One of the newer social media platforms on the scene, tiktok, is all about creating short and engaging viral video content. but for brands just starting out, it seems like it can take a long time to build a healthy following.
To help you boost your profile and get more followers on tiktok, we’ve put together 11 handy tips.
let’s get started.
1. identify your target audience
The first step to increasing your following on any social channel is to make sure you know who to target with your content and that you are creating content that your target audience will enjoy.
there are a few ways to do this to grow your tiktok following.
First, consider taking a look at the competitors and influencers in your industry. what kind of content are they posting? take notes on the most popular videos and use them to generate your own unique ideas.
Next, think about the types of content you’ve been posting to your other sources. while the content you post on tiktok is likely to be very different, you can still identify some common trends and types of content or ideas that you know will do well.
Lastly, just take a minute to review your customer profile again and remind yourself of your likes and dislikes. what would you like to see on a platform like tiktok?
Keep in mind that it’s all trial and error, especially with a new, virus-driven network like tiktok. You can try a million different types of videos before you find the one that really resonates with your audience. (However, making sure you have a good understanding of your target audience can help you make sure it’s a lot less than a million, maybe like five or six.)
2. pay attention to trends
trending is a big thing on tiktok. If you’ve looked at the platform before, you’ve likely noticed that some videos follow very similar schemes or use the same sound clip. This is because that type of video is all the rage, proving its popularity. try to create a similar video that makes sense for your business and tap into relevant tiktok trends.
Go to your app’s discover page to see what hashtags and sound clips are trending for inspiration on what you can use in your own feed.
as you can see in the screenshot above, two trending hashtags that might work for certain businesses are #gymtok (perfect for gyms and fitness brands) and #learnhow (perfect for brands sharing step-by-step tutorials and videos ).
3. create a tiktok challenge
one of the things that tiktok is famous for is its various video challenges, be it dances, challenges, etc. As you scroll through the videos in the app, you’ll likely run into a few different challenges. see if any would work for your brand or consider creating your own tiktok challenge.
that’s exactly what moonpie did here, with the #moonpiechallenge. they introduced him with the first video of him on tiktok and followed up with a couple more challenge videos.
this was one of their most popular videos, as well as a great introduction to their brand presence in the app.
4. include the correct hashtags
Just like on Instagram, Twitter, and many other social media platforms, hashtags help users find your content. but it’s important to make sure you’re using the right hashtags.
One practice we see a lot of people do is simply tag all the trending hashtags in their captions. however, don’t do this unless those hashtags are actually relevant to what you’re posting. otherwise it looks like spam.
instead, start typing relevant hashtags when creating your caption to see how many views those hashtags get. and don’t forget to include the ever-popular hashtags #fyp or #foryou, which are popularly used in an attempt to get on the page for you. while the effect of these hashtags on placement hasn’t been confirmed, their widespread use can still expand the reach of your content.
5. post tiktok videos at the right times
It’s important to find the best time to post on tiktok to see the most reach on your videos. you can find this information by going to your business or creation tools and looking at your analytics.
in the followers tab, scroll down to find follower activity. Here you can see what days and hours your followers are most active. try publishing your posts just before the most popular time for that day to see the best results.
It’s also a good idea to keep track of when you’ve posted content so you can test different times to determine what works best for your brand.
6. share user generated content
If people mention your brand on tiktok or share videos that are highly relevant to your industry, ask if you can share that video too. (While giving them full credit, you can of course tag the original creator in the caption.)
This is a great example of user-generated content from the sill online plant store. have shared a video of a new customer unpacking one of their plants.
This is a great way to get the word out about your service, show off satisfied customers, and give people an idea of what to expect when they order from them.
7. work with tiktok influencers
influencer marketing is a great tactic on instagram, but this extends to tiktok as well. With so many “tiktok famous” users, working with influencers can be a great way to get the word out about your business.
here is an example from tiktok star kat stickler. She recreated Elle Woods’ iconic Harvard video app as a sponsored post for the Beekman 1802 skincare line.
this is a great way for beekman 1802 to reach an even larger audience because anyone who follows kat is likely to see this video and possibly make a purchase from this brand.
Keep in mind that working with tiktok influencers has its own costs. Depending on your marketing budget, you may want to look for micro-influencers with a highly engaged audience on tiktok to start your influencer marketing company.
8. cross promote your tiktok videos
spread the word that you are on tiktok. Your followers on other channels may not know that you created a tiktok profile, so it’s a good idea to cross-promote your videos on other channels.
Other platforms like Instagram and YouTube offer their own versions of short-form video content, giving you the perfect place to repurpose content created for tiktok videos. on some platforms like twitter and instagram (feed videos), you can save videos from your tiktok feed with the tiktok logo and your handle in the corner of the screen, then upload them as is, giving your followers an easy way to learn how to do it. to find you on tiktok.
Some platforms have some restrictions to promote original content over repurposed tiktok videos. Instagram Reels does not allow reposted watermarked videos, so you will need to upload the original short video or edit it accordingly. youtube shorts allow tiktok watermarked videos, but cannot be monetized.
9. use tiktok features to engage your audience
If you want to get more attention on your tiktok profile, one of the best ways to do it is to interact with other videos. like, comment and join/duet other users’ videos.
joining allows you to add your own video to the end of another user’s video clip. this is perfect for adding your own comment or additional content to an existing video.
the duet places their video next to other users’ videos so you can react to or supplement an existing video with your own content.
make sure you have stitch or duet videos that are highly relevant to your brand. otherwise, just like and comment on the videos your target audience creates to grab their attention.
10. use ctas at the end of your videos
another cool way to get more followers on tiktok? question!
try to finish your videos with contacts to visit your profile, see similar videos or follow you. you can do this by adding a simple text tag towards the end of your video, as we see in this example from visme.
While doing this on every video you post can leave a bad taste in your existing followers’ mouths, no one will care if the occasional video has a call-to-action to follow your content.
The best time to use this tactic is when you’re creating a video series or posting a multi-part video. just add a text tag that says something like “follow us for part 2!”
11. try tiktok ads
our last tip is to simply try putting some of your marketing ad budget behind promoting your tiktok videos. this is the perfect approach when you’re just getting started so that you have an initial foundation to measure what works and what doesn’t for your next videos.
There are a few different types of tiktok ads you can try, but for this purpose, brand acquisition or in-feed ads will be your best bet. however, these require their own video content, so start thinking of some engaging videos that will get your target audience interested in following you.
get more followers on tiktok today
Are you excited to start implementing some of these tactics? Start by gathering inspiration from other brands on tiktok and what works for them. tiktok can be a great way to build brand awareness and revenue, so don’t sleep on this platform.
