TikTok has rapidly become one of the most popular social media platforms in the world. Since launching internationally in 2017, TikTok has amassed over 1 billion monthly active users as of September 2021 (TikTok Statistics). It has a massive and highly engaged user base, especially among younger audiences. According to TikTok, over 50% of its daily active users are between the ages of 16 and 24.
On TikTok, users can create and share 15-60 second video clips set to music and other audio. Its fun, entertaining content and powerful creation tools have made it wildly popular. The app saw huge growth during the COVID-19 pandemic as people turned to it for entertainment during lockdowns.
There are two main types of TikTok accounts – personal and business. Personal accounts are for everyday users to connect with friends and share fun videos. Business accounts have additional features tailored for brands, businesses, creators and public figures to reach and engage their target audiences.
Creating a Personal Account
To create a personal TikTok account, you first need to download the TikTok app on your mobile device from the App Store or Google Play store. After installing the app, open it up and tap on the profile icon in the bottom right corner. You will then be prompted to sign up either using your phone number, email address, Facebook, or Google account (Creating an account | TikTok Help Center).
With a personal TikTok account, you can upload and share short videos up to 3 minutes long. You have access to all of TikTok’s creative tools and filters to make fun and engaging videos. Your profile allows you to accumulate followers and likes on your content. You can also browse and interact with content from people you follow. A key benefit of a personal account is that it separates your personal and professional presence on TikTok.
Creating a Business Account
To convert an existing personal TikTok account to a business account, go to your profile page and tap the three-dot menu icon. Select “Switch to Business Account” and follow the prompts. You’ll need to enter some basic information like a business name, category, and contact info. TikTok will review the request and approve it if eligible.
To set up a brand new TikTok business account, download the TikTok app and select “Use business email” during signup. Enter your business email and follow the steps to create your business profile.
According to TikTok’s help articles (source), the key features unlocked with a TikTok business account include:
- Analytics – Track performance data like impressions, reach, and engagement.
- Advertising – Run paid ad campaigns directly in the app.
- Lead Generation – Collect user contact info with call-to-action buttons.
- Branded Content – Promote branded content and sponsorships.
- TikTok for Business Manager – Manage multiple business accounts.
Content Creation
There are some key differences in content creation and posting capabilities between personal and business accounts on TikTok. Business accounts have access to more advanced content creation tools and features such as longer video uploads, embedded links, and multimedia posts. Personal accounts currently are limited to posting videos up to 60 seconds long, while business accounts can upload videos up to 10 minutes long. Business accounts also have the ability to add links in their bios and posts, allowing them to drive traffic to their websites or products. Additionally, business accounts can create multimedia posts combining images, text and videos unlike personal accounts which are limited to video. These features allow businesses to create more diverse and engaging content on their TikTok profiles.
In addition to expanded content creation abilities, business accounts on TikTok have access to digital rights management tools. They can enable reference video and audio attribution to give credit to material used from other creators. Businesses can also turn on the “video unavailable” feature which temporarily makes a video private if copyright concerns arise. These capabilities help protect business accounts from copyright violations as they develop content. Overall, upgrading to a TikTok business account provides more versatility and protection when creating marketing content and connecting with audiences.
Analytics
Personal TikTok accounts have access to basic analytics like views, likes, comments, and shares. However, the analytics are limited compared to business accounts.
TikTok business accounts unlock much more in-depth analytics on content performance, audience engagement, traffic sources, and more. Key analytics provided in business accounts include:
- Watch time metrics like average watch time and drop off rates
- Audience demographics like age, gender, location
- Traffic sources showing where views are coming from
- Content performance graphs for likes, comments, shares
- Hashtag and @Mention performance
- Top videos and overall account performance
The robust analytics in TikTok business accounts allow creators and brands to better understand their audience, optimize content, and make data-driven decisions. Whereas personal accounts provide only limited surface-level analytics.
