If you want to grow your social media presence in the future, you should learn how to grow your tiktok account. it has become so important.
tiktok is the third largest social networking site in the world. it currently has over 1 billion active users and is on track to surpass 1.8 billion tiktok users by the end of 2022.
tiktok is also widely regarded as the most addictive social media platform. users love interacting with their favorite influencers and spend an average of 28.7 hours per month on the platform.
However, as any would-be influencer or business account manager knows, capturing a piece of the tiktok pie for yourself or your business can be difficult. sometimes it feels like the algorithm is passing you by in favor of rival companies or similar profiles.
the key to growing your tiktok account is to grow organically. This means you need to produce high-quality, short-form video content that users will love and return to on a daily basis.
1. create tiktok business account
As a marketer, you need to recognize that business and personal tiktok accounts are inherently different and face different challenges during the growth phase. people who stumble upon your business account will treat your content with suspicion and be wary of hard sales pitches.
when producing ads for tiktok, make sure to follow tiktok tips and produce ads that are entertaining. Even if you want to preserve a professional brand image, you have to remember that user attention spans are short. so if you’re not producing entertaining content, users will scroll past your hard sell in no time.
thankfully, tiktok offers a variety of options to help your business account stand out. For example, if you’ve identified your target audience and want to launch a new campaign, you can create banner ads. 84% of users say they were convinced to buy something after seeing a spark ad, and 67% say they appreciate the storytelling aspect spark ads provide.
You can use banner ads to quickly grow your following and increase overall engagement. Spark ads are particularly useful if you’re running an “always-on” marketing strategy and have a mix of marketing goals.
Business accounts have another ace up their sleeve: the tiktok top view. content on topview ranks first in tiktok’s engagement rate, with 71% of users saying topview catches their eye. topview content is actually switching to cost per thousand (cpm) buying, allowing you to capitalize on that visibility by paying per 1000 views.
Understanding the difference between business accounts and personal accounts is the key to thriving on tiktok. However, before you start producing content and sponsoring ads, you need to identify your target audience using key analytics from across the web.
further reading: tiktok marketing: 5 reasons why, 5 strategy tips and 5 examples to help you dominate the channel
2. use your tiktok analytics wisely
Analytics is king in the world of social media. Analytical insights can help you spot growing trends, reassess your current approach, and create a social media strategy that promotes long-term growth.
tiktok has its own analytics page found under “creator tools”. once in the analysis tab, you will have access to key information such as:
- follower growth;
- video views;
- like, comment and share;
- average watch time;
- traffic source.
- interest over time;
- audience demographics;
- regional popularity.
- ((number of likes + number of comments + number of shares) / number of followers) * 100
These analytics give you a deeper insight into your tiktok account growth. however, if you want to leverage analytics to your advantage, you’ll need to use a combination of social media management tools to help you see the data behind your growth.
Start by using a social media dashboard that is fully integrated with tiktok when planning, posting, and evaluating your tiktok content. this means you can complete all your analytics in one place and you can compare your tiktok growth with other social media sites.
Successfully using analytics can help you discover your niche, target your subculture, and produce informative content that drives engagement and grows your following.
further reading: 17 best tiktok management apps for scheduling, analytics & amp; much more!
3. find your niche
finding a niche on tiktok is different than finding a niche on any other social media platform. The companies that are successful on tiktok are not trying to replicate the same content that they use on facebook or instagram. instead, they find their niche and produce content that fills that need.
Take the ritz crackers for example. ritz’s facebook profile is dedicated to sharing “healthy” recipes and advertising content. however, ritz’s tiktok – ritztok – is a completely different profile. ritztok features cookies with bangs, peanut butter cookies as lip gloss, and cookies in its “fall era.”
ritz is successful on tiktok because they embrace their niche and create content that gives their crackers a “personality”. While this may seem a bit crazy, it’s exactly the kind of content that attracts tiktok users and can get you more followers.
take a cue from the ritz playbook and create niche content specifically tailored for tiktok. This niche content must be of high quality and use trending sounds and hashtags in order for the tiktok algorithm to pick up your video content.
further reading: tiktok secret emoji codes: what they are and how to access them
4. use trending tiktok hashtags and sounds
Incorporating trending hashtags and sounds gives you a better chance of landing on the users page for you. That’s because tiktok is great at identifying the interests of its users and showing them more content that appeals to them.
you can discover the trending sounds using the sounds page on tiktok. You can filter sounds by specific hashtags and playlists or use the “all” filter to see today’s top sounds. You can also duet and match your own content from this page, which means you can jump on a trend by dueting a popular video.
If you’re having trouble finding a trend, consider using google trends to start your search. Google Trends gives you a broader snapshot of current trends and hot topics. With this information, consider planning tiktok content that is relevant to current user searches.
