Top Ten Tips for TikTok Video Marketing

TikTok has grown to become one of the top 10 most-used social media platforms on the planet. But it’s grown so fast that many businesses have yet to start marketing on the platform. Learn about Top Ten Tips for TikTok Video Marketing.

If you’re one of them, let us start by saying this: You need to be on TikTok.

There’s no question about it. TikTok has higher levels of engagement than Instagram and more average watch time than YouTube. Users spend more time on TikTok than on nearly every other social media platform.

But TikTok video marketing has its own set of challenges. Users have an infinite amount of content to watch, so they’re not afraid to scroll past yours in just a few seconds.

So, how do you snag the attention of your audience and keep it throughout your video? And how do you transform viewers into customers?

Follow these tips to hone your TikTok video marketing skills.

1. Keep it short

Good news! You don’t need to produce a 10-minute video to get high engagement on TikTok. The most successful videos are 21-34 seconds long.

However, that doesn’t mean creating short videos is easy. No matter how short your video is, you still need to hook the viewer, provide value (entertainment, challenge, etc.), and make your pitch.

That’s why our next tip urges you to…

2. Get to the point

Your viewers have infinite content to browse, so they aren’t going to invest time in your ad if they don’t see value immediately. You need to deliver the value upfront.

This DOES NOT mean pitching your product right away. It means giving the viewer what they want so that they continue to watch the video. This is called “hooking” the viewer. You can do this by:

1. Delivering entertainment immediately (by starting the video with an adorable cat.) Check out these scientific reasons why humans find cats so cute
2. Telling the viewer what they will get (“Mind blown…watch to the end!”)
3. Giving an incentive (like a link to a coupon)

3. Be dynamic

Static images and sounds don’t hook viewers or keep them engaged. Movement, color, music, and emotion provide the instant gratification that TikTok users are looking for.

Luckily, TikTok provides a lot of resources for your content creation team within the app itself. But as a business, you want to deliver next-level quality to improve engagement. Try adding effects to your videos by using green screens, animated backgrounds, and transitions.

4. Entertain your audience

Unlike other social networks like Facebook and WhatsApp, TikTok users are logging on to be entertained—often when they only have a few minutes to spare at work or on the bus.

That means they don’t want to watch a Q&A with the CEO. But they may want to watch a product demonstration set to a catchy song. Use humor, suspense, shock, and storytelling in your videos to keep your viewers glued to the screen.

5. Use hashtags

Keeping up with trends is one of the most important TikTok tips, and hashtags are used to categorize trends. If you’re one of the first to make a great video on a rising trend, your engagement can skyrocket.

Devote time to researching new trends that your brand could potentially capitalize on. Not every trend will be a match for your brand’s personality. Choose your hashtags carefully and produce your content quickly.

6. Build partnerships

Every time you make a partner on TikTok, you expand your reach. Partner with other brands in your niche to increase your clout and earn new followers. Connecting with influencers will add authenticity to your promotions.

One study found that partnering with creators can boost views by nearly 200%.

TikTok has made it easy to connect with content creators and influencers in the Creator Marketplace.

7. Use clickable CTAs

This is another way to give viewers what they want fast. Don’t make them wait for the pitch. Give them the opportunity to click through right away, especially if your video is short and sweet.

A clickable CTA clearly defines the next step on the customer’s journey, giving them a way to expand their engagement with your brand. Just make sure that the destination landing page has the same feel and appeal as your video.

8. Post regularly

TikTok users watch A LOT of content (nearly an hour a day). So, they might be more willing to watch your video, but they’ll also be more likely to forget it. If you hope to get anyone to follow your brand, you need to be consistent.

Posting often will also help you discover your TikTok niche—or the viewers that engage most with your videos. The app’s algorithm will automatically deliver your videos to relevant viewers. Then, you can use analytics to see if that viewer segment engaged or not. If not, try a new approach to reach new viewers.

9. Use captions

TikTok’s audience is global, meaning a lot of viewers don’t speak English natively. Many others are watching videos on the go with the sound muted. Captions can help you reach these viewers (there are millions of them!) without effort or expense.

Think of it as a TikTok video marketing hack.

10. Prepare, analyze, and adjust

Your brand is not a celebrity, so you can’t just “wing it” when you make your TikTok videos. Your marketing team should plan each post carefully, and the results should be analyzed using TikTok’s analytics.

If your videos are not doing well, take the time to figure out what’s not working and make adjustments. About 20% of the global population will be on TikTok by the end of 2022, so you can’t really blame the demographics or the platform if you’re not seeing the numbers you want.

Spend the time and money to do it right, because building a following on TikTok may end up being more valuable than doing so on IG, Facebook, Twitter, or even YouTube.

TikTok Video Marketing Takes Time—And That’s Ok

If you’re new to TikTok, you won’t get many followers in your first month. You might not even get many views. But that’s ok. TikTok requires a heavy creative investment of both time and money. Finding that creative “spark” that vibes with your brand won’t come immediately.

TikTok’s analytics and algorithm will help you determine your next steps every time you make a video, whether it’s a success or a dud. So, keep trying, keep learning, and keep creating consistently. This is how to make it on TikTok.

Images: Canva