According to thesocialshepard.com they report TikTok has 30.8 million daily active users as of December 2021. The question you may be thinking is, how do I compete with that?
What was once just a platform that was new, quickly grew to thousands of millions of users during the lockdown. Now, whether you see the social media platform as new or not, TikTok is just like the rest of the social networks- a giant. Like the other giants, you have to work on your social media channel and ensure everything you are doing is aligned with who you are.
To help you make it big on TikTok and get your first viral video (or next viral video), these are some things you need to do:
Be Consistent
This is a point that you may have heard over and over again, but it is the most important. The more you hear it, the better it will be to stick in your head. Being consistent can mean many different things. It could be being consistent with your
- timings – when you’re uploading content
- feed – what type of content you’re uploading
Getting the timing right when uploading on TikTok depends on who will see it. It might be a good idea to post at different times to see what time works better for you. Did you get more likes and views in the morning, or were there more people on your profile in the evening? There is nothing wrong with trying it and testing it!
Then you have to be consistent with your feed. What your posting is important as it’s what your followers are seeing. Look at your content as an outside person, would you watch it? Are you learning or gaining anything from it? Make sure it is relevant to who you are and keep it consistent with that. You wouldn’t go onto your favourite beauty page and find how to make concrete there, would you? So don’t do start doing everything and anything – that’s how TikTok will recognise you and categorise you for the right people to find your page.
Start Strong
Start your video strong with an introduction that is engaging. Have you ever watched a video and in the first second you’re hooked? That is how you want your followers to feel when they land on your video either on your page or on their home feed.
@afrobysara @noelgoescrazy ♬ Calm Down – Rema
Your introduction could be a question to get your followers thinking, or it could be a text-to-voice title saying something like “pranking my brother and this is his response.” It has to be engaging, to the point, and exciting for the user to keep watching. The aim is to get the user to watch the full video so it pushes out to more people.
Use your voice
Rather than putting music behind your video, use your voice and make it more personable. Music is a quick and easy way of getting a video done, however, a voiceover adds more of a unique flair to a video. Would you stop and watch someone with music on it or would you stop to listen to a voiceover? (Well, it might be both depending on the content), but many people on TikTok have started using voiceover on their content.
@geminibakes Enjoy a delicious home-made Mille Feuille #newyear ♬ New Home – Austin Farwell
Video Quality
You don’t need super high-tech to create a 5-minute video. Many people use their phones and a ring light and that is really all you need to invest in for good videos on TikTok. If you’re a beauty influencer then of course, investing in a good camera (whether it be a phone or actual video camera), will make a look of difference to your video.
@daniellemarcan full face of tiktok trends. the foundation in water is the wildest lol. ib @beautybyrositax #makeup #beauty #hacks ♬ Passion – PinkPantheress
As well as video quality, it’s important to get the editing right. People like watching quick videos they can scroll through as on social media, you have less of an attention span. Quick, clear cuts make up an engaging video so be concise about what you’re doing and how you’re doing it.
Partner with a brand/influencer
If you have built relationships with brands or influencers on social media then why not do a collaboration with them? This will give you more exposure to your video and will really help with gaining more followers and views. By creating partnerships, you can build yourself a strong portfolio which will help you in the long run when becoming a mega-influencer!
@lilliegracep The new limited collection from @humansbeingtogether by @ritaora is now LIVE🙌 Sustainable athleisure never looked so good⚡️ Shop on @humansbeingtogether #humansbeingtogether ♬ Anywhere – Rita Ora
Use Trending Hashtags
If you need ideas for content but are not sure what you can do then always have a look at the trending hashtags and use them in your video. Trending hashtags is a great way to work on content that you haven’t done before and is something that already is most searched for so you have a great chance of being found on the discovery page.
It is important not to overuse hashtags, but to use the most important and relevant ones that will help drive traffic to your page.
Duet & Stitch
If you are unable to collaborate with your favourite celebrity, content creator, or influencer, then create a duet and stitch with them. This means you can re-post their content but create your own reaction or commentary to it. Most duets are used for sing-a-longs where you can sing with an artist and share it with your followers. Tag the artist as well as you might have a good chance of getting a comment from them or better yet, a repost!
@itz_nannalz #duet with @salemilese #meortheps5 ♬ PS5 – salem ilese & TOMORROW X TOGETHER & Alan Walker
Monetisation
Last but not least, we have monetisation on TikTok. The reason we put this last is that we want you to work on your content organically without putting money into it. However, if you are seriously investing in social media, most importantly TikTok, then what is the monetise function there for if you’re not going to use it?
Think about your budget for each video and work from there. Make sure you have a call to action in your bio whether it’s to follow you or be re-directed to a business page/portfolio. If you just want the views this is a good way to get them fast!
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