How to use TikTok for business in 10 steps.
You’ve got the why, but what about the how? TikTok is a bit different to other online platforms – but don’t fret, we’ve ten steps that’ll have people hooked on your content in no time.
1. Create your TikTok for business account.
Every journey starts somewhere, and before you get to posting you need to create your TikTok for business account. In the app, just tap the three “…” dots to the right of the Profile Page. Then, select Settings, tap Manage Account, and select Switch to Business Account. Choose the correct category, and you’re ready to begin.
2. Optimise your TikTok profile.
Optimise is a big word for a simple concept – simply put, you just want to make the most out of what you’ve got. That means choosing a username and profile image that are clear and relate to your business. For example, McDonald’s is @McDonalds on TikTok, not @McDonaldsRestaurants or @MC_DONALDS.
Try to recreate your brand as close as you can – you might not always get your first choice – and consider what people may search. Curate your bio, giving a clear look into your company (and your vibe) and use this as an opportunity to link out to other platforms – including your website or online shop.
This will be a constant work in progress, so try to regularly update your profile as your brand grows. Consider things like profile visits and impressions, consistent video thumbnails and ensure your business information is up to date.
3. Research your new audience.
Identify and research your target audience to get a sense of what might resonate. You may need to spend a few hours scrolling, reading and understanding the content your audience enjoys, the hashtags they use, and the creators they follow. You can use this information to craft your content strategy down the line.
4. Set your goals.
To get the most out of using TikTok for your business account, you should set some key performance indicators (KPIs) that reflect your goals, though try not to overburden yourself with too many metrics. Some of these could include
- Engagement rates (likes, comments, shares)
- Video views
- Follower growth/demographics
- Conversion rates
- Return on investment.
You could also look at the number of followers that convert to customers or click through links on your content. Think about what your goals are first, then set KPIs informed by those goals.
5. Outline a clear TikTok strategy.
Around the time you’re thinking about KPIs, you’ll also want to create a clear TikTok strategy. These two steps should inform each other.
This is your touchstone that advises how you intend to use TikTok to achieve your goals, and it should outline each phase of the plan. Are you building your brand image? Are you using the content to reach audiences, or as a sales funnel? How will you measure your performance?
Learn more about building a social media strategy with Adobe Express to help share your vision with your team.
6. Create on-brand content.
With a clear TikTok strategy for your business, it’s time to create some on-brand content. Focus on generating video ideas that relate to your brand’s features, imagery and tone of voice. You could react to emerging trends here, even if they’re outside the scope of your initial content plan but think before you do.
You can use a range of free TikTok templates to help you find inspiration and get started creating your own TikTok videos.
Finish off with a creative caption to engage your audience and encourage commenting. Remember, hashtags can help you target your audience too, so #dontforget.
7. Schedule your posts.
Keep your TikTok perfectly timed by scheduling your posts when your audience is most active. By posting at the right time, you get the most eyes on your video – but peak time for your target audience can vary.
Try to use a test and learn approach to see what times get the most impressions – and do your research. Pay attention to when competitors post, and when your audience is most active.
Get content out on time every time with the Adobe Express Content Scheduler.
8. Look for paid opportunities with TikTok ads.
TikTok ads can be a great opportunity for your business to get advertisements into people’s feeds. This could be through a sponsored video, in-feed videos, or a hashtag challenge from your brand.
TikTok ads can be a good way to grow your follower count, spread a bit of brand awareness, or try to boost sales. With TikTok, you can target demographics, interests and even in-app behaviours – basically, you can precisely target who you want to target.
With detailed analytics and reporting, as well as budget setting, you can assess your ad campaign in real time enabling you to make choices, fast. To get started, just be sure to create a TikTok Ads Manager Account .
9. Engage with your followers.
Social media means the ability to interact and engage with your followers. Depending on your brand, that could be anything from helping with a query, to riffing on them or joining in on jokes in the comments. You can even do video content in response to people’s comments and video replies, or create hashtag challenges based on relevant viral content.
Engaging with your followers means you can create a dialogue with them. Not only can this be a lot of fun for both parties, but it can also help you build loyalty among your customer base.
TikTok provides a range of analytical tools for your business to use. These can help inform your strategies in the moment, but also in the future. With everything from impressions and click rates to watch time and conversions at your fingertips, you can get a strong sense of your content’s impact. Work out what worked, what didn’t, and who was interested – then inform your future strategies from there.
