Regardless of whether you’re on the app yourself, you may wonder if incorporating TikTok into your brand’s marketing strategy could add value. While the answer will be different for every business, it’s undeniable that the platform has the power to generate more reach, interest, and sales for your brand.
For example, did you know that 36% of direct social purchases now happen on TikTok?
If you’re ready to give TikTok a spin, this article will walk you through how to create a TikTok account and give you some tips and examples to make it great.
Contents
- How to create a TikTok account: Step by step
- Why create a TikTok account for your business?
- Quick tips to help your new TikTok account flourish
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How to create a TikTok account: Your step-by-step guide
Setting up a TikTok account for your business is pretty easy! Follow these five steps below to establish your profile and start creating content.
1. Download the TikTok app
While you can access TikTok from a desktop browser, the experience is far more seamless on the app. Head to the App Store or Google Play and search for TikTok, then begin the download.
2. Create your business account
When you open the app, you’ll be prompted to log in or sign up. Create your TikTok business account using your work email address or your business phone number.
You’ll receive a confirmation code. Enter that within the TikTok app, and you’ll have the chance to create a password. That’s all it takes to get your account established!
3. Set up your profile
Once you’re on the app, it’s time to fill out your profile. Navigate there by selecting it from the menu at the bottom of your screen.
Start by adding a profile picture. This should be your logo, so people who know your brand can easily identify your account, while those discovering you for the first time are greeted by your visual identity.
Then, hit the “edit” button under the profile photo to update key information, including:
- Your name: This should be your business name.
- Your username: This must be unique, so it might take a few tries to find one that’s available. Ideally, this is your business name, but you may need to add modifiers to find a name that’s free.
- Your bio: Tell people a little bit about your business! This section should include your selling proposition and a link to your website.
Use a descriptive bio image and add keywords so your account shows up in relevant searches.
4. Verify your business profile
TikTok allows businesses to take an additional step to verify their profile as a legitimate business. This signals trust to users who happen upon your page.
To get set up as a verified account, head to your profile page and click the three lines in the upper-right corner. Navigate to “Settings and privacy,” and select “Account.” Within that sub-menu, you can choose “Business verification.”
There, you will provide background information, like your business address, and supporting documents to prove your legitimacy. TikTok will review your submission and, if everything checks out, your account will be marked as “Verified.”
5. Start posting
Once your profile is established, you can start posting TikTok content right away! Of course, you should draft a content calendar first, laying out what you’re going to post, when, and tying everything back to your broader marketing plan and goals.
When you’re ready to create your first post, simply click on the plus sign in the bottom navigation bar. Select the type of content you’d like to create—either a video, photo, or text. Then, record, add sound, text, or other effects, and share it!
Now comes the fun part…making great content!
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Why create a TikTok account for your business?
For brands looking to grow, TikTok offers several demonstrable benefits. TikTok is great for:
- Brand awareness: The TikTok algorithm is known for connecting users with new brands and creators. Its For You Page (FYP) is designed to help you get in front of people who have never heard of your brand (yet!).
- Product and service discovery: 55% of surveyed users say TikTok helps them discover new products and services. That makes it a great channel for promoting what you sell.
- Signaling trust: When people discover a new brand online, they may want to see some third-party proof that the product or service is good before they buy. TikTok is a place folks turn to for that validation, with 68% of consumers looking up product reviews on TikTok.
- Driving new purchases: TikTok isn’t just a place people head to research new brands; it’s also a place they go to buy. TikTok Shop is an integrated e-commerce platform that allows you to sell directly through the app, and two out of three users say they’re likely to buy something on TikTok.
- Staying top-of-mind with your audience: It’s easier to sell to an existing customer than it is to acquire a new one. By posting regularly on TikTok, you remind past customers that you’re here when they’re ready to buy again.
No matter what part of your marketing funnel you’re looking to bolster, from awareness through loyalty, TikTok can plug in and support your goals
Quick tips to get started on TikTok
To get more mileage out of your TikTok account, it helps to understand the nuances of the platform. These tips can help you generate buzz for your content, build up a following on the platform, and turn that attention into sales.
Use hashtags strategically
The TikTok algorithm is known for being scary-good at matching app users with the content they want to see. By adding the right hashtags to your content, you have the potential to tap into an audience that doesn’t know you yet but would be very interested in what you do.
