How to Use TikTok to Grow Your Business

TikTok is a video-sharing app and social media platform that allows users to create, watch, and share short-form videos. It was launched in September 2016, and it currently has more than one billion active users. Young people and teenagers make up a large portion of TikTok users. However, if you think TikTok is simply a platform for Generation Z, think again.

Businesses of all sizes can get their products and services discovered by new prospects on TikTok. Here is how to use it to promote and grow your business.

Use the Right Hashtags

Hashtags are phrases or words preceded by the pound symbol. They make it easier to discover videos with a theme or specific content. TikTok hashtags are an effective marketing tool because they boost the reach of your posts and allow your business to show up to new audiences.

TikTok allows businesses to create branded hashtag challenges. These hashtags can be related to your brand's slogan, products, or services. When you are creating branded hashtags, ensure that they are simple, memorable, and centered around an issue that TikTok users will be excited about.

Consider hashtags that:

• Encourage engagement

• Play off an emotion

• Incite urgency

• Ask questions

Curate User-generated Content

User-generated content (UGC) is when your brand loyalists and customers create praise-filled videos on TikTok, such as product unboxing videos. This is important because potential customers prefer to see people like them interacting with a product.

So how do you get your audience to create more UGC content for you? You can add your TikTok username to packaging or receipts with a little reminder to post on TikTok and tag you. If you have a physical location for your business, you can have signage or even selfie stations set up to encourage people to take photos and tag you. You can also offer giveaways or run contests with UGC as the entry requirement.

Use the Platform's Ads

TikTok offers plenty of options to market on the platform. To create a TikTok ad, you'll need to set a budget and choose your objective. Some of the ads that you can create include:

• Video Ads: You can embed a video advertisement that will auto-play within a user's feed. The video can be anywhere between 5 to 60 seconds long and has a clickable CTA button that can drive traffic to your website or app.

• Spark Ads: This TikTok feature allows businesses to boost the videos of creators or their own organic posts as In-Feed Ads or TopView. Therefore, if you want to create a Spark Ad, you must use content that is already published on the app. Spark Ads are effective because they don't look like ads at first glance.

• Carousel Ads: You can use this ad format to share unique captions and up to 10 images in a single ad. For instance, you can combine link copy sections, headlines, video posts, and cards to achieve higher conversions. As a result, you will be able to promote several products, tell a story, or showcase your brand's uniqueness without paying for multiple ads.

• TopView Ads: TopView ads appear at the top of the 'For You' page when you first open the TikTok app. You can use these ads to capture a user's attention by including engaging narrative, sound design, and a CTA.

• Branded Effects: This feature allows your business to create an ad with its custom filter on TikTok. These filters include Green Screen effects, Interactive effects, and World AR filters.

Start Leveraging TikTok

With the average user opening the TikTok app more than eight times a day, the platform is a goldmine for businesses that want to expand their market. For instance, your business can promote products and services to diverse audiences through TikTok. The app is also an excellent way to encourage engagement and boost interactions with your brand. Contact us for more information.