Transcript
Introduction
Let's talk about how to grow your following on TikTok, and I promise this is not another video just telling you to hop on trending audio. Yes, you should definitely be doing that. But doing that alone is not a strategy for long-term success on TikTok.
After trial and error, patience, viral videos, massive fails, and everything in between, Later reached 50,000 followers on TikTok. We're sharing exactly how we did it so that hopefully, you can apply our learnings to your strategy. So let's get into it.
Tip #1: Immerse Yourself In The World of TikTok
Our first learning is to immerse yourself and get familiar with the app. Try telling someone who doesn't work in social media that you actually get paid to scroll TikTok. I know, it may sound insane, but scrolling is a necessary action that we pencil in time for every week.
You can't begin to grow your TikTok if you're not aware of TikTok's unique culture. The humor is a bit wackier and the aesthetic is way less polished than Instagram. When we first joined TikTok, we quickly realized that the highly curated world of Instagram just wouldn't translate.
So, let go of what works for you on Instagram and instead, give yourself time to get immersed in TikTok culture first.
Tip #2: Don’t Be Afraid to Experiment
Our second learning is that TikTok is all about experimentation. It may feel a little cringy in the beginning, but testing out different content lengths, styles and formats is the only way to discover what works for your TikTok audience. Even Duolingo, a brand with over 3 million followers, posted almost 40 videos before they had a viral hit.
For us, after some experimentation, we found that jumping on quick, fun audio trends often works better than a long, detailed video when it comes to announcing our new product features. We think of this content as a short teaser trailer that piques their interest and drives them to tap the link in our bio.
But on the flip side, if we're sharing a tutorial or a hack, longer tutorials, like 60 seconds or more, frequently perform best. This is likely because our audience can learn an entirely new hack in around a minute without having to leave the app. Plus, in those tutorials, we add strong CTAs to follow up for a part two or for more tips. This encourages new viewers to hit that follow button because they know we'll continue to provide them with free, valuable content.
Tip #3: Post Consistently
Learning number three is consistency. I'm sorry, I know it's one of the most overused phrases in social media marketing, but consistency is key. When we started posting daily, that's when everything changed.
We became clearer on who we were creating content for and which trends would work best for us, resulting in way faster growth and engagement. Plus, the TikTok algorithm started to learn more about our content and began pushing it out to the right audiences.
And a happy side effect of posting more frequently is that you'll begin to feel way more confident and you might actually start to have some fun posting.
Tip #4: Find and Grow Your Community
Our fourth learning is the importance of growing a community, or as we refer to them, our besties. Cultivating a community around your brand is huge for engagement, and it helps set the tone for new visitors.
If you're still finding and building your TikTok community, search specific keywords within your niche to find accounts to follow and engage with. Your TikTok comment section will be poppin' in no time. (Poppin in no time.) Let's be TikTok besties! Give us a follow in the description below.
Tip #5: Make Trends Your Own
Our fifth and final learning is to put your own spin on the trends. We know keeping on top of the latest TikTok trends can feel never-ending, but once you know how to use them, they can really fuel your content strategy.
At Later, we use trends in two different ways: to promote Later's latest scheduling features and light-hearted humor for community building and brand awareness. But the key to making trends work for your brand is to add a unique spin.
Here's an example. The Drop It Low Dance Challenge didn't really make sense for us to take part in at first. But, by adding a more corporate spin with dropping our laptop shut, we were able to make the trend work for our brand in a way that we knew our target audience could relate to. So don't be afraid to get creative and step out of the box with trends. Adding your own twist will help your content stand out from the competition and increase those views and attract new followers.
And there you have it. Those are our top takeaways from growing our TikTok. Drop us all your TikTok questions in the comments, and we'll see you later. Bye.
