TikTok is one of the fastest-growing social media platforms, with millions of people on the platform each day. And if you are a new content on TikTok it might be hard to get started.
Lucky for you I like to get into the nitty-gritty of things like this. So, I’ve compiled a list of more than 30 tips to help you grow on TikTok.
This list also getting updated frequently so bookmark this for later!
Developing a TikTok Strategy
Every campaign or goal should start with a strategy. What are your goals, who are you targeting etc. A more in-depth tutorial on social media strategy is linked here. But there are some tactics or strategies that work best on TikTok.
1. Know Your Audience
Who do you think would benefit most from your content?
Are they a new mom who needs help finding the best baby products? Or are they 20-year-old who likes to bike and needs to know the best hiking trails?
Knowing your target audience or persona is extremely helpful when creating content, and growing your audience.
A simple guide to creating your persona to target is found here.
2. Optimize Your Bio
Your bio is where viewers get to know who you are, and what you got to offer. Making it short and to the point is extremely crucial.
Your bio is especially important if you plan to generate leads through TikTok, or plan to redirect them to different social media platforms.
If you can tap into their desires and goals, you’ll be able to turn casual viewers into followers in no time.
3. Post Consistently
Especially in the early stages, staying consistent is important.
You’ll be able to give the algorithm time to figure out who you are and who should view your content. You might not see immediate traffic but don’t feel discouraged, it does take time.
There are plenty of rumors going around about the optimal amount of posts per week. Some say 1-4 times a day is the bare minimum. But we’ve also seen people who post half that amount with a lot of viewers.
I would suggest aiming for 1 time a day but if that’s not possible, set an amount per week and stick to it. Consistency is key.🔑
4. Don't Be a Perfectionist
TikTok killed perfectinism. If you spend enough time on this platform you’ll start to see a big difference between Instagram culture and TikTok culture.
When you post on Instagram, everything needed to be so picture-perfect.
On the contrary, when people post on TikTok everything is a little more real. Of course, there are exceptions, but TikTok made it possible for ordinary people to cultivate an audience.
All I’m trying to say here is to post freely and don’t be scared to post old drafts. Sometimes those do the best.
5. Hop On Trends
Trends are great to get exposure and reach a new audience.
Don’t feel like you can’t be part of the fun. Nearly all trends can be adapted to fit your niche. Add your own twist, or try to do it better than everyone else.
One way to know about the next upcoming trends is by searching up #trendalert.
Or, you can browse the app and look for sounds where small content creators get large amounts of reach. Preferably the sound also has less than 50k videos.
6. Add Relevant Hashtags
One way the TikTok algorithm knows who they should show your video is by looking at your hashtags.
No need to overthink this. Use hashtags that are relevant to your niche and your specific video.
if you are adding hashtags, switch it up from broad high-volume hashtags and low-volume specific hashtags.
You can also add no hashtags. When you don’t add any, the algorithm will just show your video to everyone and categorize your video for you.
7. Do Keyword Research
Did you know you can do keyword research on TikTok?
TikTok is also a search engine meaning if you search a keyword, the results would spew out videos, and accounts related to that keyword.
Simply search a keyword in your niche, and look at the results. Look at what’s popular, what content format works best, and who is competing for those keywords.
You can also look at the “People Also Searched For” to get more keyword ideas.
8. Do Competitor Research
Look at what other people in your niche are doing and get some ideas.
Go to the search bar and add a keyword. Then filter the results by most liked, and in the past 3 months.
Now you have plenty of videos that have a lot of engagement that also fit your niche.
9. Comment On Your Video
Get the ball rolling and comment on your own video when it’s first posted.
Asking a question works best, but you can also add additional details that you weren’t able to add to the video.
It makes it a lot less award for someone to comment first, and it also gives people something to respond to.
10. Respond To Comments With Videos
If people have questions, you can respond to them with a video. It makes the response more genuine, and it helps you build a community.
Not to mention it’s literally free content. They gave you the prompt, and all you have to do is answer or give your opinion on the subject.
11. Reduce Bounce Rates
A simple way to keep viewers looking at your content is by linking your videos to your video.
Much like internally linking in SEO, you can do the same with videos.
You can redirect them to a video with more information, something that would be beneficial or entertaining for them.
12. Use TikTok Live
What better way to develop a personal connection with your views than talking to them live.
You can gather information about what they like or don’t like. Or answer any questions that they have for you.
Use live to your advantage and grow your community.
13. Try Out Different Styles
Don’t be afraid of switching things up.
Going back to tip #4 don’t limit yourself to a certain format. Try out different things, strategies, and trends.
You’ll be surprized by what works and what doesn’t.
