Building Your Brand on TikTok

 Building Your Brand on TikTok: Tips from a TikTok Expert

Have your heard? TikTok is no longer just for teenagers. It’s a hot spot for digital marketing and brand awareness that you seriously need to be involved with. TikTok has been downloaded over 3 billion times and the average user spends 80 minutes a day on the app. That’s a lot of marketing potential you are leaving untapped if you aren’t using TikTok effectively. 

“But I can’t dance?!” you may say. Don’t worry, you don’t have to! I can show you how to take advantage of TikTok trends and build your brand in a way that works for you and your business. Dancing is totally optional!

Let’s look at how you can build your brand on TikTok. I’ve been using TikTok to promote and grow my business for years. I want to help you learn from my mistakes and my successes so you too can be a TikTok expert.

• Getting Started on TikTok

The key to getting started is to get started. TikTok is a relatively new social media platform. That means, unlike Instagram and Facebook, the platform isn’t saturated yet. You have a whole audience of people who will actually hear what you have to offer. Your message won’t get lost in the crowd.

The first step is, of course, to create an account. But more is needed than simply showing up to the party. You need to provide something of value. TikTok loves educational content. You have the knowledge to impart and the TikTok audience is ready to learn. 

Your videos will reach a much wider audience on TikTok because of their For You page. You want to be sure your videos are being featured often in the feeds of your potential customers. Therefore, you need to understand the algorithms TikTok uses to optimize your content. I can help with that! Be sure to download my A-Z Guide for Entrepreneurs on TikTok.

• Get Ready to Film

Okay! So, you’ve got your account all set up and now you’re ready to start posting videos. Before you start filming, let me give you some awesome tips that will make your videos a success. 

• Prepare your content

Preparation is vital. Before you even turn on the camera, take the time to plan out your content. Your goal is to create evergreen content, and videos that will be relevant today, tomorrow, and a year from now. Make a list of topics to cover in your videos. For example, a good place to start might be the Top 10 FAQs about your industry.

Next, decide how often you want to post. Consistency is more important than frequency. Plan out your videos so that you have consistent content. Your audience, and TikTok algorithms, will respond to regularity regardless of whether you post once a day or once a week. 

• Prepare your time

It will take time to get used to being on camera. Start with a schedule that feels manageable to you.  Block off 2-3 hours of time to film. Plan on filming 6-10 videos at one time. As you are getting started, focus on creating the minimum viable product. It doesn’t need to be perfect; it just needs to be. Don’t waste a lot of time reshooting or editing your videos. 

• Prepare your space

Find a location with good lighting. If you don’t want to invest in lighting, such as a ring light, choose an area in front of a window or use daylight bulbs.

• Decide on your background.

It should be tidy and interesting, but not distracting. Remember, you want your audience to listen to you, not wonder what is going on behind you.

Overcoming Challenges

TikTok doesn’t need to be complicated, but there are some challenges to creating content that connects with your audience. Let’s look at some common challenges and how you can overcome them.

I Don’t Know What to Post!

One of the biggest mistakes people make when starting on TikTok is posting the wrong kind of content. Maybe you have been posting videos but not getting any feedback. Or you haven’t posted anything yet because you just don’t know what to say. 

Before you start filming, create a game plan for several videos. Decide who your target audience is and speak to them. Remember that different types of content will appeal to different people. Some will respond to emotion and personal connection. Others prefer hard facts and logic. While staying true to your brand identity, try to create a variety of video types. 

Your videos should focus on the who, what, where, and why of your services or products. Limit the how-to content because that’s what you want your audience to pay you for. For some great ideas check out these 7 Easy Ways to Come Up With Great Content on TikTok.

I’m Not Comfortable in Front of the Camera!

I’m an introvert! I hate the sound of my own voice! I don’t want to do silly dances! Have you said any of those things when the topic of TikTok comes up? 

Those may be challenges, but they aren’t insurmountable obstacles. In fact, many of my clients felt the same way. You don’t have to change who you are to be successful on TikTok. Authenticity is vital. Be yourself and talk to the camera like you would talk to a prospective client. Be enthusiastic and share your passion. Don’t give too much credence to trolls. We’ll get more into that a bit later.

I Don’t Have the Time!

Yes, you do! We aren’t talking about making a movie. You are already spending time creating content for your other social media accounts, your website and blog, and newsletters. TikTok will continue to share your videos for up to 6 months after you post. You don’t have the time not to be on TikTok.

Start small by filming 30-second videos of you talking to the camera. As you prepare your content for other locations, choose topics that you can easily create TikTok videos about. I’ll share my filming workflow in a little bit. 

The Dark Side of Going Viral

TikTok is a bridge between you and your audience, and we all know what likes to live under bridges. Trolls! 

So how do you deal with trolls? It starts with having the right mindset. Be prepared for negative comments. Have enough confidence in yourself, your message, and your brand to ignore the negative comments. Don’t give trolls what they want- attention. 

