You have created a TikTik account and started posting there. How to attract users’ attention? There are many options and what is important – most of them are free. This is the main difference between TikTok and Instagram. On Instagram, the entry barrier is higher, and as time passes, it becomes more difficult to promote your account for free. On TikTok, on the contrary, there are many opportunities to do so.
We are going to review 7 promotional tools, 4 of which are completely free.
7 promotional tools on TikTok
1. Getting on the For You page
The most powerful format today is getting on the recommendation page. TikTok belongs to a new generation of social networks where, unlike on Instagram, it is not important who you are following. TikTok representatives understood that subscription is not necessary. Some people liked the content, but they didn’t press the ‘Follow’ button – and it doesn’t mean that interesting content shouldn’t be shown to them. That is why the front page of TikTok is a feed with recommendations. It is composed of videos that can be potentially interesting for users. If your video gets on the ‘For You’ page, it is guaranteed to be viewed by many people.
How to get on the For You page?
How recommended videos are generated, and what should I do for my video to get on the ‘For You’ page? There are two major metrics:
The first one is the video completion rate: it is ideal if people finish watching your video and go on watching your other videos.
The second one is the feedback: likes and comments, as always, can be compared to a currency that allows you to reach bigger audiences through recommended videos.
Firstly, you should create videos that keep viewers engaged. For example, if you create a one-minute workshop and want the viewers to watch the video until the end, the best idea will be to announce an acute topic at the beginning.
Secondly, your videos should be emotional, not necessarily with dances, but preferably with emotions: this increases activity and engagement.
Onlypult allows posting videos up to 100Mb for YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and other social media.
2. Hashtags
Hashtags on Instagram are useful for some tasks, but they can hardly be called serious promotional tools.
As for TikTok, hashtags have been effective so far: by using hashtags correctly, you can reach new audiences, like use the best time to post on TikTok.
3. Hashtag challenge
The third instrument is similar: participation in hashtag challenges. This format is run by TikTok itself, or by the company representatives who can afford to buy one of the advertising formats: it is expensive and costs tens of thousands of dollars. You can take part in it.
What is a hashtag challenge? Let’s take the ‘My first business’ hashtag challenge as an example. Everyone who posts a video with this hashtag gets to a special section. TikTok section with challenges is very popular, and if you use a hashtag of an on-going challenge, it gives you a certain number of views, which is normally 1,000+.
It also allows increasing your chances to get on the ‘For You’ page: if most people out of 1,000 watch your video until the end, give likes, and comment, it will be shown to even more people. As a result, it is likely to get on the recommendation page.
You need to check what hashtags are trendy from time to time and take part in on-going challenges.
4. Mutual following
We all know what mutual following is: when one user mass follows other users and some of them follow back. But it doesn’t work this way in TikTok. You can mass follow certain hashtags though, and you won’t be sanctioned. Whether to use it or not is questionable, if you do so, we suggest not using third-party apps.
5. Blogger advertising
There are so many bloggers on TikTok: they seem to have a microcosm with its own blogosphere. You can consult a special chart, and there also are special catalogs, services, and exchanges where you can buy advertising from TikTok bloggers.
Blogger advertising works better on Instagram, while on TikTok it is rather used for boosting the brand image. If you represent a big brand and you want a TikToker to advertise your shampoo in action, blogger advertising is just for you. However, if you want to win new followers, it is not that efficient.
6. Duos
Duos is a very interesting format. Together with a user, you record a video that is viewed by your partner’s audience as well as by yours. It is a good alternative to the classic reciprocal promotion on Instagram and any other platform where people mention each other in Stories.
7. Targeted advertising
Last but not least comes official advertising. Yes, TikTok does have targeted advertising. It is still quite primitive, but targeting is already quite common and the formats are quite exotic.
For example, super like: certain audiences can give and receive the likes that you can brand. There is a system of internal mini landing pages. Targeted advertising on TikTok is definitely worth looking into.
Onlypult posts to all social media platforms, collects analytics data, allows creating micro landing pages and multiple links, and helps monitor what people say about your company.
To sum it up, we have reviewed seven promotional tools on TikTok. The demand for promotion on TikTok is very high now. Social Media Marketing specialists should learn promotional skills because these skills increase your value as a specialist – and most people don’t have them.
