Image by Alexander Shatov on Unsplash
TikTok is one of the biggest social media platforms in the world with over 1.7 billion users worldwide. From its humble beginnings allowing users to create lip-sync videos, it has grown to include all types of user-generated videos and become highly useful for brands and advertisers. As a modern platform that’s popular amongst a younger demographic, brands struggle to create content that resonates with users and feels native to the platform. Here’s a list of six easy practices to avoid on TikTok and help your brand get the most of the platform.
1. Constant Self-Promo is a No-Go
The last thing users want is to be spammed with unnecessary and irrelevant content. TikTok exists first and foremostly as a means for entertainment, and so producing creative content that will engage your audience is crucial.
- Create valuable, inspiring or delightful videos: This requires you to know your audience and know the TikTok platform. Start by watching a ton of videos from content creators and from other brands. Soon, you will get an idea of what this audience finds valuable. Remember, if they don't think it's worth watching and sharing, they won’t, and they may call you out for stumbling on TikTok.
- Avoid the sales-pitch style: While brands can market and sell on TikTok, they must make selling ancillary to the content. Engage first, sell second.Constantly churning out promotional material or self-serving content will not only harm your user engagement, but also your reputation.
2. Don’t Miss the “Short & Sweet” Memo
TikTok was purposely designed as a platform for quick and snappy videos. Though it has recently introduced the option to post longer content; sticking to old methods of producing concise and captivating content under 60 seconds keeps your audience engaged.
- Don’t be a time waster: TikTok is a platform for people with little time, who want to be entertained. Short-form videos currently have the highest ROI amongst marketing strategies- save yourself the hassle and make your content snappy and succinct.
- Stop the scroll on your content: You have about 3 seconds to grab people’s attention before they scroll by to the next video. Make sure you have a “grabby” moment before those precious seconds tick by. They don’t call it TikTok for nothing.
3. Don’t Forget to Interact with your Audience
Engagement is everything! Forgetting to respond or like comments, or to react to content and show your support can hurt your success on TikTok.
- Don’t neglect your community: Most social media channels support and reward audience engagement. TikTok is all about building a community. If you’re not replying to TikTok comments or finding ways to engage with your audience, then you’re at risk of making your brand personality look hostile and cold on social media. Not only that, but you’ll see numbers drop in your view, like and follower count.
- Make your audience feel important: From pinning comments on TikTok to making videos that directly respond to customer questions, there are many ways for brands to show that you are listening and to demonstrate that you care.
4. Stick to a Routine
The easiest way to keep an audience in touch and engaged, is by having a routine in which you are consistently posting. Why have a TikTok channel if you aren’t using it to regularly post?
- Keep to a schedule: The key to building momentum on TikTok, is having a consistent publishing schedule. If you are on-again, off-again posting, you may lose your audience just by being out of sight or by confusing them as to when to expect to see your content.
- Keep your audience satisfied: Inconsistent posting can disappoint your audience. Pay attention to what your audience likes - videos they comment on or share - and create more or variants of that.
5. Beware of Jumping on Trends Too Quickly or Too Often
TikTok is all about following trends, like learning fun moves or new dances. However, just because these are popular on the app, doesn’t mean you need to use them all at once, and some you should let pass by. Be thoughtful about creating content around breakout trends and remember your brand voice and personality.
- Don’t jump on trends for the sake of it: Whether a trending song, or a viral dance routine, the bottom line is that you don’t need to create content around them if they don’t suit your brand. A great way to connect to trends is by putting your own unique spin on it. This way, you’re maintaining your audience’s attention by using familiar trends and also making them anticipate your unique take.
- Overdoing it: Using special effects, filters or dubbing audio can quickly turn from cool to cringey. If you don’t know how to lip sync on TikTok, it’s probably best to not post any dubbed audio videos until you’ve mastered the technique. The same goes for effects and filters, use them in a way that suits your brand image and enhances your personality.
6. Avoid Not Having a Clear Strategy
If you’re struggling with how to get started on TikTok, ensure you have a clear strategy and sufficient understanding of the app before you start. TikTok isn’t like any other social media platform, so when you’re producing content, it needs to be specifically tailored to the app.
- Avoid reusing assets designed for other platforms: Videos for TikTok need to be crafted with a platform-first approach in mind. If you’re recycling content that was previously used for Instagram Reels or Facebook shorts, then your videos may not fit the TikTok demographic, and may perform poorly.
Understand the vibe of TikTok: Unlike Instagram where everyone’s posts are expected to be pristine and polished, content for TikTok can be unedited, raw and real. Viewers want authenticity and originality; this can’t be achieved if you’re too focused on forcing your brand to appear perfect.
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