TikTok is the latest trend in social networks: more than 1.5 billion downloads on the App Store and Google Play and more than 500 million monthly active users. The platform consists of 15- and 60-second videos recorded by users, which can be edited in the application itself and integrated with other major social networks.
The audience of TikTok users is mainly people aged 16 to 24 years. But if you think that TikTok is just a hobby of the current generation, you should definitely think again. Since its introduction in 2018, TikTok has evolved from an application designed exclusively for ordinary users to an application, an application where you can show all your creativity in the field of marketing and advertising.
As you know, many brands use Instagram to interact with consumers through posts, stories, live videos and IGTV.
TikTok also allows brands to interact with users, but only with short clips. Over the past year, many brands have created platform-based accounts to interact with their customers. On Tiktok, you can find everyone: from powerful people and celebrities to politicians and completely ordinary people.
The attractiveness of TikTok for business lies in the large number of active users on this platform. It’s still not clear how the algorithm works, but it will be much easier for you to publish your video content on TikTok than on other social networks.
If you are ready to try TikTok to promote your business, then here are four types of content to get you started.
# 1: Create Your Own TikTok Content
Even if your brand is not well known, you can still use TikTok effectively for marketing. But first, you should start by planning great content and using the following guidelines.
1. Be natural. Most users of social networks do not have access to expensive equipment for cameras and do not turn to professional operators. They create content using their own phones and do it the way they can. Use the same approach for your content. Then users will feel a certain connection with you and your attitude to them, which will undoubtedly inspire confidence in them.
2. Two topics that usually lead to TikTok becoming viral are pets and children. As the audience of this platform is quite young, users are more interested in watching humorous and entertaining videos with children and animals. If your company has a mascot animal or perhaps even a service animal, engage it in your content.
Remember that TikTok is not a place where it is so important to make a perfect first impression and fake smiles are not welcome here. This is a place for fun, humor, fun and naturalness.
3. Create your own trend. But at the same time, you do not need to try to come up with new and unique ideas for content because of all your strength. The platform is based on user engagement and hashtags, so all you have to do is find existing content and create your own.
Take part in various challenges or dance trends. If there is a trend in your sphere, for example, to demonstrate how the morning of the working day goes, then you show how this happens with you. At the same time, the video of your company, its uniqueness and individuality will distinguish you from other users in the same category. Look at what is already working successfully in the application, and try to create your own trend.
Before you start creating content, experience the unique TikTok style. This is not an official or superprofessional platform. This is a space for users and brands where you can experiment with trends, behave stupidly and playfully, and show a completely different side of yourself.
Click on the magnifying glass in the bottom menu and you will open the Interesting page, where you can see videos and hashtags that are now in trend.
Watch a few videos to understand how users create their content.
Create your first video
When you are ready to create your first video, click the black “plus” at the bottom of the screen. At the same time, TikTok will ask you for permission to access the camera, photos and microphone. Next you will see the video recording page. Choose a 15-second or 60-second recording option and start shooting your video by clicking on the red circle.
Add music and effects
TikTok has various interesting effects that you can add to your video, including music. Users usually create lip-sync videos in the style of Musical.ly, where they pronounce the words of popular songs. In a way, this is like creating your own music video. In the TikTok database there are almost all popular songs that are played on the radio, while copyright is not infringed.
To add a song to your video, simply click on “Music” at the top of the recording screen.
When the music library opens, you can browse through new releases, genres, and popular playlists. Save the selected songs to Favorites by clicking on the bookmark icon to the right of the song name.
To add a song to your video, select it from the library and then press the red checkmark button to confirm your choice. After downloading, you will return to the recording screen, and the name of the selected song will appear in the place of “Music”.
- On the right side of the screen you will find effects that you can use (top to bottom):
- "Flip" allows you to use the main or front camera;
- “Speed” is responsible for the frame rate; You can speed up or slow down the video;
- Beauty erases any imperfections in the skin and improves the clarity of your face on the screen;
- Filters provide you with access to dozens of different screen colors, contrast levels, and more. Some filters will help make the video more attractive. For example, the filters in the “Portrait” tab will give your appearance different visual effects;
- “Timer” is one of the features that distinguishes TikTok from other video platforms, allowing you to create videos in real time. This means that you can record a song for a few seconds, pause, change your position and continue to record the song from the moment you stopped. To adjust the duration of your video, use the crop icon under the timer;
- "Flash" speaks for itself - allows you to use the camera flash.
To the left of the record button is the Effects icon. When you click on it, you will see dozens of different effects that you can add to your video. One turns your face into a deer with a flower crown, the other adds flame to the background. Some of them are even interactive, and if you shake the phone when this effect is turned on, it will change one filter to another.
