A TikTok business account is designed specifically for brands, businesses, creators and marketers to manage and optimize their presence on TikTok. Switching to a business account unlocks additional features not available on a standard personal account, allowing you to further engage your audience and promote your brand or products.
The key benefits of using a TikTok business account include: access to TikTok Analytics to gain insights about your audience and content performance; the ability to add links in your bio and on your videos to drive traffic; advertising options to run promoted posts and reach new audiences; the exclusive TikTok Creator Marketplace to get hired and paid for branded content; using a professional username that reflects your brand name; and the TikTok Business Suite for simple content creation and management.
With these expanded tools, TikTok business accounts make it easier for brands to turn their account into a full marketing channel, build a following, publish business focused content, track key metrics, partner with influencers, and ultimately drive real business results.
In summary, a TikTok business account unlocks professional features to help businesses, creators and marketers grow on TikTok and achieve their objectives.
Eligibility Requirements
To switch to a TikTok business account, there are a few eligibility requirements you must meet:
You must be 18 years old or older. TikTok requires users to be at least 18 to convert to a business account. This is likely because business accounts have access to analytics, advertising, and monetization features.
Your account must be public. Private accounts on TikTok cannot be switched to business accounts. You’ll need to change your settings to make your account public first before converting it.
According to TikTok’s support article, business accounts also need to have a profile photo, bio, and username in place before switching over. Make sure to have these account basics set up prior to converting to business.
How to Switch to a Business Account
Switching your personal TikTok account to a business account is easy and only takes a few steps. Here is how to switch to a business account on TikTok:
Open your profile by tapping on the profile icon on the bottom right of the screen. Once on your profile page, tap on the 3-dot menu icon on the top right corner. This will open up a menu where you can select “Manage account”. On the next page, tap on “Switch to Business Account”. You will get a popup confirming that you want to switch to a business account. Tap “OK” to confirm the switch.
According to TikTok’s support article, the steps are:
- In the TikTok app, tap Profile at the bottom.
- Tap the Menu ☰ button at the top.
- Tap Settings and privacy.
- Tap Manage account.
- Tap Switch to Business Account.
Business Account Features
Once you switch to a TikTok Business Account, your account will gain access to a suite of features tailored for businesses and creators. Some of the key features include:
Access to TikTok Analytics
You’ll get access to the TikTok Analytics tool, which provides data and insights about your account’s performance. This allows you to analyze metrics like views, likes, comments, shares, audience demographics, content performance, and more. Having access to analytics can help guide your content strategy and optimize your efforts on TikTok.
Promoted Content Options
TikTok Business Accounts let you promote your content through paid advertising with TikTok Ads Manager. You can create ad campaigns to boost your organic content and reach new audiences. There are diverse ad formats like In-Feed Video Ads, Brand Takeovers, TopView, and more. Paid advertising on TikTok can be a powerful way to grow your followers and engagement.
Contact Info and Links in Profile
Your TikTok Business profile lets you list contact info like website, email, phone number, and address. You can also include external links for your website, online store, or other platforms. This makes it easy for interested followers to learn more about your business or shop your products.
Creating Business Content
A key to TikTok success for businesses is creating videos that are entertaining and engage viewers. Rather than overly promotional content, focus on showing your brand personality and behind-the-scenes looks at your business (Hubspot). Some best practices include:
– Keep videos under 60 seconds to match the platform’s quick, fun style
– Use viral trends, sounds, hashtags, and effects to make engaging videos
– Show your products being used in real-world settings
– Feature your employees and company culture
– Reply to commenters and engage with your audience
Some popular TikTok content ideas for businesses right now include challenge videos, behind-the-scenes footage, short educational tips, employee spotlights, and reacting to comments (Boosted). The key is to come up with creative ways to showcase your business that will capture attention and feel part of the TikTok community.
Promoting Your Account
Cross-promoting your TikTok account with other social platforms like Instagram or Facebook can help expand your reach. Share your TikTok videos to other platforms and encourage people to check out your TikTok profile. You can also link to your other social accounts in your TikTok bio to make it easy for viewers to follow you elsewhere.
Using relevant hashtags and jumping on trending hashtags is key for discovery on TikTok. According to TikTok, “hashtags help surface your videos to new audiences as people search for videos with that hashtag.” Research shows that using at least 3 hashtags can significantly boost views. Check out trending sounds and hashtags each day and aim to participate in at least one trend per week.
Advertising Options
TikTok offers a variety of advertising options for businesses looking to promote their account and content. The main ad formats on TikTok are:
- In-Feed Video Ads – video ads that appear in between other videos in a user’s For You feed. Prices start at $10 per day.
- Brand Takeovers – a full-screen ad that appears when the app is launched. Pricing starts at $50,000 for a 24-hour takeover.
- Branded Hashtag Challenges – sponsor a branded hashtag challenge to engage users. Pricing varies based on campaign details.
- Branded Effects – AR effects and filters that users can engage with. Prices start at $20,000.
TikTok provides detailed targeting options to reach your ideal audience. You can target based on:
- Location
- Age
- Gender
- Interests and behaviors
- Device and connection type
Learn more about TikTok’s variety of ad formats and targeting capabilities in the TikTok Ads Manager.
Measuring Performance
Once you’ve converted your account to a TikTok business account, you’ll gain access to powerful analytics tools to track your performance. Here are some of the most important metrics to monitor:
Video Views – This shows the total number of times your videos have been watched. It’s the top-level indicator of how much your content is reaching your audience. According to TikTok, you’ll want to track both total lifetime views and views per video.
Likes, Comments, Shares – These engagement metrics indicate how much your viewers are interacting with your videos. High engagement is a signal that you’re creating compelling content. Analyze these metrics per video to identify your top-performing content. As noted by Hootsuite, comments and shares boost a video’s visibility in TikTok’s algorithm.
Followers – Gaining followers shows that users want to continue viewing your content. Regularly check your follower count growth to evaluate how well your channel is expanding its audience base. Rival IQ recommends monitoring follower demographics like age, gender, and location.
TikTok Creator Marketplace – This hub allows you to partner with influencers and pay them to create branded content for your business. Analyze campaign analytics like reach, engagement rate, clicks, and more to quantify creator marketing performance, as noted by TikTok’s blog.
Pro Tips for Businesses
Here are some pro tips for businesses looking to maximize their success on TikTok:
Optimize your profile – Make sure to complete your profile fully, including links, contact info, and a strong bio explaining your business. Use eye-catching graphics and branding elements in your profile photo and banners to make your profile polished and professional.
Engage with your audience – Reply to comments, do collaborations with influencers, and jump on viral trends related to your business. This kind of engagement helps build a loyal community around your brand on TikTok.
Create partnerships – Strategic partnerships with influencers and other businesses can help cross-promote your TikTok content and expose your brand to new audiences. Offer giveaways or exclusive content to incentivize potential partners.
For more tips, check out this comprehensive guide on using TikTok for business from HootSuite.
Conclusion
It’s clear that upgrading your personal TikTok account to a business account comes with many benefits. By converting your account, you gain access to professional analytics tools, promotional opportunities, and a dedicated space to showcase your brand and engage with your target audience.
To recap, switching your account is simple. Just go to your profile, tap the 3-dot menu icon, select “Manage account”, then tap “Switch to Business Account”. Follow the prompts to set up your business name, category, and contact info.
On our blog, you can find more helpful tips for maximizing your business’s TikTok presence, like best practices for creating branded content, strategies for engaging followers, and guides to TikTok advertising options.
