Council Post: Three TikTok Tips For Growing Your Brand

Philip grew to 150,000+ TikTok Followers, is Co-Founder of Onyx, a DTC oral care startup, and STNGR, a DTC outdoor and tactical gear brand.

With TikTok being one of the most downloaded apps in the world, the video platform is unquestionably the new social media juggernaut on the block. With so much attention on the platform, the implications for businesses that are able to successfully communicate on TikTok are huge. 

Here are three tips for growing your TikTok account, based on how I’ve managed to grow mine over the past five months.

Be yourself.

What I consider the starkest contrast between TikTok and other apps such as Instagram is the raw, rough-around-the-edges feel of the app’s content. TikTok, in a way, is the antithesis of Instagram’s polished “perfection” culture. I’ve seen some creators, on occasion, share details of their personal lives, which are often met with empathetic and understanding responses. This speaks to the overall culture of the platform, where creators feel open enough to share who they really are.

For a professional, TikTok is the perfect platform to grow your personal brand by discussing business failures and sharing advice, with less of a need to be perfect and polished while doing so. It could be as simple as picking up your phone and speaking to the camera while waiting in the drive-thru. Don’t overthink it. 

As a business owner, behind-the-scenes content — such as packaging up orders, printing labels, website development time lapses, or creating and designing your products — can do exceptionally well. People want to see what it’s like to run a business, so show them. 

Increase watch time and rewatch rate.

The most important metrics TikTok’s algorithm looks at to determine the virality of a post are the watch time and rewatch rate. Simply put, how long are people watching your videos, and how many times do they watch them? Knowing this, I’ve experimented with a lot of different ways to increase these two metrics.

The first thing I found to be useful was adding a “hook” in the first five seconds of a video. This could be a flash-forward to just before the most interesting part of the video so people keep watching. Or, it could be as simple as adding a line of title text that causes intrigue.

Second, I recommend using the caption to once again cause intrigue and give people a reason to watch. This could explain what happens in the video or give further explanation on what the title text means.

When working together, these two strategies open a story loop and give viewers a reason to watch your video. If the watch time and rewatch rate increase, TikTok’s algorithm will enable the video to continue being shared.

One caveat: Make sure you aren’t creating clickbait titles that don’t actually deliver on their promise. Trying to game the system might work in getting you views in the short term, but it won’t help you build your influence or audience in the long term. If your video makes a promise, make sure it delivers. 

Find your style.

When you first start out on TikTok, my recommendation would be to test out a lot of different styles to see which type of video you like making and which style resonates with your audience. This could be comedy blended with business, jumping on the most current TikTok trends, talking straight to the camera while giving advice or myriad different options. Create a video and then use the market for feedback. Did one of your videos do really well? Try making more in that same style. In the early stages, it’s all about experimenting. 

It’s important to remember that if you want to grow a following, you’re going to have to create content for the long term. Pick a style of video that you enjoy making but also that your followers enjoy watching. If you choose a style you hate making, then chances are you’re not going to stick with it long enough to truly build momentum.

Right now, I believe TikTok is wildly undervalued by business owners and professionals alike. Many still see it as a “dancing app for kids.” This is a mistake. Whether you’re trying to grow the reach of your business or you want to build your personal brand, TikTok could be a beneficial platform to be on, especially while it’s still in its Wild West period.

Forbes Business Council is the foremost growth and networking organization for business owners and leaders. Do I qualify?