Let's dive into TikTok best practices. Whether you're a TikTok veteran or just getting started, this guide will help you make the most of your time on the platform. With a little thought and planning, you'll have a chance to connect with existing fans and garner new viewership by getting seen by the app's 1 billion monthly active uses.
To start, let's make sure your account is looking the best it can be. First, pick a clear and recognizable profile picture. We'd recommend a nice headshot or high-resolution image of your logo. Next, connect your YouTube and Instagram accounts to your profile by tapping 'edit profile' on your account page. Gaining followers on TikTok can be a great way to promote your brand across all platforms. To tie it all together, make sure you create a simple and fun bio.
It's safe to say that short-form content works best on TikTok, with the average retention rate across the platform being 7 seconds. TikTok has a 10-minute video length limit, but they have said that shorter videos perform better in most circumstances, especially if you're building an initial fan base.
Now, what should you be creating? Before you press record and start uploading, let's take a look at some features that can help boost your engagement and discoverability:
Duets - A simple way to join in on videos. Duet creates a picture in picture view and allows you to collaborate with others and join in on Duet trends. For example, many music artists will create 'Open Verse Challenges' where they'll sing a chorus and leave an open verse for anyone to Duet and join in. This can be a great way to get seen. In addition, creating your own trends like this can be a great way to encourage fans to use your music.
Official Sounds - Anytime you think about using music in your videos, be sure it's an Official Sound, which just means a sound that's coming directly from the TikTok music library. Making your music available as an Official Sound through Quarterlab will allow others to create videos using your music, and will also make all uses of your music visible on a single landing page for that song. Getting people to create videos with your music is a great way to increase your chances of getting featured and playlisted on TikTok.
Q&A - Sometimes, people just want to get to know you. TikTok's Q&A feature lets your audience ask questions, and you can answer with just a click of a button. This feature is excellent for building valuable connections with your audience.
When thinking of what kind of content to create on TikTok, one of the most important questions to ask is: "Can I find this content on other platforms?". The types of videos that perform best on TikTok are native videos that can't be found anywhere else. There are all types of genres and sub-genres on TikTok, and the platform is filled with unique content that you can't find on Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, etc... So really think about what kind of original content you can provide on TikTok that isn't already found on other platforms.
If you are a musician or artist trying to grow your TikTok, think of it more as "documenting" instead or "creating". Artists see a lot of success on TikTok when they provide everyday life type of content. Think less music video cut-downs, and more behind the scenes in the studio or in the tour bus. Native content performs best on TikTok, so while it may seem easy to repurpose other content and post to TikTok, we'd recommend trying to create native videos specifically for TikTok. If you are going to use repurposed content, try to add at least one in-app tool or element to the video so it feels more TikTok organic. Examples of that would be: introduce the video with a text on-screen or voiceover, or use the duets feature.
You've recorded your video, so it's time to post. Hashtags are one of the easiest ways to get seen on TikTok. Therefore, it's crucial to choose 2-3 strong hashtags. For a long time now, it's been thought that adding '#FYP' (For You Page) would help get your videos seen. However, TikTok has announced that they've seen very little proof behind that claim. It's also great to use hashtags that are more niche. For example, let's say you're a music artist from Orange County. If you're releasing a new song, rather than using #Music (which has 311.9 billion views in total), try a hashtag like #OrangeCountyMusic (which has 76.5k views in total).
Be sure also to turn on auto-captions and translations. If lyrics include profanity, make sure to remove or use asterisks for profanity in the captions. TikTok has stated that profanity is okay to be heard but not seen.
Now that you're up and running, here are a few more tips. TikTok is all about consistency. If you'd like to see growth, post at least 2 to 5 times a week. However, the more you upload, the higher your page's chance of driving growth. Make sure you're also replying to comments and engaging in your posts. You can also utilize the Pin feature in the comments to highlight tour dates, release dates, or any valuable information. Once you hit 1,000 followers, you'll also be able to broadcast live streams, which can play a significant part in connecting to your audience.
If there's an interest, there's an audience, which is a key component to keep in mind when creating on TikTok. Create videos that you'd enjoy watching yourself, and be sure to utilize your growth to broaden your audience on all platforms. If you have any questions regarding this or anything else on TikTok, be sure to contact us.
