You may think of TikTok as a video-sharing App just for young people, but it has grown into a huge social media platform which, since its worldwide launch in 2018, boasts 689 million users worldwide.

This large subscriber pool means that it’s now prudent for small businesses to use TikTok to create content that appeals not just to Gen Z, but to all age ranges. It allows its users to make and share 15-second videos which then can be edited in-App with various sound and visual effect options to make them highly entertaining and watchable.

How can you download TikTok?

This is the easy bit. 

Download the free TikTok App from the App Store or Google Play.

Then click on the ‘Me’ icon and under settings click ‘Pro Account’

Click on the ‘Business’ account type and choose the category that best describes your business.

By using a Pro Account you will receive analytics like you do on Facebook and Twitter so you can see how TikTok is working for you. You can also add information about your business, including your official website and contact details.

Once you have made your account you are ready to upload exciting content promoting your goods or services. However, we would definitely recommend playing about with TikTok first, maybe make a personal account so you can experiment with different editing tools (videos can be set to private on personal accounts).

What to consider before creating an account

Before you start it would be a great idea to have a look at your competitors to see what sort of content they are posting. Not to copy, but to get an idea of what to upload. You can also check out if they are using any micro-influencers to promote their businesses.

More importantly, you need to think about the audience you are trying to connect with. TikTok does have a predominantly younger base (66% of users are under 30), but older people are starting to use it now as the content is becoming more varied and relevant to them. If your business is geared towards slightly older users, that could even be your niche marketing tool.

Micro-influencers

As mentioned above, we have read that a great way to get your content noticed is to use micro-influencers. We will be blogging in more detail about them soon, but suffice to say is that they cost a fraction of the price of engaging a mainstream influencer and using someone who is less well-known and more niche may be of benefit as their audience is more targeted to what you are trying to sell and they will be more invested in your product.

Hashtags

As with Twitter and Instagram, you need to use hashtags to promote your videos. They will enable users to easily search for your product or business, rather than your videos being lost in a sea of content. Your customers will then hopefully share your videos using the hashtags, enabling you to get new followers.

Sharing content

Another great thing about TikTok is that you can share content to other social media platforms to reach a wider audience  – your followers on Facebook and Twitter don’t need TikTok to view  or share your videos.

Actual advertising

Last June TikTok for Business was launched allowing companies to advertise their products or service on the platform. There are many different advertising options, but they are extremely pricey, especially for a small business.

This is just a fraction of the information on how to market your business on TikTok. If you are seriously interested in using TikTok as your new social media marketing tool then read up online all you can about the above and let us know if you need any further help. Good luck!