Today Seed is sharing six tips to help your company adapt to TikTok, as well as some key takeaways we’ve learned in the process of creating video content for a client.
The digital world is always changing, so companies must adapt to keep up. TikTok (maybe you’ve heard of it?) is the latest major social platform. It hosts a world of digital creators, from dance challenges to amusing quotable videos that may remind some readers of the greatly missed “Vine”.
Here’s where it gets a little tricky. The platform was clearly not inherently designed or really intended for companies and organizations. But guess what? Neither was Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. We’re sharing our Top six tips to get your brand or company up and running on TikTok.
1. Walk Before You Run
You’ve created your account and added a profile pic, now what? Time to post your first video. You can record in-app or select existing videos on your device. TikTok also has an extensive library of audio tracks, stickers, and simplified ways to add text overlays. While you don’t need to be a professional editor to post content, you might be quick to realize that a lot more work goes into successful or popular posts than you would think at first glance.
Tip: Start with simple videos and be prepared to learn as you go.
Much like the familiar Instagram model, when building your post you’ll add and edit music as well as adjusting color and timing out when your text, stickers, and/or buttons. The interface is pretty intuitive to most users already on a social video platform.
2. Placement
You will quickly see that TikTok has a few guidelines for what can go where, but it is largely unrestricted. There are some obvious assumptions here, don’t write a paragraph of text, don’t cover people’s faces with your add ons, etc. But one thing that should be considered is that TikTok is a full screen video; so watch out for the native interface. Begin by watching other users content to see what could be in danger of being covered.
Tip: Make sure your content can be seen and read.
3. Audio
Here’s where a business account is put at a MAJOR disadvantage for reaching the top page. TikTok’s audio library is vast and current, however, business accounts can only use the approved commercial tracks. So if you see a trend you’d like to jump on, chances are you’ll need to find a similar track or create your own. We should note here as well that once you have created your final post, be sure to check the “Download to device” box. This will add TikTok watermarks to your video, but you will need them to legally post the video anywhere other than TikTok.
Tip: As a business, you will not have the rights to use popular or copyrighted songs.
4. Save Your Drafts
Since in most cases you’ll be creating and building all of your content in TikTok, it has integrated a “Draft” button beside the “Post” button that will save your work in progress to your main folder that you can come back to. But be very careful determining what should be built in TikTok or be built and approved in your favorite non-linear editor. Drafts are not shared across single accounts but are instead saved on the device. Which means the creator is the only person who can edit and post (natively in the app).
Tip: When possible, go through as much of the editing and approval process before it is imported into TikTok. (Don’t worry you can thank us later)
5. Tagging & Posting
You did it! Writing the captions and determining the hashtags is very similar to any other social platform. TikTok does have a powerful and well designed hashtag search engine on the bottom menu. But remember to speak to your target market and not get lost in the clutter of popular hashtags used by the platforms top creators.
Tip: Keep the app demographics in mind and check them frequently for shifts in the audience.
6. Engage
If you spend much time on the platform you’ll realize that a lot of the content is challenge rebuttals or copying the latest trends. After you’ve gained a small audience, be sure to engage with them in a challenge or “duet” post. Following trends that you can recreate will be invaluable to your business, but being the creator of the copied content will set you apart.
Tip: It’s harder to be found without a direct search, so make sure you are engaging your followers and encourage them to issue your challenges or share your content with their peers.
As we mentioned earlier, after gaining some experience with TikTok, you will quickly see the places the platform could improve its interface to accompany business; and they will. Like it’s predecessors, TikTok will adapt to position itself with more sponsored content (likely provided by companies like yours) to continue the growth and revenue of the platform.
Getting in early and building your user base now could put you in a great position when/if the demographics shift or TikTok starts making business-centric changes. Now for the easy button; Seed Factory will do it for you! We’ve put hours upon hours of research into the TikTok platform as well as running and creating content for some of our clients’ accounts. Creating content can be time-consuming and the well can quickly run dry. At Seed Factory, we are here to help from content ideas to execution and helping to bring your company into the new age of TikTok.
If your company wants to get a head start on TikTok, we’d love to hear from you. Give us a call at 404-996-4041 to schedule a social-distanced meeting over coffee or shoot us an old fashioned email at grow@seedatl.com
