Leveraging TikTok for Business Growth

Are you curious about how TikTok can boost your business? TikTok is not just a social media fad; it’s a platform with immense potential for business growth, offering unique opportunities through its short-form video content and viral trends. Unlike traditional advertising methods, TikTok encourages creativity and engagement, making it a powerful marketing tool for businesses willing to adapt.

Know Your Audience

Understanding who makes up TikTok’s audience is crucial. TikTok’s primary users are Gen Z and millennials. These groups value genuine, creative, and entertaining content. Unlike older generations, they are drawn to authenticity rather than corporate polish. They appreciate brands that are relatable and engaging and are quick to scroll past content that feels forced or overly commercial.

Research from the Pew Research Center shows that Gen Z and millennials are heavy social media users, with over 60% of teens (ages 13-17) using TikTok. They spend a considerable amount of time on the app, making it an ideal platform for brands to reach a young and engaged audience. To tap into this, you should create content that resonates with their preferences.

Understanding the Platform’s Culture

TikTok’s culture is different from other social media platforms. It thrives on trends and challenges. Virality on TikTok often comes from users participating in these trends, and the Discover page helps users see what’s popular. To succeed, businesses must integrate into the platform’s culture rather than trying to impose traditional advertising methods.

Tailoring Content

Authenticity

Tailoring your content means focusing on authenticity, creativity, and entertainment. Users on TikTok can quickly detect inauthentic content. A home-services company, for instance, might show behind-the-scenes videos of their workers solving common problems or provide quick DIY tips to build trust with viewers.

Creativity

Creativity is another key. TikTok’s format allows you to be inventive with your videos. Law firms, for example, could use short skits to explain complex legal matters in a fun and understandable way. Medical practices might use time-lapses to show procedures with informative text overlays.

Entertainment

Entertainment is a significant draw on TikTok. An HVAC company might showcase funny before-and-after clips of their projects or create light-hearted ‘day in the life’ videos of their technicians. The more entertaining your content, the more likely it will be shared, spreading your brand’s reach.

Research Trends and Hashtags

Staying updated with trends and hashtags in your niche is essential for reaching your target audience. TikTok’s trends can change rapidly, often within days or weeks. Businesses should keep an eye on what’s trending by regularly exploring the Discover page and examining what competitors are doing.

Tools like TikTok’s Creative Center can help you see what’s trending globally and in your specific industry. For instance, electricians might find that #DIYhacks or #HomeRenovation are popular tags that align with their services. By creating content around these trends, you can increase your chances of going viral.

Using hashtags relevant to your niche will also ensure your content reaches the right people. A medical practice might use tags like #HealthTips or #WellnessWednesday to attract an audience interested in health and wellness. Analyzing which hashtags perform well can offer insight into what content your audience enjoys.

Practical Tips for Businesses

Balance Trends and Brand Voice

Following TikTok’s unique trends doesn’t mean abandoning your brand’s voice. Find a balance between participating in trends and maintaining your brand’s identity. For instance, a roofing company could hop on a trending sound byte by showing a fast-paced series of their roofing projects, while keeping their brand’s professionalism intact.

Engage with Your Audience

Engage with your audience by responding to comments and participating in challenges. Interaction demonstrates that your brand values its followers, fostering a loyal community. Businesses that engage on a personal level tend to see higher engagement rates.

Partner with Influencers

Consider partnering with influencers relevant to your industry. Influencers already have established trust with their audience. For example, a local attorney might collaborate with a well-known legal influencer to discuss common legal misconceptions, reaching a broader audience while building credibility.

Utilizing TikTok’s Features

Hashtags

Hashtags act as keywords that can help your content reach a broader audience. To make the most of hashtags, research trending and niche-specific tags that align with your business. For instance, a medical practice might use hashtags like #HealthTips, #MedicalAdvice, or #PatientCare to attract followers interested in health and wellness. Use a mix of popular and niche hashtags to ensure your content is both widely visible and targeted.

Effects and Filters

TikTok offers a range of effects and filters that can enhance your videos, making them more engaging. Incorporating trending sounds and effects can also help your videos feel current and relevant.

Duets and Stitching

Duets let you record your video alongside another video, perfect for reactions, collaborations, or adding commentary. Stitching allows you to use snippets of other users’ videos as part of your own content. Businesses can use these features to respond to customer testimonials, collaborate with influencers, or engage with ongoing trending conversations effectively.

Engaging, Authentic Content

Authenticity is paramount on TikTok. This platform thrives on content that feels real and genuine. For service-based businesses like HVAC companies, law firms, and medical practices, it’s important to strike a balance between authenticity and professionalism. Avoid overly polished or corporate-style content, as it tends to alienate the TikTok audience, particularly Gen Z and millennial users who value sincerity.

Leveraging trends is perhaps one of the most effective ways to boost your presence on TikTok. Viral trends and challenges are the heart of TikTok’s community. By participating in these trends, you not only join the conversation but also greatly increase your content’s visibility. However, it’s crucial to add your unique spin to these trends to stand out.

Consistency and Frequency

Posting consistently is critical to maintaining relevance on TikTok. Regular posting ensures your content remains visible to your audience and keeps your brand in their minds. Creating a content calendar can help manage your posting schedule, ensuring a steady stream of content. This organized approach allows you to plan ahead and create a balanced mix of content types including trends, educational posts, and promotional videos.

