Tiktok agency strategy

10 Things to know when developing your TikTok marketing strategy

Are you considering a TikTok marketing strategy for your agency or your clients? Or even for yourself and your own brand?

Perhaps you feel like you have only just got the hang of Instagram and already the world has moved on to greener pastures. Suddenly, swiping is quicker, people talk faster and it’s easier than ever to fall into a black hole of content. 

TikTok has certainly taken the world by storm and people are turning to this relatively new platform more and more for up to date news and information. TikTok brings the speed and openness of Twitter, and the visual personality of Instagram all together into one fast moving beast.

So how can you harness this power for good? Well, it only takes a quick scroll and read to discover that no one has it completely figured out yet. Between all of the ‘hacks’ and algorithm changes, there is no clear route to success with TikTok – which is exactly why now is a great time to learn and experiment.

Here are 10 things to know about developing a TikTok marketing strategy from scratch

developing a tiktok strategy

1. It’s not all dancing

TikTok might be famous for showcasing self-taught dance moves  but it has very swiftly evolved into a space for information sharing on a huge scale. You might be put off TikTok because it feels a bit of a joke and perhaps ‘too young’ but the fast adopters from the business world are already present on TikTok and they are gaining traction fast.

2. You have to get over yourself

It’s true – every good TikTok marketing strategy has a face at the forefront and a personality, so if you are looking to break into this space you will need to fight the fear and crack on with finding your voice. People can tell very fast if you are putting on a ‘face’ for the camera as well so being relaxed is key.

3. It’s not about brand – it’s about people

Many brands have handed over their TikTok accounts entirely to social media managers who create the content and are the face of the brand online. The reason for this is that the platform is geared towards that personal connection, the chat and the story. If a brand has no recognisable face or there is no real value, people will scroll past very quickly.

4. Information is free

Information sharing is key to a good TikTok marketing strategy. Having core content pillars that make your content stand out should be at the centre of everything you post. You could go for tips, humour, personal stories, voice overs, anything that adds value and feels open and genuine.

5. Don’t neglect hashtags

For the moment, and as far as we can see, hashtags are still very important to TikTok. The captions are super short so using your characters wisely is key. Use a mixture of hashtags that go to the core of your video content, as this will help connect you to other users and improve your reach.

6. Be aware of ‘trending sounds’

If video is the key to TikTok then sound is coming in at a very close second. TikTok uses sound like no other social platform. It connects videos, it tells a user what kind of video they are watching and it is almost as important as the rest of the video content in the clip. If you are putting your TikTok strategy together, it’s worth doing some reading about trending sounds on TikTok and how they are currently used.

7. Link your platforms together

As TikTok is relatively new, there are lots of users who are starting out there but already have a strong presence elsewhere online. Having a link to your other platforms is a great way to help funnel people between your social channels and convert one type of follower into a fan through another social platform.

8. Find your subcommunity

Subcommunities are really coming into their own on TikTok. Whether you are into cryptocurrency, money saving tips or baking, there will be a global subcommunity there and ready to go! Using hashtags, comments, likes and shares to interact with your chosen community can elevate your own profile and help carve out a space for your content on the platform.

9. Be genuine

It almost goes without saying but TikTok is the least forgiving platform for ‘filler’ content. Quality comes first here and also frequency of content. Coming up with a sustainable plan to post content is important. If you are looking to reap the rewards of TikTok, you will need to put in time and investment to make sure you are on top of a hefty content posting schedule that can be changed based on the movement of trends.

10. Keep testing, and learning

No one has it all worked out yet. Some creators will swear by a heavy posting schedule for growth, some will opt for  a niche or a certain post type. The truth is, the platform is changing so fast and content is consumed at such a fast pace, there is a huge demand out there. As of right now, April 2022, the opportunities on this platform are huge for those who have the time and dedication to stick with it.

Beth Hellowell
Founder of Women in Agencies and co-founder of Signify Digital. Mother, social media scroller and frequent pasta eater.