If you haven’t heard, TikTok – a video-sharing social network – is huge. As of early 2021, it has 689 million global active users. TikTok isn’t the biggest yet, but it’s one of the fastest growing platforms.

Because of its sheer size and active userbase, TikTok shows a strong potential to promote a business. Here are a few TikTok tips to help you go about it.

Grab people’s attention

Here’s the most crucial of all TikTok tips here: Capture people’s attention during the first 2-3 three seconds of your video. Otherwise, you’ll lose them right away.

Why? Because people generally move quickly through the TikTok feed, so you need something eye-catching to make your audience pause and hear you out.

Otherwise, they’ll just continue browsing until something attracts them.

Follow the Discover page trends

TikTok has a Discover page that shows what’s currently viral on the platform. Lean into the different trends shown on the page, specifically the songs.

Even if a trending song doesn’t make sense for your video, you can still add it and move its volume to zero. This technique may help extend your video’s views and reach on TikTok.

Make videos at the right length

When creating content to promote a business, don’t go for the 60-second maximum video length. Aim for a duration of 11 to 15 seconds and not shorter than 10 seconds. This is the effectiveness sweet spot.

As for type of content, provide value by making quick and punchy tips that you can nail down in 15 seconds. If you have content that’ll take longer to explain, break it up into smaller pieces.

In terms of TikTok tips, this is essential: Instead of having one long piece of content that’s a minute long, it’s better to have four installments that are only 15 seconds short.

Experiment with your content

Different types of content work for different channels. What clicked for a similar TikTok channel might not necessarily succeed with yours, so try different types of videos and see what works.

Ultimately, you want to lean into what your viewers are enjoying. What gets you the most views? The most likes? The most comments? When you have enough data, rinse and repeat.

Create videos in vertical format

TikTok is a vertical video platform, which means its portrait-oriented videos are best viewed on a smartphone. The easiest way to produce these videos is to use the TikTok app to record your videos.

This is more effective than recording videos with your phone, then uploading it into TikTok. Apparently, videos will have a better visibility to promote a business when recorded natively in TikTok.

Optimise your profile

Make sure you upload a suitable headshot and videos, and put in a bio with links to your social media accounts (e.g. Instagram, YouTube).

Essentially, you need to populate your profile with all the fields that TikTok provides so that your profile is fully optimised and you’re leveraging all the features that you can.

Use the hashtag #learnontiktok

TikTok is becoming a destination site for more educational content. Since you’re an expert on your own type of business, you can start making this type of content to educate your audience about your industry and services.

And when you do this, use #learnontiktok and at least four more relevant hashtags to get more easily found on the network.

Follow the right people and be active

The “right” people to follow on TikTok will depend on you and your business.

Maybe it’s the influencers who fit your personality, the people in your industry, the content creators you want to emulate, or simply the accounts that inspire you.

Make sure you also like their content and leave some comments. If they engage with your content, engage with them as well by replying to every comment.

By engaging with your TikTok community at large, you’ll be able to grow your following and reach there. At the same time, you’ll also be able to promote your business.

Don’t overthink it

Don’t wait; The best time to get into TikTok is today. Just start making videos and test different types of content.

TikTok is like Twitter, where you’re publishing your thoughts in real time, except it’s in video. Create your content on the fly and you’ll eventually see some traction.

Be yourself

Show your natural personality when making a TikTok video; that’s what will appeal to your audience. Talk to the camera as if there’s a person standing there conversing with you.

For your video to come out smooth, natural, and authentic, visualise the person you’re speaking to and have a relaxed chat with them.

Bonus tip: Delegate to high performers

Producing great content and growing a following at TikTok aren’t goals you can easily achieve by yourself, especially as they can take your focus away from running your business. You’ll need a team of high performers to make this happen.

Remote Workmate can help you with that. We form and manage cost-effective, high-performing virtual teams, so you can focus on what you do best. We do this by:

1. Evaluating applicants via a gauntlet of exams.
2. Endorsing to you the best ones.

You simply interview the candidates and ultimately choose your Workmate.