What is a TikTok business account?
A TikTok business account is a type of account on the TikTok platform designed specifically for brands, businesses, creators, and publishers to manage their presence and promote themselves on TikTok. Unlike a standard personal TikTok account, a TikTok business account unlocks additional tools and analytics that help businesses grow and connect with their target audience.
Some key features available to TikTok business accounts include:
- Access to TikTok analytics – View detailed data and insights about your content performance, audience demographics, traffic sources, top videos, etc.
- Improved account management – Add a business category, links, emails, add managers to your account, and more.
- Branded content tools – Create branded effects, AR lenses, and more to promote your business.
- Promoted ads platform – Run targeted ads to reach new audiences and grow your follower base.
- TikTok for Business Manager – Unlock additional tools to manage multiple TikTok accounts and campaigns.
In contrast, standard personal TikTok accounts have limited analytics and lack many of the brand marketing-focused features that business accounts offer. Converting to a business account is essential for any brand looking to use TikTok for connecting with fans, running ads, and tracking campaign performance.
Benefits of a TikTok business account
A TikTok business account provides a number of advantages over a standard personal account. According to Tips for Making Your TikTok Influencer Marketing Strategy, the key benefits are:
- Analytics and insights – Business accounts get access to TikTok analytics, allowing you to view data and insights on your content performance. This includes stats on views, likes, comments, shares, audience demographics and more.
- Promoted content and advertising – Business accounts can run native TikTok ads to reach new audiences. You can promote individual videos or create full marketing campaigns.
- Business messaging and call-to-action buttons – Add clickable call-to-action buttons to your TikTok videos to drive traffic to your website, app or email list. You can also enable messaging so users can contact your business.
According to Tiktok Marketing Strategies Proven to Boost Your Brand in 2023, having access to these tools allows businesses to optimize their TikTok marketing and track engagement and conversions.
TikTok business account eligibility requirements
To be eligible for a TikTok business account, your account must meet certain criteria set by TikTok. The main requirements relate to account age, number of followers/engagement, and content quality guidelines.
According to TikTok’s support page (https://support.tiktok.com/en/using-tiktok/growing-your-audience/switching-to-a-creator-or-business-account), your account must be at least 30 days old before you can convert to a business account.
You also need a minimum number of followers and engagement. TikTok does not disclose the exact thresholds, but generally your account should have at least 1,000 followers and be posting content that generates strong engagement through likes, comments, and shares.
Finally, your content needs to adhere to TikTok’s community guidelines and terms of service. This means avoiding inappropriate, dangerous, or misleading content. High-quality, original content has the best chance of meeting the criteria.
How to convert to a TikTok business account
Converting your personal TikTok account to a business account is easy to do within the app. Here are the steps:
1. Open the TikTok app and go to your profile page. Tap on the three-dot menu button in the top right corner.
2. Select “Switch to Business Account” from the menu. This will open up a page to convert your account.
3. You will need to enter your business information including your business name, business category, business email, and phone number.
4. Read and agree to TikTok’s Terms of Service to continue.
5. Tap “Next” and your account will begin the review process to convert to a business profile.
The review process can take up to a few days. TikTok will review your account information to confirm you meet its criteria for a business account. Make sure all the information you provided is accurate to avoid any delays.
Once approved, you will receive confirmation that your TikTok account has been successfully converted to a business profile. You can then access business tools and analytics within the app.
Tips for getting approved for a TikTok business account
There are several things you can do to improve your chances of getting approved for a TikTok business account:
Produce high-quality, relevant content. TikTok wants to see that you will consistently post engaging videos that fit the platform. Spend time creating original, entertaining videos that showcase your brand personality.
Engage with your audience. Don’t just post content without interacting. Respond to comments, collaborate with influencers, and develop relationships with users. TikTok wants to see you building an organic following.
Link to your website/social media. In your TikTok bio, link to your other online properties like your website or Instagram page. This shows TikTok you have an established presence and are serious about doing business on their platform.
Have an active website. TikTok requires a website to approve business accounts. Ensure your site is recently updated, secure, and represents your brand well. Don’t just create a placeholder site to get approved.
Follow all community guidelines. Make sure your content abides by TikTok’s rules. Controversial or inappropriate content could lead to rejection.
Appeal a rejection. If denied, you can appeal the decision and clarify why you meet the requirements. Provide additional website or branding details.
Be patient. It can take days or weeks to get approved. Persistently produce quality content while awaiting application review.
