What is a TikTok Business Account?

A TikTok business account allows creators, brands, businesses, and organizations to stand out and connect with their audience on TikTok. With a business account, you get access to professional tools and analytics that help you understand your growth, engagement, and traffic on TikTok.

Some key differences between a personal account and a business account on TikTok:

• Analytics: Get insight into your followers and content performance with metrics like plays, likes, comments and more. This helps you make data-driven decisions.
• Advertising: Promote your TikTok videos and profile to reach new audiences. Business accounts have access to TikTok’s self-serve ad platform.
• Profile: Customize your profile with business information like website, email, phone number, store location and more.
• Branding: Business accounts stand out with a professional look. Your username gets a verification badge after reaching 10K followers.

Overall, a TikTok business account gives you tools to build your brand, connect with followers, and track your marketing efforts on the platform. It establishes credibility and presence for businesses and creators.

Why Switch to a TikTok Business Account?

Here are some key reasons to upgrade to a business account on TikTok:

Reach More People

TikTok gives business accounts extra visibility in the app, helping you get discovered by new audiences. Your content is shown to more users in TikTok’s algorithms.

Analytics and Insights

As mentioned above, analytics are only available for business accounts. Track important metrics like plays, follows, profile visits, top videos, traffic sources and more.

Advertise on TikTok

Boost your views and gain followers by promoting your videos and account using TikTok Ads Manager. Target your ads to precise demographics.

Professional Branding

Business accounts have a branded, verified look. You can add business info to your profile like website, contact info, about section and more.

Expanded Profile and Features

Add links to e-commerce shops, playlists, multi-page profiles and more. The expanded profile gives you more options to engage viewers.

Lead Generation

Drive leads, site traffic, and conversions using TikTok Lead Gen forms and links. Collect contact or application info right within the app.

Partner Programs

Access special programs like TikTok for Business. Get insider tips and expanded support to maximize your branded content.

How to Switch to a TikTok Business Account

Switching your personal TikTok account to a business account only takes a few minutes. Follow these steps:

Step 1: Open your TikTok Profile

• Launch the TikTok app on your mobile device and go to your profile page.
• Tap the three-dot menu icon in the upper right corner.

Step 2: Tap “Switch to Business Account”

• From the menu, choose “Switch to Business Account”.
• A pop-up will explain benefits of a business account. Tap “Let’s Go” to proceed.

Step 3: Confirm Your Location

• Enter your business location or where most of your audience is based. Choose country and region.
• This helps TikTok tailor marketing tools and recommendations.

Step 4: Create a Business Name

• Add your branded business name or username.
• This will become your new @ handle prefix on TikTok.

Step 5: Upload Profile Photo

• Upload a logo or branded profile photo.
• Use your company logo or other professional image.

Step 6: Write Profile Category and Bio

• Select a profile category like Retail Company, Content Creator, Nonprofit, etc.
• Add a short bio introducing your brand or business.

Step 7: Agreement and Confirmation

• Read TikTok’s branded content policies. Check box to agree.
• Tap “All Set” to complete the conversion process.

Once you press “All Set”, your TikTok account will instantly convert into a business account!

The process is quick and easy. You’ll immediately gain access to additional analytics, advertising, and branding options for establishing your business presence on TikTok.

Key Differences in Profile, Features, and Settings

Here are some of the main changes you’ll notice after switching to a TikTok business account:

Profile Tab

• Verification Badge – Accounts with over 10k followers get a blue verification badge automatically. Helps establish credibility.
• Category – Can select a specific business category like Retail, Food & Drink, Education, etc.
• Bio – Longer character limit for writing a detailed business bio.
• Links – Add clickable links to your website, e-commerce store, contact pages, and more.
• Contact Info – Share email, phone, physical address, hours, and other business details.
• Profile Photo – Use your business logo or brand imagery.

Content Tab

• Create and organize Playlists to highlight your best videos.
• Post longer-form videos up to 10 minutes with Multi-Page Videos.
• Product Links take viewers to your online store to purchase featured items.

Analytics Tab

• Follower Demographics – See follower gender, age, device, locations, peak times, and more.
• Content Analytics – Get detailed stats for all your videos including plays, followers, likes, comments, shares, traffic sources, top videos, etc.
• Profile Views – Monitor total profile views plus sources like search, hashtags, suggestions, etc.

