTok analytics tools to track your performance on the platform and look for opportunities to improve. Measure key metrics such as content-specific engagement, hashtag reach, and optimal posting times. These insights help you refine your content strategy for better results.
For example, analyze which types of content receive the most engagement and replicate those elements in future posts. Use analytics to see when your audience is the most active on TikTok and determine the best times to post, ensuring your content reaches the largest possible audience.
Additionally, track the performance of different hashtags to see which ones drive the most views and engagement, then incorporate them into your strategy. Regularly checking these analytics helps you make data-driven decisions that boost your content's reach and impact, leading to steady growth and success on TikTok.
Making TikTok Work for Your Business
Now that we’ve got all the essential steps laid out for you, it’s time to follow them and start using TikTok for business. Make sure you start with a strong profile, a well-defined target audience, and a powerful content strategy to get the ball rolling and improve your chances of succeeding on the platform.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I promote my small business on TikTok?
You can promote your small business on TikTok by posting great quality content regularly, engaging with your audience, using popular hashtags and TikTok sounds, and working with influential creators.
Is it better to have a business account on TikTok?
Having a business account on TikTok is better for brands as it gives you access to many tools and functionalities that are essential to promote your business on the platform.
How do I promote my brand on TikTok?
Influencer collaborations, paid advertising, and branded hashtag challenges are some of the best ways to promote your brand on TikTok.
How do you promote a product on TikTok?
You can promote a product on TikTok by sharing tutorials on how to use it, featuring it in aesthetically-pleasing setups, and getting influential creators to feature it. Products can also be promoted directly within TikTok Shop, allowing users to browse and purchase items seamlessly within the app.
What is a TikTok business account?
A TikTok business account is a type of account that’s specifically designed for brands and businesses to use. It comes loaded with features and gives you access to robust analytics and TikTok Ads Manager.
Can I use copyrighted sounds on a TikTok business account?
No, you cannot use copyrighted sounds on a TikTok business account. TikTok restricts business accounts from using popular copyrighted music due to licensing agreements. Instead, businesses have access to a Commercial Music Library, which includes royalty-free tracks that are safe for commercial use.
