TikTok is a short-form video platform that has exploded in popularity over the last few years. Originally launched as Douyin in China in 2016, TikTok has grown rapidly across the globe, and now has over 1 billion monthly active users worldwide as of September 2022 (https://www.demandsage.com/tiktok-user-statistics/). In the US alone, TikTok has over 150 million monthly active users and has been downloaded over 185 million times (https://blog.hootsuite.com/tiktok-stats/). The app allows users to create and share short videos, often set to music, and its algorithm is exceptionally good at serving users content that aligns with their interests and keeps them engaged. TikTok’s explosive growth, especially among younger demographics, has established it as a major force in social media and a platform brands increasingly want to tap into.
Define Your Goals
When starting out on TikTok, it’s important to define your goals so you can create content optimized for your desired outcomes. Some common goals on TikTok include:
Growing an audience – Focus on posting engaging, valuable content daily to build up a loyal follower base. Use relevant hashtags and interactive captions to make it easy for viewers to find and connect with your content. Getting on the For You page can help expose your profile to new potential followers.
Going viral – Making content designed to capture attention and be widely shared can help you quickly gain a massive audience. Consider trends, challenges, humor, entertainment, controversy, etc. Interact and engage with viewers who comment to help spur further sharing. As Hootsuite suggests, cross-promote viral content across other social platforms.
Driving traffic or sales – Promote your products, services, website, online store, etc. directly through TikTok. Send viewers to your link in bio via compelling CTAs. Run TikTok ads with conversion objectives like traffic, video views, or purchases. Track conversions to see what content and tactics perform best.
Setting clear goals upfront will shape your content strategy and help benchmark success.
Quality Over Quantity
The key to growing your audience on TikTok is focusing on quality over quantity when it comes to your content. According to TikTok, creative videos made specifically for the platform tend to resonate more with viewers and generate better engagement. Rather than trying to churn out as many posts as possible, put time into crafting high-quality, entertaining videos that will capture attention and be worth sharing.
Look at the successful creators on the platform and take inspiration from their engaging content. Keep in mind the unique style of videos that thrive on TikTok – things like challenges, point-of-view shots, humor, useful tips, and behind-the-scenes footage. Tailor your content for the platform instead of repurposing content from elsewhere.
Well-produced, creative videos that provide value to your audience should be your priority. If you focus on generating captivating content, you won’t need to rely on mass-producing posts to grow your account. Quality over quantity is key.
Ideal Posting Frequency
When it comes to determining the ideal posting frequency on TikTok, recommendations vary. According to TikTok themselves, consistency is key when building an engaged audience. They recommend posting at least once per day, but note that top creators often post multiple times per day.
Other experts recommend starting off slow and finding a sustainable pace. Social media consultant Jenn Herman suggests posting 1-3 times per day for brand accounts. For personal accounts just starting out, she recommends 2-4 videos per week and then slowly increasing frequency.
Influencer marketing agency Mediakix analyzed top TikTok accounts and found the highest performing accounts post over 60 times per month on average. They recommend posting at least 1-2 times per day to see growth.
While optimal frequency depends on your goals, most experts recommend building up to posting at least once daily. Focus on consistency and quality over arbitrarily high quantities.
Consistency is Key
Posting consistently on TikTok is crucial for growth. According to this article, “The Importance of Consistency on TikTok. In addition to understanding the TikTok algorithm, consistency is crucial for achieving growth on the platform …” Regular posting helps the TikTok algorithm recommend your content because it recognizes that you are an active and engaged user producing quality content.
TikTok’s algorithm favors accounts that post consistently over those with sporadic posting. As explained in this guide, “consistency is crucial for achieving growth on the platform and for allowing the algorithm to work in your favor.” Building a consistent posting routine where you post regularly at set times will lead to more views and engagement.
Peak Times
Certain days and times tend to see more engagement on TikTok than others. Analyzing when your target audience is most active on the platform can help you determine the optimal times to post.
In general, the most popular times to post on TikTok are Thursday and Friday evenings, as well as weekends between 11am-5pm when users are relaxing and scrolling through TikTok. Pay attention to when your own videos receive the most engagement, and consider your audience’s demographics and time zones.
For example, younger audiences may be more active in the evenings while people are at work or school. Posting during weekday mornings or afternoons can also work well before things get too crowded. Analyze your TikTok analytics to see when your followers are watching and tailor your posting times accordingly.
Hashtags
Hashtags are critical for discoverability on TikTok. Using the right hashtags will help get your content in front of users who are interested in your niche. According to a TikTok hashtag strategy guide on the Hootsuite blog, you should research hashtags used by top content creators in your niche. Find out which hashtags they use consistently and which hashtags are unique to them. You can use a tool like Ritetag to analyze competitors’ hashtags.
The key is to find a mix of popular hashtags with millions of views along with more niche hashtags in your topic area. As a guide from Boosted suggests, use between 5-10 niche hashtags and 1-3 popular hashtags per video. Avoid spamming too many irrelevant hashtags. Stay focused on hashtags aligned to your content. Continuously test new hashtag variations and analyze performance data to refine your hashtag strategy over time.
Interact with Your Audience
Interacting with your audience is a great way to boost engagement on TikTok. When someone comments on your video or duets with you, be sure to reply or engage with their content. According to Adobe, “Replying to comments is the easiest way to interact and show your audience you care about what they have to say” (source). Dueting is also an effective engagement tactic – when you duet someone else’s video, you are exposing their content to your followers and allowing their followers to discover you.
Replying to comments and dueting shows viewers that you are invested in having a conversation with them. It makes your account seem more personable and approachable. Keyhole states, “Engage with your audience by responding to comments and questions. Duet or react to your audience’s content when they tag you” (source). Making the effort to directly interact demonstrates that you truly care about your TikTok community.
Analyze Your Performance
One of the most important things you can do is analyze your TikTok analytics to understand what’s working and optimize your content strategy. The TikTok analytics page provides data on views, followers, likes, comments and more. You can see daily, weekly and monthly data to identify trends and patterns.
Pay attention to your top performing videos – what type of content gets the most engagement? When are your followers most active? What hashtags lead to the most views? Use these insights to refine your approach. As this article recommends, check your TikTok analytics regularly and keep an eye on competitors too.
Tools like PlannThat also let you dig deeper into the data to optimize your TikTok strategy. Continuously experimenting and analyzing your performance metrics will help you determine the ideal posting approach for your account.
Continue Experimenting
Consistency is important, but you should also continue to experiment with new ideas and strategies on TikTok. As trends change rapidly on the platform, you need to be flexible and willing to adjust your approach. Test posting different types of videos, using new hashtags or effects, or changing up when you post. Look at what strategies are working well for similar creators and try them out too. Analyze the data to see which experiments yield better results. Finding the right formula for growth takes ongoing testing and optimization. As this article mentions, you can’t just set it and forget it – you need to keep innovating with your TikTok marketing experiments.