Common reasons for TikTok business account rejection
Some of the most common reasons for why a TikTok business account request gets rejected include:
– Low-quality or irrelevant content – TikTok may reject your account request if much of your content is not relevant to your business or if it is low-quality. Post high-quality, relevant videos showcasing your business. According to TikTok’s support page, irrelevant content like memes or videos not related to your business can lead to rejection (https://ads.tiktok.com/help/article/account-approval-faq?lang=en).
– Inauthentic engagement – Buying followers or using bots/services to artificially inflate your engagement is against TikTok’s policies. TikTok can detect inauthentic engagement and will reject accounts that use these tactics. Focus on producing quality content and engaging real viewers.
– Violations of content policies – Make sure your content abides by TikTok’s community guidelines and terms of service. Accounts posting prohibited content like hate speech, harassment, or dangerous acts will get rejected.
What to do if your request is rejected
If your request to convert to a TikTok business account is rejected, don’t be discouraged. Here are some tips on what to try next:
First, carefully review and improve your profile content. Make sure your bio, videos, hashtags, captions, and other profile details fully comply with TikTok’s policies. Remove any questionable or borderline content.
Next, focus on building your audience organically for a while. Post high-quality, engaging videos regularly. Use relevant hashtags and interact with your audience in comments. Growing your followers shows TikTok you are committed to the platform.
After 30 days, consider reapplying for a TikTok business account. The waiting period gives you time to improve your profile and demonstrate your commitment. Make sure you have at least 1,000 followers before reapplying.
If your request is rejected again, contact TikTok support to appeal the decision and clarify any issues. Be patient and keep working to grow your audience in the meantime.
Appealing a rejected TikTok business account request
If your request for a TikTok business account is rejected, you can submit an appeal to TikTok to have your request reconsidered. Here are the steps to appeal a rejected business account request:
1. Log in to your TikTok account and go to the Settings page. Click on the “Report a Problem” link.
2. Select the option for “Appeal rejected business account request”.
3. You will be prompted to provide additional information about your account and content. Explain why you believe your account should be approved for a business account, such as:
- Your account represents a legitimate business or brand
- You will use the account for business/commercial purposes
- Your content abides by TikTok’s community guidelines
4. Make sure to provide as much detail as possible in your appeal to demonstrate why your account meets the criteria for a TikTok business account.
5. After submitting your appeal, you should receive a response from TikTok within 1-2 business days letting you know if your appeal was approved or denied.
6. If your appeal is denied, you can continue working to align your account with TikTok’s business account policies and reapply after 30 days.
Managing Your TikTok Business Account
Once your account has been approved for business use, there are several key features you should utilize to get the most out of your TikTok business profile:
Utilizing Analytics – TikTok provides robust analytics for business accounts. You can view data on impressions, engagement, website traffic, and more. Analyze this data to optimize your content strategy and determine what resonates best with your audience. TikTok analytics are accessible in the app by tapping on the “Analytics” tab in your profile.(1)
Creating Promotions – Promote your best performing content, website, or products directly within the TikTok app using in-feed video ads. TikTok provides an Ads Manager specifically for business accounts to create and manage ad campaigns. Tailor your promotions to engage your existing audience while also reaching new potential customers.(2)
Interacting with Customers – Reply to comments, create polls, and go live to build connections with your audience. TikTok is a community-driven platform – take advantage of interactive features to humanize your brand and provide value to followers. Consider collaborating with influencers in your niche as well.(3)
Effectively managing your business profile provides key insights while allowing you to creatively engage your market. Take time to familiarize yourself with all of the features available to brands on TikTok.
Promoting your TikTok business account
Once you have set up your TikTok business account, it’s important to promote it to start growing your followers and engagement. Here are some key tips for promoting your business on TikTok:
Cross-promote your TikTok content on other platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. Share your videos or links to your TikTok profile to help drive traffic from your existing followers on other sites. You can also add your TikTok handle in your bios or profiles on other platforms.
Leverage popular hashtags and trends by creating content that taps into viral memes or challenges on TikTok. Use relevant niche hashtags in your captions as well to make it easy for your target audience to find your content. You can research trending sounds, hashtags, and effects in the Discover tab.
Collaborate with influencers in your industry by having them feature your product or service in their content. Offer to send them free products to review or create sponsored content partnerships. Getting influencer endorsements can significantly boost your credibility and reach.
Sources: https://www.tiktok.com/business/en-US/blog/small-business-marketing-tiktok-ultimate-guide
