In April 2021, TikTok’s userbase grew to more than 1.1 billion, making it one of the fastest-growing applications in the world. TikTok also benefits from a highly engaged selection of fans, with the average time spent on the app each day, from each person equalling around 52 minutes.

Initially, TikTok found its fame as the go-to social platform for younger Gen Z audiences. Now, it’s grabbing the attention of users of all ages and backgrounds. Celebrities, household brands, politicians, and countless others are making their transition into the TikTok lifestyle, too.

For companies, TikTok represents an opportunity to build deeper relationships with customers, strengthen brand reputation, and unlock new possible partnerships. So, how do you leverage TikTok for businesses?

Why Use TikTok for Businesses: The Benefits

TikTok is one of the fastest-growing social media platforms in history, representing an incredible innovation in video-focused content sharing. Already, brands moving some of their social media strategy into TikTok have experienced sensational outcomes.

TikTok is now available in more than 200 countries, despite attempts to ban the application in some regions, and 89 percent of Americans recognize the TikTok brand. With TikTok for businesses, you can expand your brand reach and connect with new customers.

TikTok is growing into an increasingly versatile platform for social media marketing. The Gen Z generation, set to become one of the most valuable groups in the world, is the primary market for TikTok. These consumers are attracted to short, rapid-fire pieces of content, which offer insight into the authentic personality of a brand. While almost 50% of all users on TikTok are under the age of 30, the platform is beginning to attract older users as well.

TikTok also offers an opportunity to improve brand reputation. TikTok thrives on raw, authentic content, designed to showcase the human nature of brands.

On TikTok, companies can get personable with their audience through humor, behind-the-scenes content, and unique collaborations. The NBA, for instance, embraced TikTok in its early days, and now has 12.6 million followers. Aside from behind-the-scenes shots and highlights, the account also shows off fun content, like players dancing while waiting at the playoffs.

How to Grow on TikTok As A Business

TikTok offers a fantastic opportunity for companies searching for ways to build better relationships with an (often younger) target audience. Compared to other social channels, TikTok for businesses also provides a relatively level playing field for going value. Even accounts with virtually no followers can end up on the trending page.

Of course, as a business, you can’t sit back and hope to go viral. While there are many ways to enhance your position with TikTok, the three best strategies often include working with influencers, learning from innovators, and understanding the algorithm.

1. Work With TikTok Influencers

Influencers are a big deal on TikTok. Since the majority of TikTok users are younger consumers, they’re looking for authentic connections with brands. Influencer marketing allows you to reach your customers through people they already trust, rather than prioritizing traditional advertising.

The key to success with influencer marketing via TikTok is finding the right personalities to collaborate with. A TikTok search tool will help you to track down influencers in your niche, specifically tailored to your target audience. You can also look at the TikTok discovery page for insights into the people getting the most attention in your area.

When working with TikTok influencer, remember:

• Leverage their expertise: TikTok is a fast-paced, evolving social media platform that many companies still don’t understand. Make sure you take your influencer’s advice for how to leverage the best results from your campaign. They know how to get audience attention, so learn from them!
•  Set relationship guidelines: Make sure you know what your influencer relationship entails. How many pieces of content are they going to produce for you? What kind of content do they think is relevant to your brand? How are you going to pay them?
• Focus on relevancy first: Always choose influencers that make sense according to your target audience and industry. Micro influencers can be just as valuable as macro engagement icons if you know how to leverage them properly.

When Guess partnered with influencers on an #HappyPlace campaign, they worked with fashion icons, respected by the community, to show off how you can rock your clothes at your favorite places!

2. Focus On Popular Trends, Hashtags, And Sounds

Working with influencers is just one part of achieving the best TikTok results. You should also be looking for opportunities to learn from these innovators, particularly as new trends make their way into the platform. For instance, some of the best ways to stand out on TikTok today include things like #hashtag challenges, and sounds.

At the time of writing, the most popular sounds on TikTok range from the “Love Game Remix” from Lady Gaga, to the Backyardigans “Castaways.” Sounds are a common part of any TikTok video. Your customers can search for new videos by clicking on a song, making it easier for you to rank and find new viewers. Sounds are also a fantastic way to showcase your personality.

Other trends include:

• Hashtag challenges: Hashtag challenges are one of the main things making TikTok so popular today. A challenge involves a user recording themselves doing something (often with an accompanying song). These challenges can go viral quickly, and companies can easily add their own twist to challenges to make themselves stand out.
• Filters and effects: TikTok users often rave about the effects and filters on the platform. These awesome effects can add extra appeal to your content, and help you stand out from some of your competitors. Make sure you’re paying attention to the filters most frequently appearance on the #ForYou page.
• Hashtags: Similar to Instagram and Twitter, hashtags on TikTok help users to find your content. They can also boost your chances of appearing on the #ForYou page. Adding the #ForYouPage hashtag to your video could be enough to make your content appeal to the TikTok algorithm.

3. Study The TikTok Algorithm

The most important thing you can do when it comes to using TikTok for businesses, is make sure you understand your audience. TikTok fans want agile, authentic content that shows them the true, human nature of their favorite brands. Learning how to appeal to your target audience will boost your chances of creating trending TikTok content.

However, it also helps to know how the social platform’s algorithm organizes content, too. As any marketing agency will tell you, algorithms are crucial to social success. Unfortunately, TikTok’s algorithm is still largely mysterious, as the company has been silent about how their ranking strategy works. However, there are a few general rules you can consider, such as:

• Exposure is based on the performance of every video: TikTok considers the interactions on each individual video, rather than examining your profile as a whole. This means that even if you’re just getting started on the platform, you can still skyrocket if you find the right strategy with one of your new videos.
• Engagement is crucial: TikTok decides which videos should be pushed to the For You pages by examining a lot of engagement factors, including rewatches, video completions, shares, comments, and likes. The more you can appeal to your audience with content they want to watch, re-watch, and share with others, the more your reach will grow.
• Geolocation might be crucial: According to some experts, when TikTok videos are first uploaded, it usually appears first to users in the same geographical region as the initial uploader. This could mean that TikTok is a particularly valuable investment for local companies who want to reach a nearby community.
• Video information matters: Video information is crucial when it comes to ranking on TikTok. Everything from the language you use, to the caption details, can impact who sees your content.
• Trending components help: Using trending hashtags and sounds in your videos is an excellent way to boost your presence on TikTok. Aside from increasing your chances of appearing in the “for you” section, sounds and hashtags also make it easier for users to find you in various different lists. Users can even select a sound to view all associated content.

Experimenting with the use of various strategies on TikTok should give you an insight into which ones drive the most engagement for your business.

Master TikTok For Businesses

TikTok isn’t just a trending video platform for Generation Z. This immersive and engaging platform is quickly becoming a must-have investment for any company’s social media marketing strategy. TikTok for businesses promises unlimited opportunities to engage with your audience and attract new revenue. Plus, it’s a chance to show off your company’s human side.

The more you experiment with TikTok and learn from your social media analytics, the more you can adapt your new content strategy to suit your TikTok audience.