You can further improve your reach by using hashtags in your branded content. You can search for trending hashtags on tiktok (go here for a shortcut) and see all available analytics behind the trend. When viewing trending hashtags, consider factors such as:
Assessing these data points will help you determine whether or not to join an increasing trend.
further reading: how to add a sound to tiktok and 6 tips to make it viral
5. create high-quality video content
Understanding trends and using analytics is only useful if you can consistently produce high-quality video content that engages users on tiktok.
Start simple and shoot short videos with trendy sound and some subtitles. If you want to liven things up a bit, consider using the “effects” button and use simple features like a green screen. go easy on the augmented reality features at first, but add them once you get familiar with the platform.
remember that tiktok content doesn’t have to be professional-grade videography. Unlike Instagram, where marketers produce movie-quality content, a good TikTok can be as simple as posing in the office with the product your company sells.
For each post you create, consider making a duet or repurposing other tiktoks with your own unique twist. This is an easy way to find ideas and grow your following organically. just be sure to add value to the original video by reacting to the original creator or overlaying your own sounds and videos.
6. provide educational content
Balancing entertainment and branded content can be difficult, but informational content can help you strike a better balance.
Informational content isn’t a hard sell, but it informs the viewer about the product or service you offer. informative content seeks to help the viewer by providing legitimately useful information in their day to day. This is something that big brands like L’Oréal Paris do well.
l’oréal paris uses its tiktok account to show users how to best apply their beauty products. users get a quick tutorial on how to best apply mascara and skin care products. These short videos are usually produced by influencers and aim to build trust and engagement among users.
You can do the same by producing informative content that resonates with your brand. For example, if you work with a health and wellness business, you might post a series of informative content that shares self-care tips like practicing daily hygiene, exercising regularly, and getting a good night’s sleep.
You can also use live streaming to answer user questions and show people using your product or service in real life.
7. live streaming
tiktok recently enhanced its live streaming service to allow content creators to go live with multiple guests and increase moderation options. This means that going live is a great way to build your brand while maintaining control over the conversation that happens during your live stream.
When planning a live stream, avoid selling or talking about your product without explaining its relevance to users’ lives. Hard pitches on tiktok are just as obnoxious as door-to-door salespeople in the real world, and nothing will turn users off faster than a live stream where you talk at length about your business.
instead, follow the same steps you use when promoting informational content. Bring influencers who use your product to the live stream and ask them to show users how to use your company’s services. Schedule live streams at the same time and day each week to capture repeat viewers and build buzz on your tiktok account.
8. interact with your community to grow your tiktok account
Encouraging higher levels of engagement can improve tiktok reach on your account and send more users to your point of sale. this is a great way to improve your business results while creating better brand awareness.
Start by evaluating your current engagement rate. read our post on how to calculate your social media engagement rate for more details, but the most popular way to measure engagement is:
average engagement rates are between 1 and 2%. While the higher end of that engagement rate is reserved for celebrities, you can still increase your engagement over time by engaging with users using the Q&A feature.
In addition to the Q&A feature, you can generate engagement by responding to comments and interacting with other users. try to align yourself with brands that share the same target audience as you and participate in trends together. You can, for example, communicate with marketing teams at other companies and coordinate a series of shared content that builds your profile and helps you reach new users.
further reading: try these 15 tiktok challenges to drive engagement in 2023!
9. collaborate with influencers
influencers can take your tiktok content to new heights and make sure your brand appeals to tiktok’s largest user base: generation z.
When choosing an influencer, make sure you find someone with a proven track record of posting success. identify some potential influencers based on your analytics data, the demographics they represent, and the subculture they connect with.
Next, dive into each candidate’s background and make sure they align with your overall brand values and vision. partnering with an influencer who has a shady past will ruin your brand image and drive users away from your page.
You don’t have to work with the same influencer every month. Expand your reach by partnering with influencers who work with different subcultures and track the source of traffic to your page. You might be surprised, for example, to learn that the “witchtok” subculture is more interested in your business than other subcultures.
When working with influencers, give them creative control over messaging. influencers know the platform better than any marketing agency and are native tiktok users. this means they have an insider’s view of their target audience and can produce content that draws users to your profile.
further reading: tiktok influencer marketing: the complete guide to getting started
conclusion on how to grow your tiktok account
marketing on tiktok can be a real challenge. TikTok users don’t play by the same rules, and the algorithm pushes niche content to users who have specific interests in the subcultures that exist online.
You can grow your tiktok account by using analytics to identify trends, sounds, and hashtags that align with your overall brand image and marketing strategy. Evaluate the effectiveness of these trends and adjust your current content to reflect your findings.
You can promote greater reach and engagement by partnering with influencers and producing informative content that adds value to the lives of your audience. Informational content shouldn’t be a hard sell, but it should show viewers how to use your particular product or service. this can create quite a buzz on your page and ensure that many users tune in to your live stream.
author biography
jori hamilton is a freelance writer from the Pacific Northwest who focuses on marketing, social selling and the future of work.
hero photo by solen feyissa on unsplash
frequently asked questions on how to grow your tiktok account
