With 689 million monthly followers worldwide, 100 million followers in Europe, and almost one in five internet followers worldwide using the platform, TiKTok is more than just a newcomer. He’s the new kid on the block, very popular, and breaking all records. But like other social media platforms, many companies are lagging when it comes to growing their audience and making the most of everything TikTok has to offer.
So if you are looking for an upgrade to grow your followers on TikTok without having to spend a dime on paid advertising, then this article is for you.
WHAT IS THE PURPOSE?
On TikTok, your brand’s main goal is to get your content to your audience’s “For You” page. The For You page is the platform’s main source of content, but it doesn’t look like a typical social media feed. It is a curated and highly personalized feed that is unique to each follower. Using a powerful algorithm, followers are shown content based on their individual preferences, including what they have already seen, liked, and shared, as well as the creators and accounts they follow.
There are still ways to discover your account and content on TikTok even if they don’t make it to the For You page: For example, there’s a search bar where followers can search for your account, your feed subscriptions, and Discover can search section (more on that later).
But how can you access this important site and grow your audience on the world’s most dynamic platform? Here are 5 tips to help you with your approach.
1. KNOW YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE:
Contrary to popular belief, TikTok’s follower base is not limited to Generation Z. In fact, according to the platform itself, 67% of followers are over 25 years old and TikTok prides itself on not “dividing” different groups, explaining “On TikTok, the sentiment transcends a generation.
However, as with any social media platform, what works for one demographic may not work for another. Therefore, it is important to define your target group from the start. What does your ideal customer or consumer look like? What are their interests? What YouTubers, trends, and topics are they likely to engage with?
Find out what content these followers need and personalize your content with that in mind. Ryanair does this brilliantly on TikTok, using humor and Gen Z language to engage with potential customers and highlight the benefits of its services in a light-hearted and organic way.
It’s also worth noting that while your goal is to get more followers, you also want to make sure they are the right followers for you (e.g. Are they interested in your brand? Are they… .Are they ready to buy your products or services?). Instead of focusing on your follower count, keep your overall brand goal in mind and use TikTok primarily as a marketing tool to achieve that goal.
2. USE TRENDS AND APPLY CHALLENGES:
TikTok is known for its diverse and sometimes even surprising creative trends and challenges, and leveraging them is a surefire way to increase your brand’s visibility and awareness.
HOW TO FIND DIFFICULT SOUNDS AND HASHTAGS ON TIKTOK:
Go to the “Discover” section of the app and you will see a list of the most popular sounds, hashtags, and effects. Click on any of these popular items to view popular videos created with that sound, hashtag, or effect. For Sounds, click the “Use this sound” icon to record your TikTok with a popular sound. To further expand your reach, don’t forget to use related hashtags!
Although you may be tempted to adopt every trend you find when you first use the platform, make sure you only use trends that are relevant to your brand and that you can add value to with your personal touch. Take the opportunity to show your personality, be creative, and engage with your followers rather than following trends for the sake of trends. If one thing is certain about this generation of digital natives, it’s that they will spot irrelevant, inorganic, high-volume TikTok from a mile away and will almost certainly ignore it.
3. ADVERTISE ON OTHER CHANNELS:
If you’re thinking about getting started with TikTok, you probably already have some knowledge or experience using other, more “traditional” social media platforms. If you do this, you will likely build an existing community or brand presence on these platforms. So why not make the most of it?
While you may want to have a separate social media strategy for TikTok (this is a good practice, especially because it’s different from other platforms), it’s also a good idea to let people know what you’re doing on TikTok. Share some of your content on other channels or simply share your account details and let your followers know where they can find you. This can give your TikTok a much-needed start.
If you’re short on time and money (maybe you’re just a social media person), recycling and reusing TikTok videos on other platforms like Instagram Reels is also an option. Remember to remove the TikTok watermark or, better yet, store your content externally before uploading it to Reels and TikTok separately to avoid punishment from the Instagram algorithm.
4. COLLABORATION WITH OTHER CREATORS:
Connecting with other creators increases your engagement and can increase brand awareness in other TikTok communities. The platform has made it very easy to connect with other creators through the Duet and Stitch features.
5. Be Consistent and Persistent:
Just like you want to grow your audience on other platforms, if you want your brand to be successful on TikTok, you need to continue appearing there and growing your presence. The more you interact and create interesting (and popular) content, the more likely you are to appear on For You followers’ pages.
Don’t be discouraged if you don’t build a large following right away. Although TikTok can go viral overnight, you shouldn’t focus on it. Persistence in creating quality content, experimenting with new trends, features, and creative formats, and staying true to your brand values and personality are the most important elements for TikTok’s success.
Remember that the end goal is not the number of followers, but rather finding the right followers who will help you achieve your brand’s larger goals.
Keep your social media knowledge on TIK TOK…
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