We’ve been discussing ten tips for using social media platforms and online tools every week for weeks, but we left one of the most modern tools undiscussed. Until now, because today we dive into the fast-paced world of TikTok. With these 10 tips you can make good use of TikTok.
1. Get straight to the point
If you’re making a video, you probably tend to come up with a very basic introduction: ‘I’m X, welcome to this video, today we’re going…’ There’s no time for that. So stop that right away. Preferably, you let some crazy situations from the video flash by in the first few seconds and then tell you very briefly, or over the images, what exactly you are doing in the video. You have to get straight to the point on TikTok or you’ll be swiped right away.
2. Think of a good title
To help yourself and viewers, it’s best to come up with a catchy title for your video. If you call your video ‘How to repair a bicycle’, then that is less attractive than: ’10 ways to fix a bicycle in 1 minute’. On TikTok, it’s mainly about people knowing what to expect and with such a catchy title you can do that. However, that does present a challenge: you have to live up to that in your video.
3. React, React, React
TikTok celebrates interaction, and that means not just making and sending videos, but making sure people feel heard. If someone takes the time to comment on your video (and apparently watch it), take the time to reply. This way someone feels seen and you create a bond with your audience.
4. Ask people a question
Of course you can give all kinds of good tips in your video, but what do you want a viewer to do afterwards? Ask your audience a question. For example: ‘Share your tips to fix your bike in one minute!’ Or ask a question: “What good movie did you see this week, and why should everyone watch it?” This is how you invite viewers to respond. People like to talk about themselves in such a somewhat indirect way.
5. Find friends
Of course you can think that you are the best TikTokker in your niche, but did you know that it is much more powerful if you embrace the competition? Find people who make similar videos and try to talk to them: who knows, maybe you can join forces? It’s not for nothing that many of the old guard famous YouTubers are still quite close: together they ensured that all their channels were better visited through good collaborations.
6. Choose a good time
Maybe it’s convenient for you to upload your TikTok when you’re lying in bed at night, but is your audience also online? If your target audience is teenagers, posting at 11:00 PM is not wise. Firstly, you don’t want to wake those kids up (you don’t know what notifications they have on), and secondly, you want as many viewers as possible, so it’s better to choose a time that suits you better. A lot of research is being done into what the best timing is, but the answers to this sometimes fluctuate. Choose a time and try to post at that time for a while: after all, you do the best research for your fans yourself.
7. Find a fun niche
You can make a video like everyone else commenting on the outfits of stars at the Oscars, but that might not be the most original idea. Especially if people don’t know you yet, then you have to be very original if you want to impress yourself in the minds of your viewers. Finding a nice niche is a good idea, because it makes you a specialist in a certain subject and people know what to expect from you. You can certainly surprise them within that subject, but at least they know that on your TikTok channel about the different types of seats in football stadiums they don’t have to count on a post about ballet that doesn’t interest them at all.
8. Participate in challenges
The best thing about TikTok is that it is a very fast video platform: not only in the short duration of the videos, but also in the trends. There are challenges that suddenly go completely viral and how nice is it to respond to that with your niche? So keep an eye on what challenges there are and try to do something fun with them, if you really like that yourself.
9. Think of the viral sounds
If you watch TikTok as a layman, you feel like you’re at a party where there are all kinds of inside jokes that you don’t know about. However, if you look a little longer, you will understand. For example, you had the video where everyone wiped the mirror with a cloth and kept changing outfits. That is a kind of challenge, but it is actually mainly a piece of music that goes completely viral at that moment. Just like the “noo noo noo” sound you often hear on videos. Use such trending sounds in your videos and you will show that you are up to date.
10. Keep it short
It’s a no-brainer, but nowadays TikTok makes the seconds that a video can last so wide that you can now do several minutes on TikTok. However, try to keep it short: especially if you are fairly new, then you have to quickly grab attention and let go, so that people want more.
Have fun on TikTok!
