In the last few years, TikTok has upended the social media hierarchy. With more than a billion active monthly users, the new kid on the block hasn’t just experienced rapid year-over-year growth, it has also cornered the market with the coveted 18 to 35-year-old demographic.

Savvy brands have taken notice of TikTok’s meteoric rise, quickly realizing it had the potential valuable marketing resource that, used correctly, could provide significant ROI, particularly with younger populations. 

But if you’re new to this online craze, how do you go about developing a TikTok marketing strategy that converts? 

Let’s dive right in. 

Step 1—Set Up A TikTok for Business 

Last year, TikTok opened up a business hub that lets you add more details to your profile, access user and engagement analytics, gain consumer insights, and partner with influencers.

To get started, you’ll need to:

  • Download the app
  • Sign up with your business email
  • Set up an account
  • Switch to a pro account and select Business 
  • Pick your business category
  • Link your website and contact email 

Step 2—Get to Know TikTok 

Winning on TikTok isn’t about having a perfectly curated feed like you may have with Instagram. It’s a much more organic platform that moves on the digital ebbs and flows of whatever is trending that day or week. It’s a site that rewards creativity, wit, and risk-taking.  

You have to know the community and keep a finger on the pulse to fit in. 

Step 3—See What Your Competitors Are Doing

Is your competition on TikTok? If so, what are they doing right and wrong? How can you differentiate your brand from theirs? By studying their actions and success (or lack thereof), you can start formulating a plan and setting objectives. 

Step 4—Determine the Type of Content You’ll Be Making

TikTok is more than just silly dance videos. It’s whatever you make of it. That said, you need to plan a content creation strategy that includes a mix of whatever’s trending and evergreen content. 

Generally, there are four types of content you can use to promote your business: 

  1. Videos made by your team
  2. User-generated content 
  3. Advertisements
  4. Influencer-created content  

Keep in mind that your content should always cater to your target audience. 

Step 5—Perform TikTok Hashtag Research

Hashtags help drive TikTok “SEO.” So, after you’ve determined the type of content you want to create, you can begin researching hashtags to find those most relevant to your audience. 

Generic hashtags can help you reach a broader audience but could cause your post to get lost in the milieu. 

Step 6—Start Posting

A large part of finding success on TikTok will require trial and error. You will inevitably have some posts that hit and others that flop. By creating a content schedule, regularly posting, interacting with your community, and then performing self-analysis and optimization, you can slowly grow your brand’s organic reach.  

Step 7—Take Advantage of TikTok Advertising

If you don’t want to wait to grow your audience organically, TikTok allows you to set up an ad campaign and start reaching customers instantly. There are five primary types of ad campaigns you can utilize, including: 

  1. TopView
  2. Infeed Videos
  3. Brand Takeovers
  4. Hashtag Challenges
  5. Branded Effects

Step 8—Partner with Influencers 

On TikTok, influencer marketing is one of the most effective ways to reach consumers and produce immediate ROI. When it comes to selecting the right partner, there are various factors you’ll need to consider, including:

  • Brand fit 
  • Audience size
  • Average views per post  

Semgeeks—Helping You Thrive on TikTok 

For many brands, TikTok can be an incredibly powerful tool in their marketing arsenal. It provides a powerful platform that you can use to grow organically and leverage via paid ad. 

So, how can you take your TikTok game to the next level?

As a content creation company, Semgeeks can help. Our team of marketing wizards knows what it takes to succeed not just on TikTok but on the various other social media platforms as well.  

Interested in what a partnership would look like? Let’s talk.  

 

Sources:

Marketwatch. TikTok reaches 1 billion monthly active users. https://www.marketwatch.com/story/tiktok-reaches-1-billion-monthly-active-users-11632857269

Digiday. From Takeovers to Topview ads, what it costs to advertise on TikTok. https://digiday.com/media/from-takeovers-to-topview-ads-what-it-costs-to-advertise-on-tiktok/

 

 

Seanna Nelson
Inbound Marketing Specialist