Frequent posting not only increases your visibility but also offers more opportunities to go viral. The TikTok algorithm favors active accounts, so the more you post, the better your chances of reaching a wider audience. Aim for posting at least once a day, but adjust based on your available resources and audience engagement levels.

Collaborate with Influencers

Partnering with TikTok creators can be a highly effective strategy. Influencers already have established audiences that trust their recommendations. Collaborations with these creators can help your business tap into their followers, expanding your reach and credibility. When choosing influencers, ensure their audience aligns with your target demographic. For example, a local roofing company might partner with a home improvement influencer whose followers are interested in home renovations and repairs.

Track and Measure Your Success

Tracking key performance metrics like video views, engagement rates (likes, shares, comments), and follower growth is essential to understand the impact of your TikTok efforts. Tools like TikTok Pro Analytics or third-party solutions can provide valuable insights into your content’s performance. Regularly reviewing these metrics allows you to refine your strategy, focusing on what content resonates most with your audience.

Experimentation is key to mastering TikTok’s algorithm. Testing different video formats, lengths, posting times, and types of content can help identify what works best for your business. Understanding trends, optimizing for the algorithm, and continually iterating based on performance data can significantly improve your TikTok presence.

Industry-Specific TikTok Tactics

Home Services

– DIY Tips: Show how-to videos for minor home repairs or improvement hacks. For example, a plumber could demonstrate how to fix a leaking faucet.
– Transformations: Capture before-and-after footage of completed projects using trending sounds or TikTok “photo dump” features.
– Behind-the-Scenes: Show typical workdays, prep work, or tools used, creating relatable and humanizing content.
– FAQs: Use TikTok’s question sticker feature to address common customer concerns, building trust and positioning your business as an expert.

 

Healthcare

– Health Tips: Provide tips on healthy living, symptom explanations, or improving well-being to position your practice as a trusted information source.
– Debunk Myths: Create engaging videos that debunk common health misconceptions, showcasing your commitment to accurate information.
– Success Stories: Share patient testimonials or case studies (with permission) illustrating the impact of your services.
– Facility Tours: Introduce staff, show behind-the-scenes clips, or walk people through the patient experience to build trust.

Law Firms

– Legal Questions: Answer frequently asked legal questions in brief, informative videos, establishing your firm as a reliable resource.
– Simplify Legal Concepts: Break down complex legal processes into easy-to-understand videos to build trust with potential clients.
– Case Studies: Share anonymized case studies or success stories highlighting successful client outcomes.
– Trends and Challenges: Join trending challenges with a legal twist to show a lighter, human side while staying relevant.
– Small Business Advice: Offer tips for business owners on topics like intellectual property, contracts, or partnership agreements.

Next Steps

Understanding TikTok’s potential can open new doors for service-based businesses. Starting with insights about your audience, engaging creatively through the platform’s unique culture, and leveraging its interactive features can set you apart. Monitoring trends and actively engaging with followers bolster your brand’s presence and authenticity. Analyzing performance metrics ensures you refine your strategy for better results over time.

For the next steps, consider exploring TikTok to familiarize yourself with current trends and feature sets. Allocate time for brainstorming content ideas that align with your business’s unique voice while entertaining your audience. Create a content calendar to maintain consistency and stay active on the platform. If you’re looking for guidance on how to get started or want to delve deeper into a tailored strategy for your business, reach out to Aginto, a leading digital marketing company, for a free consultation. We’re here to help you achieve your marketing goals.

You might be asking

1. How can TikTok be used to promote a business?

TikTok can be used to promote a business by creating engaging and creative content that resonates with the platform’s audience. Brands can utilize trends, hashtag challenges, and collaborate with influencers to reach a broader audience. Additionally, using TikTok Ads, such as In-Feed ads, Branded Hashtag Challenges, and Branded Effects, can amplify visibility and engagement.

2. What types of content perform best on TikTok for businesses?

Short, entertaining, and visually appealing videos tend to perform best on TikTok. Business content that is authentic, uses popular music, engages with current trends, and incorporates user-generated content can also be highly effective. Tutorials, behind-the-scenes looks, and stories that showcase brand personality are particularly engaging.

3. How often should businesses post on TikTok?

Consistency is key on TikTok. Businesses should aim to post at least 1-3 times per day to maintain visibility and engagement. However, the quality of content should not be compromised for the sake of quantity. Engaging and high-quality content is more valuable than frequent but lackluster posts.

4. Can small businesses succeed on TikTok?

Yes, small businesses can definitely succeed on TikTok. The platform’s algorithm does not solely favor accounts with large followings; content that is creative, engaging, and resonates with viewers can go viral. Small businesses can leverage TikTok’s trends and challenges to increase their visibility and reach an extensive audience without a significant budget.

5. What are some common mistakes businesses make on TikTok?

Common mistakes businesses make on TikTok include not understanding the platform’s culture, creating overly polished or corporate content, ignoring TikTok trends, and not engaging with their audience. Additionally, neglecting analytics and insights to understand what content resonates best and failing to maintain consistent posting can hinder growth and engagement.