Advertising Tab

• Access the TikTok Ads Manager to create and manage advertising campaigns.
• Enable Lead Generation to collect user contact info with call-to-action buttons.
• Pixel Tracking integrates with Google/ Facebook ads to optimize targeting.
• Branded Content – Disclose branded partnerships using in-app disclosure tools.

Step-by-Step Guide to Setting Up Your Business Profile

Once your account is switched over, it’s time to fully customize and flesh out your TikTok business profile. Follow these steps:

Pick a Profile Photo

• Upload your business logo, brand visuals, product image or other professional photo.
• The ideal specs are 800×800 pixels, under 5MB file size.
• This photo appears on your profile and with your video content.

Fill Out Your Bio

• Use 150-160 characters to concisely explain your business to viewers.
• Include info like products/services, brand mission, target audience and value proposition.
• Add a link to your website or online store.

Connect Social Accounts

• Link any other social media profiles like Instagram, Facebook, YouTube or Twitter.
• Cross-promote your TikTok content to wider audiences.

Share Contact Information

• Add crucial contact info like phone number, email, physical address and business hours.
• Helps customers, partners and press get in touch.

Select Profile Category

• Choose a descriptor like Retail Company, Travel Agency, Content Creator, Nonprofit, etc.
• Lets viewers quickly understand your business niche.

Create Playlists

• Organize top videos into categorized playlists like “Most Popular”, “Product Demos”, “Tutorials”, etc.
• Makes it easy for visitors to navigate your content.

Set Up Shopping Links

• Enable shopping links if you have an online store. Send viewers straight to product pages.
• Great for product demos, unboxings, clothing hauls, and retail content.

Drive External Traffic

• In link settings, create trackable links to your website, landing pages, or external offers.
• Monitor clicks and conversions from your TikTok traffic.

Enable Lead Gen (If Applicable)

• Collect user contacts directly on TikTok with custom call-to-action buttons like “Sign Up”, “Buy Now”, “Contact Us”.
• Great for contests, offers, appointments, consultations, etc.

With these tips, you can fully build out your TikTok business profile and start leveraging the platform to drive results for your brand!

How Business Accounts Increase Exposure on TikTok

Once your account is switched over, TikTok will begin promoting your content to a wider audience to help grow your brand presence. Here are some of the ways business accounts get a visibility boost:

Expanded For You Feed Recommendations

TikTok’s recommendation algorithm highlights business accounts to users who are likely to interact with your content. More users will discover you in their For You feed.

Increased Profile Recommendations

Your profile is suggested to more users who search related content, hashtags, sounds, etc. They will see you as an “Account to Follow”.

Higher Weight in Hashtag Feeds

Having a business account gives your videos a boost in hashtag feeds. More people will find you when browsing niche hashtags.

Added to Branded Content Playlists

TikTok compiles branded playlists like “Shop Small Business” and “Community Commerce” to feature business accounts.

Promoted in Advertiser-Focused Areas

Your content may get promoted in certain ad-focused parts of the app like the Discover tab.

Prioritized in Search Results

Searches for your branded name, username or business keywords will rank your account higher than personal accounts.

Preference in Suggested Accounts

TikTok is more likely to push your account as a “Suggested User” to follow when recommending similar businesses.

The combination of these factors gives your business account an advantage in surfacing your content across TikTok. The wider exposure leads to more profile views, followers, engagement, and ultimately customers.

Key Tips for Creating Business and Brand-Friendly Content

The right social media content strategy is crucial for business success on TikTok. Here are some best practices:

Showcase Products or Services – Demonstrate how you solve customer needs. Give value.

Education and How-To – Teach, inform and entertain your audience with useful tips.

Behind-the-Scenes – Provide inside looks at your brand, team, office, or production.

User-Generated Content – Repost and stitch customer videos about your brand.

Hashtag Challenges – Launch a branded hashtag challenge for UGC and awareness.

Partnerships – Collaborate with influencers or other brands in your niche.

Spotlight Employees – Help humanize your brand by featuring team members.

Respond to Comments – Engage followers by replying to questions and feedback.

Current Events and Trends – Ride trends with relevant and timely content hooks.

Promote Off-Platform – Drive viewers to your website, products, services and promotions.

Short-Form Announcements – Share news updates, events, launches and announcements.

The most effective business content provides value, solves problems, educates, entertains, and engages your target audience. Post consistently and monitor analytics to see what resonates.

