TikTok Questions Answered
I asked your biggest TikTok troubles and questions and now I’m giving you the answers – let’s get into it!
Q: What are some easy ways to get started?
A: The easiest way to get started with TikTok is to actually start to use the app and familiarize yourself with the platform. The format and content is extremely unique, so it will make it much easier if you fully understand the platform itself and the different ways to utilize it for your business.
Try to actively scroll through and start to like and engage with videos that relate to you, or the brand you’re looking to create content for. You’ll notice when you open the app that it will default to your “FYP” (For You Page). This is a custom curated page just “for you” based on the TikTok algorithm.
While you’re scrolling, take note of reoccurring trends; these can be visual (like this currently popular filter) or audio (like this one). When you find an audio that you want to use, click on the audio (you can fit this in the bottom left corner) and then hit “save audio” – just how you would in Instagram Reels.
I also keep a running list of TikTok ideas in my notes app; things I think are insightful, fun, relatable, etc. to my audience. That way, if I come across an audio that it might apply to I’ll have a concept to use.
Q: How often should I post?
A: The answer to this question is a bit tricky! Ideally, you should post 4 times per week to see optimal growth and ensure your content is fresh. Trends and audios can disappear quickly, so you want to ensure that you’re posting trends while they’re still fresh and relevant.
However, I completely understand that is a lot of content and can seem overwhelming – and of course you don’t want to force posts! I would suggest posting at least 2 times per week…even if it’s just a video with the simplest trend (example here – an old one, but you get the point!) Thankfully for all of us, you don’t have to be a professional video editor to create TikTok content…you can edit your videos right in the app and some of them take only minutes to make. And remember, you can use a variety of existing content and repurpose it for TikTok!
Another difference you’ll likely notice is that the app (overall) has a lot less of a polished look. There’s less pressure on the aesthetics of your feed, if your hair is perfectly done, etc.. Sometimes creating videos that look like they’re done really “quickly” (ex: while sitting in your car or in a casual setting) can appear more “urgent”, giving the perception that the information in the video was so important they needed to stop right there and film to let you know!
And here is some really good news…your TikTok videos have a much longer shelf life than any Facebook or Instagram post. Your videos can rack up views for weeks (or even longer). So even if you have to take a break from creating content for a bit, you should still see your views increase over time.
Q: Can any type of brand use TikTok?
A: YES! Quite literally anyone and any brand or business can use TikTok. While you may have originally thought about the app as exclusively for dancing Gen Z’s, the rapid growth of the user base is the US impressive! Here are the stats:
So 45.9% of all users are ages 20-39 and 21% are over 40…now try telling me that an app only for kids!
Video content (especially short form) isn’t going anywhere. You don’t have to dance and you don’t have to sing – create content that fits your brand and niche and the TikTok algorithm will help you find your people! If you’re even on the fence of creating content for TikTok, just give it a try and see what happens. You have 1 billion active monthly users at your fingertips!
Q: How to create a TikTok strategy
A: This could be a whole blog post itself, but let’s start with the basics!
Like any type of social media strategy, you need to establish your content pillars, tone, and voice. Another important consideration will be to determine if your account will use audio with profanity – make sure you have this discussion up front. While TikTok is relatively PG, there will inevitably be trending audios that may be inappropriate for your brand to use.
Then, identify who from your team will create the videos and be the face (or faces) of your account. Having a real person running your account and showing their face(s) is imperative for success on TikTok. One of my favorite accounts that does this in a fun and entertaining way is Duolingo – check out their account to see how they get their team involved!
There are two main ways that you can approach to actually creating the videos…
- Find a trending or applicable audio and then apply the concept or trend to your brand/account.
- Come up with an idea for a video or general concept, and then find an audio that fits or use an original audio.
Also consider that you can create videos without trending filters or audios…simply providing a tip or solution can be as simple as what I did in this video here! Test out a variety of different post types, series, etc.. Following trends is great for hooking people in, but once you’ve built up your audience a bit you’ll need to really need to work on providing value or entertainment.
Q: How to get around the limited caption characters
A: Much like other parts of the app, TikTok captions are completely different from other social media platforms. Currently, most people have a limit of 150 characters, but TikTok is testing the use of up to 300 characters. However, short and sweet is best – keeping captions short is ideal to ensure that viewers don’t have to click “see more” and also because the more text you have, the less space you have for on-screen text, captions, and your video.
The majority of your content should be in the actual video itself – just use your caption as supporting text with a joke (humor is big on the platform) or a call to action. If you can keep your caption really brief, you’ll even have space to use a hashtag or two!
Q: How to use music for business accounts?
A: There are two types of accounts with TikTok: creator and business. If you are using the platform for personal use, you’ll be a “creator” (this is the default account). If you’re going to be running ad campaigns, working with influencers/content creators, and want detailed analytics and resources from TikTok, you’ll want to switch to a business account.
Creator accounts (just like personal accounts on Instagram) can use any audio for their videos – whether that’s repurposing audio that someone else has uploaded, or using music from a top 40 song. However, businesses are limited in which audios they can use because of licensing restrictions. Thankfully, the vast majority of trending audios are generated by users (pulled from shows, movies, songs, videos, or more). When this is the case, you’re able to use the audio for your video.
There’s no “workaround” currently for brands to use popular songs if they’re the original version from the artist itself, but this should not hinder your use of the app! You will easily be able to find a similar audio, or just move onto the next trend.
It’s worth mentioning that there are debates over having a business versus creator account and if it impacts your reach. There’s nothing that has proven this, but I currently have a creator account for both my 4M Marketing and personal accounts. You can still access analytics and other creators tools without a business account. If you are a personal brand/service provider, my suggestion would be to start there and then switch to business if needed!
Q: Can I just repost my Reels to TikTok?
A: NO! This may not be what you wanted to hear, but never (ever) post something with a watermark from one app to another one. I know it’s more work, but the return will be worth it.
Now it’s a great idea to use the same video concept on both TikTok and Instagram (if applicable), but you’ll want to ensure that you’re uploading them on each platform. Here’s the easiest way to do this:
- Record yourself as a regular video (hint: if you’re using a sound, have the audio playing in the background to make sure you’re in sync). You can record yourself in one shot, or multiple clips to stitch them together while editing.
- Watch the video(s) and make sure you’ve captured everything you need. Trim any excess time off the video on the front or back as needed.
- Optional: If you’ll need to stitch clips together, use an app like Canva or Splice to do so. You can also do this in each app, but this will save you some time!
- Open either TikTok or Instagram and upload the video(s). Add in the text, audio, captions, etc. and post!
- Repeat step 4 with the remaining app!
Here’s an example of how I used one video theme, but customized the video for Instagram and TikTok.
Note: there are some online programs that will remove the watermark from your TikTok video, but it will likely lessen the quality. Take the time to do it right and you’ll receive much better results!
Have more TikTok questions? Send me a message on Instagram or fill out my contact form and we can connect on how you can build out your strategy for success!
