Getting started on Tik Tok

There is a new social platform in town which has the potential to be HUGE for business!

In this episode I talk about what Tik Tok is, exactly how to use it, and how to find customers and convert them into paying clients.

In this Episode:
03.12: What is Tik Tok?
04.54: How does Tik Tok work?
06.37: Getting started on Tik Tok and exactly how to use the app
10.00: How Tik Tok helps you find clients (and convert them into paying customers!)
11.16: Tips for getting business growth on Tik Tok

Links:
DOWNLOAD: 7 TIK TOK CONTENT IDEAS >
CLARE WOOD SERVICES >
CLARE WOOD INSTAGRAM >

Transcript

I truly do believe Tik Tok is going to be HUGE for business in the next 12-24 months.  Today I’m going to talk you through what is Tik Tok, how to use it BUT most importantly at the end of the episode, I’ll be talking about HOW to use this platform to get customers to buy from you.

 

Before I get into today’s episode, I want to do 2 x shoutouts to people who have left reviews on the podcast:

 

“I have been listening to this podcast for a couple weeks now and have been obsessed! It’s great for small business owners who need some guidance!” – Phoebe (The May Studio).

 

“I’m learning so much from Clare and her impressive guests that it’s hard to believe this content is free. This podcast is a positive and valuable addition to my week.” Bec – Straight Up Bookkeeping.

 

Thank you both SO much for your reviews and a special shout out to everyone that shares the podcast on their social media as well, this really helps me to reach more people, so I am grateful for your support.

 

So back to Tik Tok, at an event recently, I found myself explaining Tik Tok to a few people and I realised, this is real topic of interest in the business community.  Now I am by NO MEANS an expert. If you check out my profile at clare_wood_ you’ll notice at the time of recording anyway that I have only done a few videos, but I have gotten started on the platform and I truly do believe Tik Tok is going to be HUGE for business in the next few years.

 

On that topic, I felt very nervous doing an episode about Tik Tok, because I feel like I am not an experienced user as yet, but guess what? Even though I think I only know “a little bit” I know a lot more than many other people. Isn’t it funny how we can hold ourselves back, even when we do have knowledge to share.

 

I want to take a moment to acknowledge this and also to highlight the power of sharing what you DO know.

 

What is Tik Tok? 

It’s a social media platform based around short-form video. If you’ve never seen Tik Tok, at first glance, Tik Tok is kind of similar to Instagram stories. But the more that you watch, the more that you’ll notice the differences. Tik Tok is more heavily music focussed. Usually it’s content is very “created”, or planned. It’s less sharing updates and more sharing a message or entertainment. It’s a LOT about entertainment and even dating. People often post saying they are looking for a partner on there. I believe it’s a bit more amateur and less polished, so you’ll notice that unlike Instagram, a lot of Tik Tok is just everyday people in their bedrooms or workplaces.

 

When you first start watching, it just looks like teenagers dancing, lip syncing, and quite frankly some Tik Toks are just stupid. That might sound harsh, but when you watch it you’ll know what I mean. But even though dancing teenagers might be your first impression, stick around for a bit and you’ll notice that videos are extremely addictive.

 

In fact, after I first downloaded it, I kept finding myself reaching for my phone again and again. Which made me really think “there is something here that is going to be huge for business owners”

 

How does Tik Tok work?

Like Instagram, Tik Tok uses hashtags, which are an important way of getting your videos viewed. There is an algorithm that I think I’ve already noticed playing out the more time that I spend on Tik Tok, the more it’s showing me things I like/ watch/ engage with. So for example, I’ve introduced my hubby and he’s also hooked. He loves dogs so he obviously hits like on Dog Videos and seems to get shown more of those. I really like comedy/ funny things so I’ve hit like and followed a few people and seem to be getting more of that. There is a tab called ‘Recommended’ which is like the Instagram explore function.

 

Getting started on Tik Tok

First of all download the app. Then spend a lot of time watching. You can do this via the Home tab and you swipe up or down to move past something.  Like most social media platforms, you can like, comment or forward it on.

 

There is also a Discover tab that allows you to search by hashtags. Just spend time on the platform.  You need to get a feel for the vibe of Tik Tok.  Like any social platform you need to respect the culture of the platform.

 

I’d also suggest that you check out if anyone in your industry is on the platform and check out some of their posts. I’d probably spend a few days just watching first.

 

Next, have a go at creating a video.  Now seriously, don’t overthink this. There is this great function called Drafts.  You don’t have to post it. Trust me, I have some pretty dodgy Tik Toks saved in drafts, but it’s great just to practice! At the bottom of the app you’ll notice there is a big + sign, click this. You’ll notice there is a bunch of features here including filters, speed, effects and at the top you can add sounds, so if you want to record with music, select from up here. Then record using the record button by holding down the record button and you let go when you want to stop recording. It’s important to note that the record clips into short clips stop and start. When you spend some time watching, you’ll notice the genre is often clips of smaller videos clipped together. So you’ll record several little clips. Once you’ve recorded, you can add text, stickers or filters. Then you can post. Then you can add a caption (captions on Tik Tok are very short).

 

So how do you know which hashtags to use? See what competitors are using (ie #foryourpage #fyp #foryou) then you can pick public or private.

 

I would say that like anything, practice makes perfect, and imperfect action is better than NO action. If you go back now and look at my first post on Instagram which is clare_wood_coach, it is just a picture. I literally didn’t even write a caption. But over time, you get better and more confident in a platform and try things out so just getting STARTED is the key.  And hopefully right now is a perfect time as it’s not widely used by business just yet.

 

Perhaps it won’t be… but I will say I had a client with 100k followers on Instagram and when I asked her secret, she said she was an early adopter and it was SO easy to get followers in the early days!

 

So we’ve spoken about how to get started and how to create a video.

 

How Tik Tok helps you find clients

So what’s the point of it all? GREAT QUESTION! You CAN get paid in virtual coins through the app as a way of ‘getting rewarded’ for your efforts. However, I believe the best way to get traction is by getting people OFF Tik Tok.

 

So how do you use it to get customers to buy from you? I would from the outset be mindful that if you are using it for business, keep it that way. It might be on brand for your business and relevant to your target market. At the moment, you can’t get people to transact through Tik Tok, so you’ll need to get them OFF Tik Tok to another platform. I personally have my website in my bio and mentioned my podcast in bio too.  I don’t know if this really works yet as it’s early days, but in time my plan will be to move people off TIk Tok!

 

Tips for getting business growth on Tik Tok

 Like any social media platform, post regularly and be consistent. Share videos on social media. Interact on the platform, like and comment on other users. Remember, like any platform, don’t get obsessed with numbers! You could do something really crass that goes viral, but if it’s not at all related to your business and will be hitting a bunch of teenagers who aren’t your target market, well it won’t be worth it.

 

If you’re listening to this and you’ve been watching Tik Tok and still have NO idea what to post about, well check out my freebie from today’s episode. It is 7 x content ideas for videos. You can grab this in the episode 32 show notes.

 

Today we have covered:

  • What is Tik Tok
  • Getting Started on Tik Tok
  • Recording and posting your first Tik Tok video
  • How Tik Tok can help you in business
  • Growth hacks

 

Don’t forget to check out my 7 Tik Tok Content Ideas Freebie at episode 32.

 

If you are brave and post your first Tik Tok, please make sure you tag me in your Tik Tok and also give me a follow so we can stay connected! My handle is clare_wood_ and Clare has no i.

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