8 Hacks for Small Businesses to Get Started on TikTok
By: Cori Widen, Product Marketing Lead at Boosted by Lightricks
TikTok is one of the fastest growing social media platforms and while some people might think TikTok is just for teens doing silly pranks or dance challenges, the platform can be amazing for people of all ages and interests. There really is something for everyone on TikTok – from dancing challenges, pranks, life hacks, business tips, cleaning hacks, parenting humor, cute pets and so much more.
Have you been thinking about testing out TikTok for your small business but have no idea where to begin? Keep reading for our top eight hacks every small business owner needs to know about before they get started on TikTok.
1. Set Up An Account & Start Watching TikTok Videos
The first secret to getting started on TikTok is the easiest – simply set up an account and watch a few TikTok videos. Before you begin using the platform, it’s important to get a sense of how the platform works and the type of content people post. Create a TikTok account for your small business and start exploring – check out different hashtags, follow a few accounts and be sure to like and dislike videos to start seeing content customized to your interests.
2. Learn The Lingo – What Does FYP Mean on TikTok?
When you first download TikTok there is a little bit of a learning curve if you don’t know all of the terms. You might be wondering “what is FYP” and “why are there so many videos that use the hashtag #foryourpage”? The “For You Page” is like TikTok’s home feed – this is the first page that appears when you open the TikTok app and this is where trending videos are posted. There are many theories about how to “go viral” and how to get your TikTok on the FYP page but no one truly knows how the algorithm really works yet.
3. Try Making a Few Videos & Don’t Be Afraid to Be Silly
Now that you’ve created your account and have an idea of the types of content that does well on TikTok, it’s time to try making a few videos of your own. It might seem difficult at first but once you learn a few key tricks, like how to record a video without holding the record button or how to add effects on TikTok, it’s actually pretty simple. Also, you might notice that a lot of trending TikTok videos can be a little silly… so just have fun with it!
Check out our guide 7 TikTok Ideas for Your Business for inspiration!
4. Recreating Content Is Okay
You might notice there are a lot of similar videos on TikTok – this is because the platform loves trends and challenges! So if you see any videos you like, it’s okay to recreate it if you add in a few of your own original ideas. In fact, recreating content with your own unique spin on it is the whole point of the TikTok challenges. So go ahead and get inspiration from videos you see but always be sure to make it your own and follow the community guidelines.
5. Create Content in Batches
This is a good social media hack for almost every platform but we especially love this trick for TikTok. It can take a lot of time to come up with, film and edit videos so it’s a good idea to work on just one type of task at a time. For example, spend one day just making a list of all the TikTok videos you would like to make and gather any props you might need. Next, go ahead and film several videos. Once you have a bunch of videos filmed and saved as a draft on TikTok, you can make the final edits and post throughout the month!
6. Use Good Lighting But Don’t Worry About Perfection
TikTok videos are made on your phone so they don’t need to be perfect – TikTok users are looking for authentic content made by the average person. This means your videos don’t need to be super high quality or super polished to do well. That being said, it’s still important to film in good lighting.
7. Use Trending Songs
One of the best parts about TikTok might just be the song selection! TikTok has tons of amazing songs without copyright infringement issues so you can use nearly every popular song on the radio in your videos! When you come across a song in a TikTok video that you like or want to use, simply click the song name to add it to your favorites. This way it will be easy to find and use when you are ready to shoot your own video!
8. Include 3-5 Relevant Hashtags
While no one really seems to know exactly how the TikTok algorithm works, one way to discover videos is through hashtags so it’s important to include any relevant hashtags in your caption. A few great hashtags for small businesses include: #business #smallbusiness #businesscheck #supportme #businessowner #entrepreneur #hustlecheck #businesschallenge.
Cori Widen is the Product Marketing Lead at Boosted by Lightricks. She has been leading product marketing campaigns and doing qualitative market research in the tech industry for 10 years.
