The Ultimate Guide to TikTok Marketing

1. Optimize your Videos for TikTok

This is a no-brainer. If you want to grow on TikTok, then you need to be good at video marketing.

However, videos for TikTok are different from other platforms such as normal YouTube videos.

First, you need to ensure that you are shooting vertical videos because this is the size of a phone and it’s the most suitable video dimensions for TikTok.

The second thing is that you need to experiment with video length. TikTok succeeds in short video content because people are looking for fast-paced, actionable content.

However, you can also experiment with longer videos as well. Since TikTok introduced the Creator Rewards Program, most creators have been creating long videos to qualify for the program and monetize their videos.

Apart from that, every TikTok video has these two parts that can make or break your video. If you nail these two then you increase the chances of your video doing well.

Good Hook

Watch time plays a big part in TikTok’s algorithm. So the longer you keep people watching your content, the more rewards. The first 3-5 seconds are key and very important and can determine whether the user will keep watching your video or not.

Most successful TikTok accounts use catchy phrases known as ‘Hooks’ to grab their viewer’s attention and make them watch their content.

Here are examples of hooks that you can also use:

• Making bold claims – includes using statements like “This trick will change your life…” or “Everything you know about … is wrong”, these statements make users stop and question themselves about what exactly they have been doing wrong or what trick can change their life.

• Using questions – another great hook is using questions. Questions like “Are you making these 3 mistakes that…”. People who are interested in that thing will stop and check if they are making one of those mistakes.
• Creating curiosity – another hook is using words that make people curious. Phrases like “No any self-made millionaire will tell you this…”, will keep the audience wanting to know what is that they are not told.
• Addressing the audience directly by calling out groups – For example, “For anyone who loves quick hacks…” or “Hey, fellow book lovers…” creates a personal connection with the audience and catches their attention.

Hooks are what keep the audience watching your content.

Thumbnails

Another thing that makes or breaks a TikTok video is the video thumbnail

You might ask yourself, so why do thumbnails matter in TikTok?

They matter because before your video is played when it is loading, your thumbnail will be displayed. And if you have an interesting and attention-grabbing thumbnail, people will want to wait and watch your video.

Another reason is that your thumbnail will be the cover when your video is shared via DMs on TikTok or other platforms. So if you have an interesting thumbnail people will want to click and watch your video.

One easy trick to create great thumbnails is to just add your hook on your video cover.

2. Watch and Participate in Trends

Trends are the backbone of TikTok. It is how countless creators have gone from not being known to going viral overnight. Trends come and go but once they’re in, they’re really in.

Participating in Trends can push your video to the For You Page (FYP) where it can be seen by many accounts and exponentially increase your reach.

If you want to speed up your TikTok growth and you want to see results then keeping up with TikTok trends should be included in your TikTok marketing strategy.

There are different trends that you could try such as songs, audio clips, video filters, games and other physical challenges (such as dancing, fitness moves, etc).

The key is to find a trend that relates to the type of content that you create.

To find trends, keep an eye on the FYP for challenges or games that appear frequently, check what popular creators and influencers are posting, pay attention to trending hashtags in your niche and check out trending sounds.

You can find trending sounds and audio clips by visiting TikTok’s Creative Center.

The key with trends is to remember that they are time-sensitive. So if you spot a trend that is doing well, you have to jump on it right away.

But always ask yourself if the trend is worth doing and relatable to your niche and audience. Don’t sacrifice your authenticity to participate in a trend because that will hurt you in the long run.

3. Add Closed Captions to Your Videos

This may seem like a small thing but there is a reason why big creators such as Alex Hormozi, Ali Abdaal and other creators include close captioning in their videos.

@ahormozi Whenever stuff used to be really hard I used to tell myself “this will be part of the story I tell” It always had a way of turning the biggest negatives into things that served me.@Chris Williamson ♬ original sound – Alex Hormozi

The first thing is that it provides accessibility for the deaf and hard-of-hearing community.

The second thing is that close captioning helps your audience understand your content well, especially if your content includes a lot of talking.

There are many people who English is not their first language and closed captioning helps them understand faster.

The last thing is that you can personalize your closed captioning to match your brand.

Adding closed captions is easy, you can either add them directly in TikTok when editing your videos or you can use third-party AI tools that can generate closed captioning for you.

The things to consider are you should ensure that the closed captioning syncs well with the audio and that they are readable against the background of your video

4. Use Trending Music and Sounds

TikTok’s algorithm prioritizes content that follows popular trends including trending music and sounds.

Trends are time-critical and fade out after some time, so it’s important that you use sounds when they are trending.

This is what Ole Obermann, Global Head of Music, TikTok said about TikTok music trends, “TikTok is the home for music trends that permeate the industry, charts, and culture. From emerging artists to small business owners, the research from MRC Data reinforces that by associating with the right music or sound on TikTok, creators, artists and businesses alike can see a major impact”.

What to do?

• Pay attention to the trendy music that famous influencers and content creators often use
• Consider the relevancy of the sounds to the type of content that you create
• Follow content creators and influencers that are in your field, example if you are a gym enthusiast then following famous people in that niche would be the best approach
• Scrolling through the For You page can give you a glimpse of trending sounds and liking and commenting on different trends can make you see similar content including trendy sounds and music.

5. Cross-post with Other TikTok Creators

Corss-posting with other TikTok creators is like killing two birds with one stone. You get to have fun and grow at the same time.

It is essential to know fellow creators who are either in the same niche as you or share similar interests with you, this way you can spot trends early and know if you’re doing something wrong.

Cross-posting with other TikTok creators broadens your audience reach, such that both your audiences are exposed to the content you collaborate on. This attracts and drives new followers from both audiences.

Cross-posting not only helps in audience reach but also boosts your trustworthiness.

Since TikTok prioritizes trends, you can use that to your advantage when collaborating. You can collaborate on creating trends hence ensuring greater visibility.

Luckily, TikTok provides great features for cross-posting and collaboration among creators, and these cool features include Duets and Stitches.

6. Use the right hashtags

Hashtags are a great way to increase your reach on TikTok. Hashtags work because they help users navigate related content.

A good example of a brand that uses hashtags effectively is GymShark, which uses #gymshark to engage with its audience.

Another example of a hashtag that is blowing up is #BookTok which is a hashtag for book lovers (TikTokers who share content about books). It currently has more than 41 million posts and it helped the book It Ends With Us gain popularity worldwide.

The best way to find hashtags is to go to the Discover page on TikTok and navigate to the Hashtags section. Check for hashtags that have many posts.

Another way of finding hashtags is to check what other accounts in the same niche or competitors are using in their videos. You can click on the hashtags and check how many posts they have. If they are decent and relevant to you, then you can use them.