Going viral on TikTok may seem like the dream. After all, more views mean more people who know about you and what you have to offer. But there is a dark side. Besides dealing with trolls, you will also have reached a larger audience who may or may not be your ideal clients. Be prepared by having the right foundation in place. Your new viewers need to know who you are, what you offer, and why they should trust you. You will then be in a position to convert new viewers into paying customers.

How to Showcase Your Brand

We all choose brands that resonate with us. We like their message, or they share our core values. We feel like they “get me” and their product or service is the right fit for our life. You want your viewers to feel that same way about you. 

If you have a business, you have a brand. What that brand is, how people think of you, is entirely up to you. By being authentic and consistent across your marketing platforms, you will create a brand your audience will remember and trust. 

Your videos should focus on your values and personality in a way that is appealing to your viewers. Create the kind of content your ideal client will enjoy, and the right people will come to you.

How TikTok Can Help You Grow Your Business

TikTok reaches a huge audience. When it comes to marketing, you can sort people into 3 categories, cold, warm, and hot. TikTok will help you reach a large cold audience and convert them into warm and hot. How?

The average TikTok user watches between 100 and 300 videos a day. 70-80% of these videos are watched on the For You Page. Each video you create will appear on this explore page. This means your content will go out to not only those who follow you, but also thousands of other TikTok users who have never heard of you. 

Each of these new viewers are cold contacts. Admittedly, some will view your video and move on with their lives. But, if you capture their attention, they will engage with you through comments, likes, and shares. Skillful use of this exposure will allow you to create a sales funnel for each new viewer. 

Now is the best time to use TikTok in your business. The more people who know you exist, the more sales you will make. Watching your video may lead to reading your bio, visiting your website, signing up for your newsletter and ultimately becoming a customer. 

My Filming Workflow to Streamline Your Video Marketing

Using TikTok to market your business doesn’t need to be overwhelming. Just following a few basic steps will help you to streamline your video marketing.

Prepare

Schedule about 2 hours for research and preparation. You’ve likely already created marketing content for other platforms. Decide what content could also be used for TikTok videos. Try to come up with 6-10 ideas you can film in your filming session. 

Look at what other TikTok videos are trending and choose popular formats that fit your style and content. Write out your script or key points and have all your materials prepared in advance. 

Film

Quality is king, but perfection is not. Set aside 2-3 hours for filming and aim to film 6-10 videos during your filming period. Make sure you have a distraction-free zone to work in. Get yourself, and your mindset, camera ready. 

Then, have fun! Your audience will respond to authenticity, so just relax, and let your passion shine through. Remember your goal is to film 6-10 videos, so don’t spend your entire time trying to get the perfect take. 

Film no more than 3 takes for each video. Record your first take with no censorship, bloopers and all. Watch the video and pick the 3 most critical issues to fix. Record again and repeat the process. After 3 takes, pick the one you are happiest with and move on. 

Editing

Get comfy and give yourself 2-3 hours to edit. Add text, captions, filters, and hashtags to your videos. Remember to use the right hashtags- how your audience describes themselves, how your business is described, and how your topic is described. 

Use the preview feature to make sure your text is in the right place. Don’t forget that banners, side icons and other text will cover some of your video. You don’t want to place text where it will be hidden. 

Post

Post each video according to your posting schedule. Remember that consistency is more important than frequency. 

Give attention to the time of day you post. You want to post during the time the most people will be using TikTok. Generally, this is around 12pm and 5pm-8pm. Take the time zones into consideration if you want to reach people internationally. 

Brands That Are Doing It Right

We can learn a lot from the brands that are knocking it out of the park on TikTok. These brands are converting views into revenues. 

Duolingo

Duolingo has over 4 million followers on TikTok. They aren’t trying to sell you their app. They just want to entertain you. With silly videos featuring their mascot owl Duo, they created an awareness of their brand and community engagement that results in more people downloading their app. 

Amazon

On the other end of the spectrum, Amazon leans heavily into user-generated content and influencers. They don’t need to build brand awareness. But by partnering with other creators, they keep themselves relevant. 

Red Bull

Red Bull came to the TikTok game knowing exactly who they are. They have a clearly defined brand and they stayed true to it. You expect fun and adventure and that’s exactly what you get. 

Blue Diamond

Blue Diamond didn’t join the party until June 2021. They quickly made up for lost time with the right influencer partnerships and on trend challenges.

The Lessons for You

Don’t be afraid to be silly. Don’t be afraid to connect with other creators that fit your brand message, especially those who already love to work with you. Be true to yourself. And remember, it’s never too late to get started. 

What Are You Waiting For?

Are you ready to take your business to the next level? TikTok is an incredible launching platform for innovative brands, that is if you know how to use it. I’ve given you some awesome tips and tricks to get started, but I have so much more to teach you. Book a call with me today and get the TikTok Coach in your corner!