You may know TikTok as a platform for creating dance and lip-syncing videos, but since its launch in 2018, it has quickly become one of the most influential social media platforms, skyrocketing creators and products to fame in short periods of time. Facebook and Instagram have been quick to jump on the bandwagon with the addition of Reels to their platforms, but TikTok remains king of viral, short-form video content.
I am a social media content creator at KWSM and I have spent years creating video content for a variety of clients across many industries. Out of all of the video-sharing platforms, I am most impressed with the results that TikTok has yielded for the small businesses I work with. Compared to Instagram and Facebook, TikTok is unique because even the smallest accounts can go viral.
How Does TikTok Work?
If you’re not familiar with the landscape of TikTok, let me catch you up to speed. TikTok is a short-form video-hosting social media platform. The app feeds its users an endless number of video content through its “For You” Page. This page uses an algorithm to feed the user content based on their past activity and interests, displaying videos one at a time. When a video is first published, it is pushed out to a small group of people, and based on its engagement, it may be pushed to a larger group with similar interests, and rinse and repeat.
This algorithm gives small businesses the chance to get their products in front of a larger audience, and with the addition of TikTok’’s Creator Marketplace, it’s more convenient than ever. That’s not to say that every business belongs on TikTok, though.
How To Know if TikTok is Right for Your Business?
- Ask yourself “What am I selling?” Are you selling a product or a service? If you’re selling a product, the short answer is most likely yes: TikTok is the right place for your business. If you’re selling a service, that requires a bit more thinking. What kind of service are you selling? Is your service very niche or exclusive? Will you be able to sell your service to your audience in an entertaining and captivating way? Is your audience demographic on TikTok?
- Consider your brand voice. Does your brand voice allow you to showcase a fun/light-hearted side to your audience? Most people flock to TikTok for an escape. They want to be entertained. This means you need to be game for jumping on the trends, whether it’s a trending sound, song, or template there are ways to reap the benefits (more views) of participating in trends without sacrificing the integrity of your brand.
- Are you willing to dedicate time to learning how to edit videos on TikTok and how to utilize the features it prioritizes in its algorithm? With any new thing comes a learning curve, but practice makes perfect. If you can dedicate just a little bit of your time to learning how to splice videos in TikTok, how to add voice-overs, and you stay on top of the trends, you will be a pro in no time. Don’t be intimidated – it’s really not as scary as it seems!
How To Market Professional Services on TikTok
Of course, there are ways around the fun/light-hearted content. People come to TikTok for an escape, but they stay because it adds value to their life. There is a ton of educational content on TikTok, from health advice to life hacks to science. You name it and it’s on TikTok! If you are a law firm, maybe you take a more serious approach to your videos and offer legal education. You can dress it up with text, stock footage, and talking directly to the camera. There are many ways to approach TikTok and find a style of content that is right for your business, but it all comes down to your personal comfort level and how you want to portray your business.
Case study: As a content creator I have helped many clients market their professional services on TikTok. One of these clients is a marine management services company that has been in business for over 20 years. They came to KWSM with the goal of improving employee retention and recruitment.
Our strategy team suggested that they get on TikTok with the goal of employer branding to attract new talent. Our video team headed out to the Gulf Coast to do a video shoot and interviewed 10 employees. From that footage, we have been able to create 40 (and counting) short-form videos about what it’s like to work for the company. What makes TikTok stand out for this client is that we started with zero followers, and we have been able to get their platform in front of people who have engaged with the content and then filled out a job application on their website.
How To Create Success for Your Business on TikTok
If you own a business, chances are TikTok is an excellent platform to market your product or services on. As we touched on earlier, people use social media for entertainment. You only have a few seconds to catch someone’s attention before they scroll to the next video. Learning to tell your brand’s story in a captivating way and following TikTok’s best practices (using trending sounds, features, and hashtags) will get you results.
Like any social media platform, the TikTok algorithm loves consistency. You should be posting at least 3 times a week. TikTok wants to keep people on their app for longer, so they’re going to reward those who are consistently posting content. An easy way to keep yourself on track is to set aside a few hours a week to create a week’s worth of video content and copy.
If this all sounds great to you, but you don’t have the bandwidth to create video content or you just don’t know where to start, KWSM has an in-house video team that can help bring your brand’s story to life and generate the results you’ve been looking for. Fill out the contact form below to speak with someone on our team about your business needs.
