Using TikTok for Business

Have you considered using the social media platform TikTok to promote your business but aren't sure if the platform is relevant to your niche?

TikTok has been referred to as the fastest growing social media platform of all time, and according to a 2021 online article from Forbes, "TikTok took only five years to reach the 1 billion user mark, a shorter period than many of its competitors." For example, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube all took eight years after their inception to reach 1 billion followers.

Considering the influence these platforms have all had on business, it would be wise for business owners to take note of TikTok's rapid growth and start strategizing how to use it to promote their business.

Age Demographics of TikTok as of 2021

In August 2020, TikTok made public that it had reached 100 million users in the U.S. alone. TikTok has a reputation of being "for young people," but the data shows that it is used across all age demographics. According to Backlinko.com, as of October 11, 2021, TikTok's user age demographics in the U.S. are as follows:

• 25% of TikTok's active user accounts in the U.S. are people aged 10-19.
• 22.4% of TikTok's active user accounts in the U.S. are 20-29.
• 21.7% of TikTok's active user accounts in the U.S. are 30-39.
• 20.3% of TikTok's active user accounts in the U.S. are 40-49.
• 11% of TikTok's active user accounts in the U.S. are 50+.

• What is TikTok?

  TikTok is a social media platform that focuses on short-form mobile video where users can upload video directly from their smartphones. It is similar to YouTube, but TikTok focuses on shorter clips that are shared by its users. Anything from humorous clips, art, cooking, and how-to videos are shared on TikTok. TikTok has many editing features it offers to its users to add to their videos, such as filters and video effects, song clips, and sound bites.

  TikTok videos generally have fun, entertaining, creative, and humorous aspects due to their short format but can also be focused on instructional or inspirational content. These short-format videos can engage your audience in new and creative ways.

  TikTok can help reach a large audience, create brand visibility, advertise products and services, convert sales, and provide valuable feedback from customers and the general viewership.

TikTok users don't expect to see overly produced content; this means you can quickly and easily create straightforward content that can help grow your business.

• Create a TikTok Business Account

  Through your TikTok business account, you can share everything from product testing and tutorials, customer testimonials or humorous, inspirational, or creative content relating to your products or services.

  To create a TikTok business account, you must first sign up to the platform as a regular TikTok account.

  You will want to select a high-quality image that represents yourself or your business. Your business logo or a headshot will be the best option depending on the type of business you operate.

  From here, you can click on the "Settings and Privacy" tab, then the "Manage Account" tab, then under "Account Control," click on "Switch to Business Account."

  From here, you can choose a category that best suits the type of business you own. You can add your business' website and email address, and your business account will be ready to go.

• Create a TikTok Video

  Creating a video on TikTok is simple, but you also have a lot of choices regarding effects and sounds that you can add to your video.

  Click the plus sign icon at the bottom of the screen, and before you start recording, you can add a song by clicking the "add sound" icon at the top of the screen. You can also add music after you have recorded your video.

  There are a lot of augmented reality filters you can use in your videos. These are computer-generated effects that are superimposed upon live video.

  There is a timer that you can also use when recording hands-free videos.

  It is also possible to upload videos that were created outside of the app, stitch videos together, and create montages.

• Going Viral on TikTok

  Understanding trends is an important factor in creating a viral video on TikTok. Trending audio clips, dances, or challenges that users can use as prompts to create related videos and add their own unique twist, can often result in a viral video. On the other hand, being distinctive and original can also go a long way.

  Music is an important factor on TikTok, and picking the right song can be why your video becomes successful.

  Utilizing humor on TikTok is another way to become successful on the platform. TikTok largely consists of humorous videos, and regardless of your niche, short humorous videos are a unique and dynamic way to engage with your audience.

  Keep your videos short. A short video will not allow your viewers the time to lose interest, but it will allow them to rewatch the video once it has ended and the autoplay feature starts to play the video again in a loop. Shorter videos tend to have more views and engagement due to this factor.

  Encourage engagement amongst your viewership. Ask your audience to express their opinion of your subject matter in the comments. This can stimulate community engagement and generate comments on your videos.

  Know your intended audience and create your videos with them in mind. The more you target a specific audience and create content designed to engage with a certain community, the more you can build up a core following within that niche.

Bottom Line: TikTok is a new and emerging social media platform that you can use to engage with your niche in fun and creative ways that can help build your brand and your business.

References

• https://www.forbes.com/sites/marisadellatto/2021/09/27/tiktok-hits-1-billion-monthly-active-users/?sh=7c1c606844b6
• https://backlinko.com/tiktok-users

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