This artist uses local hashtags and ones related to her craft to help a relevant audience find her content.
Some TikTok hashtags are widely applicable, like #fyp, and can help you reach a wider audience. Others are specific to your niche or audience. Using those can help you get discovered by people who already care about what you do.
Other hashtags are trending right now. Tapping into a viral moment can increase views on your content and introduce a new set of people to your brand.
Keep your content short
TikTok is not a place where people go for long-form content. The platform itself says the optimal length for a TikTok video is somewhere between 21 and 34 seconds.
This might seem incredibly short, and it is! But these bite-sized videos are an invitation to get crystal clear on your brand messaging so you can get it out in the shortest amount of time possible.
People are swiping through video after video on the app. What can you do to disrupt their flow?
Think about how you can present your message in an engaging, scroll-stopping way. What hook will catch someone’s attention? What visuals stand out? Experiment with different tactics to find the ones that suit your brand. But regardless of what else you do in your video, always aim to keep it short!
Set up a TikTok Shop
If you sell physical products, establishing a TikTok Shop might make sense for your business. This built-in seller platform allows people to purchase your products directly within the TikTok app. If you’re worried about losing prospective buyers in the move over to your brand’s site, a TikTok Shop addresses that concern.
TikTok Shops make it easy for you to sell to those who find your business’s profile on TikTok, and it displays your products to people who are shopping for something particular in the app.
You can also connect with creators on the app, who can become affiliate collaborators and influencers for your brand.
Focus on growing engagement
TikTok has several features and strategies that let you generate more engagement from viewers.Try using these tools when creating content on TikTok:
- Duets: This feature invites you to post a video that plays side-by-side with someone else’s content. You might use this feature to capture your reaction to another account’s post.
- Stitch: This video editing tool allows you to clip and re-share 5 seconds of someone else’s video, then post your response immediately after it.
- Giveaways: Run a giveaway on your page, where a lucky entrant has the chance to win a free product from your brand.
- Live: Going Live lets you interact with followers in real time. You can talk through a new product launch, highlight an exciting business update, or live-stream an in-person event for online followers.
Channel your inner QVC host and try live selling on TikTok.
Each of these strategies puts your brand in conversation with others on the app and creates an opportunity for you to grow your reach.
Tap into TikTok trends
Of all the social media platforms, TikTok may be the one with the strongest reputation for virality. Buzzy content ricochets across the app, and people and brands can tap into trends that are taking off to generate attention for their accounts.
This shop used a trending song from the musical Hamilton to feature its plush pigeon toys.
Some of the biggest types of trends you’ll see on TikTok are built around viral audio. Someone will take a clip from a song, television show, or other piece of media and turn it into a TikTok trend. Others will pile on, tying the audio clip into their content.
Challenges are another type of content that thrives on TikTok. People create a viral dance, skit, or prank, and others get in on the fun by recreating the moment themselves.
Before jumping into any TikTok trend, assess its fit and appropriateness for your brand. If the trend is aligned with your brand personality and speaks to your ideal client, it might be a good idea to join the crowd and create your own trending content.
Watch your analytics
As you experiment with different tactics on TikTok, keep an eye on your metrics. Watch for signals that your content is gaining traction, like reach and engagement rate, and see if there are any commonalities among the content that seems to resonate with your audience.
Beyond in-app marketing metrics, see if you can connect what’s happening on TikTok to other signals of brand growth. For example, are people clicking on the website link in your TikTok bio and ultimately buying on your site? Or do you often hear people say, “I found you on TikTok!” when they’re at the register of your brick-and-mortar store?
Create a TikTok account; expand your brand’s reach
TikTok can be an incredible platform to add to your business’s marketing plan. From creating awareness with new prospects to offering returning customers a place to buy your products directly in-app, TikTok can support an array of growth goals for your brand.
Take the time to build out your profile and create a thoughtful content calendar tailored to the video-centric, trend-driven app. Then, watch your metrics to spot places where you can incrementally improve. Over time, TikTok just may come to serve as a vital component in your marketing engine.
Now that we have the basics covered, here are more resources to help you grow on TikTok:
- How to Advertise on TikTok: The Complete Guide
- Our Favorite TikTok Ad Examples +Tips
- How Often to Post on TikTok for the Most Views & Followers (+7 Tips to Post Faster)
- The Best Time to Post on TikTok For Your Business (+Bonus Ways to Boost Engagement)
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