This blog post is part of a series that will discuss the essentials of TikTok for any brand or influencer. According to DataReportal, at the start of 2021, TikTok boasted 689 million active users, making it the seventh most-used social media platform globally. Moreover, the number of times it had been downloaded the same year stood at a staggering 2 billion. In 2020 “TikTok” and “Tik Tok” were the top researched queries on YouTube, followed by “songs,” indicating that for many users, TikTok’s significance is that of a music app (which is no wonder because, in 2018, the app was launched after a merger with Musical.ly app.) According to research by Hootsuite, TikTok came in second for 2020 in consumer spend on Android and IOS app stores. All of these stats suggest that TikTok is now an essential social media platform.
With almost 100 m of active users on TikTok from the United States (CNBC, 2020) and 62 per cent of those users in the 10 to 29 age bracket (Statista 2020, as quoted in Oberlo), it is a clear indication that youth and young adults favour the platform. So, for brands and influencers who wish to grow themselves, it should be clear that their marketing content and strategies should be focused on younger demographics. In this post and the following ones, we will look at some tips and strategies to effectively market on the platform. First, how to set up an account on TikTok.
Starting Out on TikTok
Setting up an account on TikTok is a simple process that can be done with any of your other social media accounts, such as Twitter, Facebook, Google, and even your phone number or email address. After signing up, fill in the information to populate your bio, also known as TikTok’s profile page. Other users take bios as representations of you and your business, so it is imperative to carefully explain what you do in a concise space of 80 characters. To-the-point and clear descriptions are the way to go.
For brands and creators alike, business accounts are the preferred type. To change the account type to professional, click on the triple bar icon visible at the top right corner of the profile page and then tap on “Manage Account.” Then select “Switch to Business Account” under “Account Control.” Next, choose your business category, which will lead you back to your profile page, allowing you to add a link to your website or landing page. You will also get a message in your personal inbox from TikTok letting you in on a content playbook or a business content guide, some important tips of which we will talk about in the following post. The message will also include details on how to make your first video and urge you to edit your bio and add a profile photo.
In the following blog post titled TikTok Marketing Essentials for Brands and Influencers – Part II, we will start with some tips from TikTok’s content guide and explain the kinds of content that do well on the platform.
Arslan Ahmed | Staff Writer