Maximizing Business Analytics on TikTok

One of the biggest advantages of switching to a TikTok business account is gaining access to crucial analytics. But you need to know how to dig into the data. Here are some tips:

Follow Your Key Metrics

Identify 4-5 KPIs, set targets, and consistently track your performance. Plays, followers, likes, comments, and profile traffic are good starting points.

Analyze Performance by Video

Go beyond top-line numbers. Look at engagement metrics for each individual video to find your best performers.

Optimize Based on Traffic Sources

See where your profile views are coming from – hashtags, Google, TikTok search, etc. Double down on sources driving the most traffic.

Review Follower Demographics

Analyze follower gender, age, location, device usage and hours. Use this intel to finetune your content and targeting.

Monitor Competition

Use TikTok analytics to assess competitors’ follower growth, engagement rates, video views and more. Learn from what’s working for them.

Correlate TikTok and Other Data

Compare your TikTok analytics with website traffic, search volume, sales metrics and other data to get the full picture.

Set Goals and Benchmarks

Identify monthly goals for growth, engagement rate, and conversions. Measure results against targets to assess progress.

Track Long-Term Trends

Look at longer-term changes in followers, views, likes, comments, and traffic month-over-month. Optimize based on learnings.

Diving into the data will help you make smarter decisions and investments for your TikTok marketing strategy. Consistently analyze and apply insights for better results.

Advertising Options for Business Accounts

Once of the biggest draws of switching to a business account is gaining access to TikTok’s suite of advertising tools. Here are the main options you’ll have:

TikTok Ads Manager

This is TikTok’s self-serve ad platform where you can create, target, run and optimize ad campaigns directly. Available ad formats include In-Feed Videos, Brand Takeovers, Branded Hashtag Challenges, and more.

Brand Takeovers

This immersive ad unit allows you to “takeover” the TikTok app when launched. Your video ad will be the first thing users see when opening TikTok for a day. High visibility and impact.

In-Feed Videos

This is one of the most popular ad formats on TikTok. You can target and promote short video ads in user feeds. Similar to promoted posts on other platforms. Wide distribution and views.

Hashtag Challenges

Sponsor a branded hashtag challenge to inspire UGC around your campaign. Gets your brand in front of engaged communities organically.

TopView Ads

This video ad unit appears when users first launch TikTok, giving your brand prominent placement. Tap controls let viewers engage further.

Branded Effects

Leverage sponsored lenses, filters and augmented reality to showcase your brand. Users can use your branded effect in their own content.

Hashtag Stickers

This overlay sticker ties your brand to trending hashtag challenges. Users can add your sponsored hashtag to their content as they participate.

Lead Generation

Collect user contact information with customized call-to-action buttons like “Sign Up” or “Apply Now”. Great for offers, appointments, registrations, etc.

TikTok ads offer diverse options to drive results from awareness to conversions. Start small to test different formats and targeting approaches.

Tips for Creating Engaging TikTok Ads

It takes more than simply repurposing your standard social media ads to get results on TikTok. The platform calls for a differentiated approach. Use these tips:

Leverage TikTok Creative Styles – Use popular TikTok video edits, effects, stickers, text overlays and other creative elements native to the platform. This helps your ads feel less intrusive and more seamless.

Highlight Your Brand Personality – Incorporate your brand persona into ads through style, tone, music, visuals and more. Align with how you want audiences to perceive you.

Educate and Entertain – Like other successful content, ads should inform, educate or entertain viewers – not just sell. Offer value upfront before making your branding pitch.

Keep it Short – TikTok has an ultra-short attention span. Get to the point fast. Hook viewers in the first 3-5 seconds before they skip.

Leverage Influencers – Partner with creators in your niche to produce sponsored ads promoting your brand, products or services to their audience.

Try Vertical and Horizontal – Capture attention by switching up orientation. Film some ads portrait and others landscape for diverse content.

Show Behind-the-Scenes – Pull back the curtain to build rapport with “behind the scenes” videos of your product, office, team, or processes.

Spotlight Customers – User-generated testimonials and customer videos are powerful social proof. Re-share (with permission) or re-enact.

Promote Offers and Events – Highlight special sales, deals, contests, product launches, or local happenings to create urgency and buzz.

Retarget Traffic – Upload email lists into your ads manager to target website visitors, subscribers, past purchasers, etc. with relevant offers.

Testing different ad types, placements, creative styles and targeting will reveal what resonates most with your audience and goals. Refine based on performance.