Advertising
One of the key differences between personal and business accounts on TikTok is the ability to run advertising campaigns. Personal TikTok accounts do not have access to TikTok’s self-serve ad platform.
To run ads on TikTok, you need to convert your account to a TikTok business account. As per TikTok’s help center, only business accounts can promote content and amplify reach through paid advertising [1].
With a business account, you can access TikTok Ads Manager and create ad campaigns to promote your brand, products, services or other business goals. TikTok’s advertising platform allows businesses to target users by demographics, behaviors, and interests. Advertisers can promote content in the TikTok feed, in Stories, via Brand Takeovers and more.
According to LinkedIn, key benefits of TikTok ads include efficient audience targeting, engaging ad formats, and relatively low costs for conversions [2]. With a TikTok business account, brands can tap into TikTok’s highly engaged user base and young demographic.
Audience Targeting
One of the key differences between personal and business accounts on TikTok is the ability to target audiences. Personal accounts have limited options for targeting ads to specific demographics or interests. However, business accounts unlock more advanced audience targeting capabilities.
With a TikTok business account, advertisers can create custom audiences to target ads. As TikTok’s support article explains, custom audiences allow you to target users who have already engaged with your business, such as past customers or website visitors. This is a powerful way to retarget potential customers.
Business accounts also enable interest targeting. As outlined in TikTok’s targeting best practices, interest targeting allows ads to be shown to users who are likely to be interested in your products or services based on their activity on TikTok. This opens up a wider potential audience beyond just past customers.
Furthermore, business accounts unlock additional advanced targeting capabilities like retargeting and lookalike audiences. Overall, the more sophisticated audience targeting is a major advantage of TikTok business accounts compared to personal accounts.
Monetization
One of the main differences between personal and business accounts on TikTok is the ability to monetize content directly on the platform. Personal accounts do not have access to TikTok’s monetization features (https://support.tiktok.com/en/business-and-creator). However, business accounts can utilize options like TikTok LIVE subscriptions, tipping, and the Creator Fund to earn money from their videos (https://metricool.com/monetize-tiktok/).
With a business account, creators can go live and enable viewer subscriptions. Fans can purchase “coins” to use for tipping their favorite creators during livestreams. TikTok also offers a Creator Fund that pays creators based on their viewership and engagement. To access these monetization features, you must switch to a business account and meet TikTok’s eligibility requirements.
In contrast, personal accounts have no built-in monetization capabilities. However, popular creators can still earn money indirectly through sponsorships, affiliate marketing, selling merchandise, and other methods. But to access TikTok’s own monetization tools, a business account is required.
Branding
Personal accounts on TikTok are designed for individual creators to express themselves and build a following. These accounts showcase a person’s identity and content style. As the TikTok Business Account page states, personal accounts are best suited for “Everyday creators looking to express themselves.”
In contrast, business accounts on TikTok allow official brand representation. As explained on TikTok’s support page, business accounts enable brands to “use TikTok’s marketing tools to build a cohesive marketing strategy.” These accounts speak with the brand’s voice and promote its identity through content. Ultimately, business accounts facilitate branded content and campaign management.
Conclusion
In summary, the key differences between TikTok personal and business accounts are:
- Business accounts have access to TikTok analytics and advertising platforms, personal accounts do not.
- Business accounts can enable branded content and shopping features, personal accounts cannot.
- Business accounts allow you to switch between personal and business styles seamlessly.
- Personal accounts are for individual creators to manage their own content.
- Business accounts allow collaboration between multiple users and managers.
In terms of which account type is suitable for different needs:
- Personal accounts are best for individual creators and influencers looking to manage their own content.
- Business accounts are ideal for brands, businesses, organizations and creators looking to grow a larger following, access analytics, run advertising campaigns, and enable business features.
- Users unsure about whether they need a business profile can start with a personal account and switch over later as their needs change.
Overall, evaluating your specific goals and needs will determine which type of TikTok account is right for you.