Content Creation
How do you know that you are creating, or filming your content correctly? Here are more tips to help you create the best content for your audience.
14. Create Original Content
The algorithm will now start to favor original content.
What does that mean?
That just means that you can’t just grab a clip from Family Guy and repost it. It favors content made by creators that is organic.
15. Target Your Audiences Pain Points
If you created your target persona and followed tip 1, you can use those pain points to help you create content.
Create content around those pain points and provide them with an answer. Give them value!
16. Create Funnel Friendly Content
This is especially important for businesses on TikTok.
Yes, this platform is great for awareness, but you can also get leads, and convert on TikTok. So create content based on all 3 stages of the funnel.
Don’t get lost by only doing trends, and having a large following. Sprinkle in some middle and bottom-funnel content.
17. Add Hooks
Stop people from scrolling past your TikTok video with this simple trick!👇
That right there is a hook. It’s something short and straight to the point. It’s meant to grab people’s attention and stop them from scrolling.
Here are some examples and templates for TikTok hooks.
18. Tell Stories
Keep your viewers engaged by telling stories. It can be personal, or stories by other people.
They are a great way of having people investing in your video, and relating to it.
19. Record in Your Car
I know this sounds crazy but it works.
You’ve probably seen lots of people recording in their cars already. Recording in your cars makes it feel like what you had to say is urgent.
It also makes your video seem a bit more “real” because you’re just in a car. Nothing fancy going on.
20. Tip For Filming In Public
Need help getting over the awkwardness of recording in public?
One easy way to get around it is by pretending like you are face-timing a friend or family member.
Trust me no one will know the difference.
21. Move Wile Recording
Watching someone just sit there and talk can be quite boring.
So, try switching up the background. It doesn’t have to be a huge difference. It can be just an angle change or a scenery change.
You can even go as far as standing up and walking around.
People get bored easily so small changes help.
22. Activities While Recording
To add along with tip #21 you can do activities while recording.
Try doing your makeup while telling your story. Or getting ready, even eating.
If you want you can even get even lazier, grab old footage, And just do a voice over. It doesn’t even have to be about what you’re talking about. Just something that they can look at while listening to you talk.
23. Pin Posts
Want to further explain who you are to people visiting your profile? Try pinning posts.
Pinned posts are one of the first things people see on your profile. And pinning a video that goes into an explanation about who you are and what you do can be beneficial to people who are first finding your account.
24. Add Call To Actions
A call to action or CTA, tell viewers what to do next. So, don’t just leave your audience hanging. Tell them what to do.
You can tell them to check the link in your bio or follow you on other platforms. Even a simple “like for more content” works well.
Here is a list of 6 simple calls to action templates that work!
25. Create a Series On Your Niche
Did one of your videos do extremely well?
Maybe try to create a series out of it.
A series is just a complication of videos around a certain topic.
For example, you can go into depth about how to do a certain task, or go into a deep explanation about how something works. Then divide them into small portions and plan them out.
Video Editing
Spending extra time editing can be extremely helpful for your content. It can make it more engaging, and grab the attention of new viewers. Here are some editing tips to spice up your videos.
26. Stay In The Safe Zone
Not all video real estate is usable.
You have the top a video blocked by the “for you” and “following” text. The right of the video is blocked by icons, and the bottom is blocked by the caption.
So the best way to add elements to your video is the safe zone.
27. Add Closed Captioning
Adding closed captioning or subtitles can make the video more engaging.
The viewers can read along, and it grabs their attention. You can add the default subtitles or you can add your own using 3rd party editing software.
28. Add Stickers and Animations
In addition to closed captioning, you can add stickers and animations. Remember people have pretty short attention spans so try to make it eye-catching
There are plenty of stickers and small animations to add using the TikTok app.
29. Adjust Volume
Don’t make this simple mistake we’ve all done before. If you add external music, remember to adjust it accordingly.
Especially if you are talking, you should decrease the music volume and increase the original sound volume.
I personally set the original sound to 200% and music volume to anything >20%
30. Make Quick Cuts
If you record yourself you’ll probably find that you sometimes say a lot of umms. or take a second to think. Even if it’s just one second. It can stop the flow of the video.
Make quick cuts to make it fast-paced, and entertaining. Get rid of all the dead air.
31. Add Covers To Your Videos
Make your feed scannable by adding covers. If someone is looking at your profile it helps if you add covers to let them know what your content is about.
Use copywriting to entice them to click and keep watching your videos. Think of it like titles for YouTube videos
Finally
Have fun! If you want me to go more in-depth into a certain topic let me know in the comments below, and share this with anyone who you think would find this helpful😃