TikTok’s nature is fun, playful and casual,” Tear said. “But it takes a lot of thought and creativity to produce content that captures and engages users. TikTok’s culture is very interesting. Although they are very inclusive and have many subcultures, if your content does not come off as authentic, you will get called out.”

Learn how to build a business on TikTok and dominate the competition with these easy steps:

1.  Study the Platform

The last thing you want to do is get into TikTok marketing without fully understanding how the system works. Study the platform, determine what type of content works for your target audience, find out how to interact with your followers and identify the best ways your business can fit into the culture naturally.

Remember, people between 16-24 years old primarily use TikTok, so you need to ensure your TikTok ads strategy is tailored to this audience segment.

2.  Create a Well-Thought Out TikTok Marketing Strategy

According to Tear, brands need to invest in their TikTok marketing plan to achieve success. You need to ask yourself:

•  What theme or niche will I go for?
•  Do I have someone to be the face of my business?
•  Do I want to create a profile to build a highly-engaged following or only partner with influencers and focus on TikTok ads?

These questions will guide you in laying out your TikTok advertising roadmap.

3.  Level Up Your Video Marketing Campaigns

If you decide to create a TikTok profile, your goal must be to gain more followers by creating engaging content. You need to ensure your posting schedule is in sync with your target market’s peak hours and focus on creating viral content.

Here are some tips to keep in mind:

•  Identify your target audience
•  Create original content
•  Hop on TikTok trends
•  Create a unique trend or challenge
•  Use the right hashtags
•  Repost user-generated content (UGC) from your followers
•  Create a smart call-to-action (CTA)

The key is to commit to a TikTok marketing strategy and explore new forms of video to promote audience engagement.

4.  Leverage Cross-Promotion of TikTok Content

Promote your TikTok videos across social media platforms and increase your brand popularity. TikTok makes it easy to download videos from your profile and repost it on other online channels. Take advantage of this opportunity to create a solid brand following across your social media profiles.

5.  Partner with Influencers

This is one of the most effective ways to draw attention to your brand and encourage audience engagement. Individual personalities are the most popular on TikTok. In addition, many influencers from other platforms, such as Instagram and YouTube, have successfully migrated their vast following to TikTok.

By collaborating with influencers, you position your brand in front of an active audience already tuned into their content.

6.  Run Paid Promotions

The cost of the paid promotion on this platform is cheaper compared to big social media channels due to less marketers using it,” Bercero said.

TikTok ads are still in their early stages. This means there’s a big opportunity to be seen by your ideal customers since the competition is relatively low. With TikTok ads, you can target specific locations and demographics, allowing you to convert more impressions into new followers.

Choose from these TikTok ads options:

•  Brand Takeover — full-screen image, video or GIF displayed when a user opens the TikTok app
•  Hashtag Challenge — sponsored hashtags that aim to elicit audience participation
•  In-Feed Video — vertical 9-15 second ads that show up on the “For You” page
•  Branded Lenses — 2D or 3D lenses that users can try for themselves

7.  Create Fun, Engaging Content

The key to creating successful TikTok ads is to know what your audiences like. Browse the “Discover” page to see the trending videos and review TikTok inspiration studies to determine which content best appeals to your followers.

Here are more tips in launching TikTok ads:

•  Hold contests or run giveaway promos
•  Launch a hashtag challenge
•  Showcase the creative, fun side of your brand
•  Use interesting music
•  Shoot a vertical video
•  Respond to other brand challenges
•  Don’t make a hard-sell ad

8.  Engage with Other Users

User participation is the most critical aspect of TikTok marketing. Leverage the app’s comment section to respond to your followers and let them know you value their interaction. Additionally, create TikTok content that aims to promote audience engagement.

9.  Monitor Your Ad Placements and Budget

Choose your ad placements and targeting carefully. TikTok ads dashboard allows you to customize your ad details, including your preferred placements, display name, relevant URL, images and categories.

You may also define your target audience based on location, age, interests, gender and devices, among others. Finally, set your ad budget and duration to avoid overspending.

10.  Hire an Innovative TikTok Marketing Agency

Running TikTok advertising alone can be daunting, especially if you’re having difficulty navigating the platform. With help from a trusted TikTok marketing agency, you can rest assured all your social media marketing campaigns will generate positive results.

A reliable social media company has the expertise and resources to launch a successful TikTok marketing campaign. More importantly, the right TikTok marketing agency understands the intricacy of TikTok for Business, making it easier for you to track your campaign progress.