TikTok is a platform that is constantly growing and has an algorithm that is tough to crack. This week on Eyes on Social Media I discuss tips and tricks to help you get the word out about your business.
TikTok is one of the fastest growing social media platforms globally. It was the most downloaded app in 2019, 2020, and 2021. As of 2022, the app reported 1 billion active users worldwide. Given the amount of reach that this app has, it has become a way for businesses to promote their products in a fun and creative way. In this article, I’ll be giving you the rundown of navigating the TikTok algorithm, trends, and some helpful tips and tricks on how to use the platform more effectively.
What is TikTok for Business
TikTok, like many other social media platforms, allows for businesses to create their own free “business accounts” where companies can post content promoting their products, while also having access to analytics, like insights, (number of flowers, growth, demographics, etc.) profile views, video metrics (views, total play time, average watch time, etc.) and more, which is not offered on standard TikTok accounts.
Understanding the Algorithm and Trends
The app is crucial to reaching Gen Z and Millennial consumers. The algorithm is incredibly difficult to keep track of.We do know, however, that the algorithm is driven by user interaction, video information, and even device and account settings. Now, TikTok also claims that it does not give preference to accounts based on follower count, giving everyone a fighting chance to make it to the For You Page. The way that the algorithm works is when brands/creators make a video, it is only shown to a handful of their followers, and if it does well it is pushed to even more. If the video does well, with people liking the video and watching it until the end, it is pushed to more followers, and the videos with the most engagement are pushed onto the For You Page and will reach even more people.
Trends on the platform are fleeting moments and sometimes only reach a certain group of people, which makes them incredibly hard to pinpoint and act on. There are different sides of TikTok where different trends live, for example Alt TikTok, Cottage Core TikTok, Political TikTok, and so many others. Depending on what “side” you’re on, you’ll see different trends. Why? The TikTok algorithm delivers users a personalized set of videos based on what they are more likely to be interested based on what videos they like and watch until the very end.
Using the Algorithm to Your Advantage
Now that we have that information, how do we use the algorithm to our advantage? The rule of thumb for this is knowing your audience and who you want to support your business/product. So the first step in all of this is research, research, research! To understand your audience, you need to research those trends to utilize them. For example, if I was promoting a rock song, I would research what trends are going around Alt Tiktok, and create a video of that trend promoting the song.
It’s not just as easy as following a trend. You have to sound genuine in doing it. One of the tropes that I am noticing is making sure the viewer knows that there’s a person behind this TikTok and showing the opinion of the social media manager/intern in a way that will make people laugh. If you sound genuine, it usually does better. Take this example of using the “Maxwell in the Sky” trend I used to get people to listen to WSOU. I was open and honest about why I was following the trend, like other social media managers have been doing on their brand’s accounts.
Now that you have your content ideas down, it is also important to keep a posting schedule. Social media platforms do reward consistency with posting, and with TikTok it seems to be the more posts the better. Timing is also incredibly important. Now you can look up the best times to post on TikTok for suggestions, however, there’s a chance that it may not work for you. Once you get to posting, you’ll see what times you get the most engagement. Even if its different from the suggestion, post at the times that work the best for you.
After that, you’re at the mercy of the algorithm and may the odds be ever in your favor.
Eyes on Social Media 