TikTok for Businesses: A Beginner's Guide to TikTok Marketing

Everyone’s heard of it by now: TikTok. 🎶

Be it the dances that are taking over halftime performances or making Crocs cool again, the video app has been making a buzz online and in real life. By now, you're likely to encounter someone (or even yourself) scrolling TikTok at any moment!

TikTok is the newest social media platform for businesses to build and own a presence on. As of the start of 2021, the app has over 689 million active users and counting, and downloads of the app are in the billions worldwide.‌‌‌‌

It's also the latest platform to have captured the attention of Millennials and the majority of Generation Z.

49% of users in these groups report to have purchased a product or service from a brand through seeing it mentioned, advertised or promoted on the app, and 47% have said that they’ve also purchased something recommended by another TikTok user or creator.

For brands, these numbers mean that you can use social media marketing to tap into an audience who are more easily engaged, and can quickly spread awareness of your brand in the blink of an eye.

And with organic reach on the app being 21 times higher than that of Instagram or Facebook, there’s no better time than the present to make an account and start marketing your brand on TikTok.

The new kid on the block: how TikTok stands out from the rest

‌‌TikTok is all about video and audio, Users exclusively create, upload and share videos that last between thirty seconds to a minute. Needless to say, trends form fast on TikTok!

Authenticity is key to being successful on TikTok. The app serves as a global hub where folks connect with each other through relatable, genuine content and engaged conversations that sprout from comments and replies.

It's the truest moments that go viral, from skateboarding and drinking cranberry juice to Fleetwood Mac to trying kombucha for the first time.

Making content doesn’t have to be a huge production either, so small businesses don’t need to have a big budget to market and organically reach users on TikTok. Some of the most popular videos aren’t professionally shot or perfectly edited content– a welcome breath of fresh air in comparison to other social media platforms.

@rapture.mcr

Life #smallbusinesscheck #clothingbrand #entrepreneur #fyp #smallbizowner #businesstiktok

♬ original sound - sounds for slomo_bro!

Plenty of engagement from users occurs naturally on content that’s genuine and resonates with real-world experiences.

In this post, we’ll help you understand how to begin and grow your business’s TikTok account and audience. Below are some ways to start marketing your business on TikTok.

1.  Create video content that shows your business ethos in an authentic way

The more insights you can give about your services and day-to-day behind the scenes, the more personal and authentic your posts will be, which will encourage your community to participate and follow along as you post.

Your business’s content on TikTok doesn’t have to be overly produced, either. The TikTok community gravitates towards creative user-generated content like spur of the moment clips and vlogs and videos that aren’t complicated in construction.

💡 Pro Tip: Try creating and sticking with a content calendar specifically for TikTok. For example, Sundays can be Coffee Chats with the CEO, or Fridays can see you post a product showcase video.

Cosmetics company Colourpop has a series on TikTok where they share a typical work day for team members and how they interact with products, community members and more. Australian and women-owned business, Behind the Glow, also often share a similar video series where the founders document all the behind-the-scenes of their business. Video series like this make your brand more personable, relatable and transparent to your audience.

@craftingwitch

Order packing ASMR 😌 #fyp #smallbusiness #orderpacking #asmr #foryou

♬ Flowers (feat. Nori) - In Love With A Ghost

@xxl.scrunchie

Package Tia’s order with us 🥰❤️ #xxlscrunchie #handmadewithlove

♬ original sound - Diego R

2. Make your TikTok page a space to educate your customers about your products and services

‌‌Create TikToks that will present how your products and services work, so that new and returning customers can see exactly what it is that they’ll be purchasing.

Think of a variety of ways that you can demonstrate your products to your viewers, who can try out the suggestions or develop new ideas from the video examples you put forth.

Theming some TikToks to highlight specific features of your products is also a great way to have easy assets on hand if customers have questions or would like to see more of a particular product.

💡 Pro Tip: Listen to what your audience might already be saying on your other existing social media platforms, or what’s being frequently purchased or reviewed on your store site to put out well-timed content.

@noissueco

Always so satisfying to see the community use their noissue Stamps in so many different ways! Credits to @astridmoonlashes ✨ #fyp #noissuepackaging

♬ Options - Laurence Alano

@beekindwraps

When you gotta get that 🍞 but keep it fresh too #earthday #tipsandtricks #eco #bread

♬ Circus - Britney Spears

3. Engage with your audience in the comments

‌‌Responding to questions is made easy and lightning fast on TikTok, where you can actually video-respond directly to comments. This is a good way to really get up close and personal to what your audience is saying!

Engaging in comments either through text replies or using the video-reply feature will make your audience feel included, heard and valued.

Video replies can also result in new content for you to feature questions or reviews on your business’s account. Who knows– you might get some fresh ideas in the comments!

💡 Pro Tip: Engage in the comments positively, but remember to ensure that your audience’s comments and questions are addressed properly with each reply.

@essentielle.cosmetics

Reply to @bimbimonly #smallbusinessupgrade #cutegiftbox #premiumpackaging #smallbiz #asmr #asmrpackaging #fyp #foryou

♬ Dreamy Vibes - Ocean Bay Jazz

4. Hop on the trend train with rising viral sounds, hashtags and filters on TikTok

‌‌Don't forget to frequently check the app’s trending sounds and filters. Including popular music or relevant hashtags in your content will help with popping up in the app’s For You feed.

💡 Pro Tip: To see trending sounds and hashtags, tap on the Discover tab to browse through and take a look at what’s being created. In doing so, don’t feel as though you have to hop into every trend that pops up. Ask yourself what trends fit your brand’s values and overall image best.

@noissueco

Gorgeous noissue custom Foodsafe & Greaseproof Paper for Alba The Bakery! BRB - drooling 🤤 #fyp #foryou #foryoupage #noissuepackaging #food #foodie

♬ 아무노래 - ZICO

@elysebreannedesign

a lil flash sale for your Tuesday! link’s in my bio 🥰 p.s. they’re recycled paper, made in the US, & designed by me! #stationeryhaul #smallbusiness

♬ original sound - Tori & MJ

5. Include hashtags related to your brand and feature user generated content

Make sure to include hashtags related to your business in your content captions, and browse those hashtags often to see what other users are creating. There'll be plenty of inspiration for you to browse through, and possibly even great user generated content that you can feature!

💡 Pro Tip: Just like Instagram, you can also include several relevant hashtags in your caption to help with in-app search optimization.

@majorwavezz

Make sure to check them out 🙌🏽 @noissueco #fyp#foryou#customshoes#noissue#duet#tiktok#MakeMomEpic #Destinationdepop

♬ Up Beat (Married Life) - Kenyi

Wrapping it up

‌‌With so many eyes on TikTok right now, it’s a great opportunity to create engaging content for your audience.

All you need is your phone and a creative idea to reach new customers with exciting and engaging content. Experiment with establishing your business’s TikTok account and remember to have fun with it, while staying true to your business’s mission.

And don't overthink it– with these tips, TikToking will come naturally to you in no time! ✨

Try these tips out, and be sure to follow us at @noissueco to see more of us and what we get up to on TikTok!