If you’re a brand and want to learn how to create a presence on TikTok, keep reading the JOeve Marketing guide.

Table of Contents:

1. What is TikTok?
2. Why is TikTok a Valuable Platform for Brands?
3. How to Create a TikTok: Step-by-Step Guide
4. How to Market on TikTok?
5. Using TikTok Ads

What is TikTok?

TikTok is a social media mobile app that allows you to create and share video content. TikTok allows you to film short videos and edit them with effects, filters, captions, and music, where you can then post them for your followers. A TikTok video can be created on the app or users can upload a video. These videos can be from 15 to 60 seconds long.

A TikTok can include almost anything, from fitness, to home renovations, or beauty and skincare, fashion, recipes and cooking, life hacks, advice, pets, DIYs, and so much more.

TikTok is popular for lip-syncing, how-to’s, short skits, pranks, and sharing common experiences. It can also be used for more serious and personal topics such as healthcare advice from real-life doctors.

At-home hobbies such as cooking, gardening, and home projects have seen a rise in popularity due to COVID-19. People everywhere were forced to stay home and make use of what they had, discover new skills, and share them with the world through TikTok.

TikTok is different from any other social media app, users like to create raw content from truthful angles, unlike Instagram where videos and other posts are made to be perfect and less authentic. TikTok’s content is honest, positive, and inspirational.

Why Is TikTok a Valuable Platform for Brands?

TikTok’s growth is increasing daily, which means brands have the opportunity to produce creative and fast-thinking content for an enormous audience.

Brands who’ve successfully joined TikTok earlier have gained a mass growth in viewers sales and followers.

Users can even go viral on TikTok with just one video. Accounts with a few to no followers can reach viral status and can get millions of views.

There’s a huge advantage for brands using TikTok. The platform is constantly evolving to suit the needs of brands and advertisers. Brands can make short and creative content using popular music or filters in their videos. They can also add hashtags to their captions that relate to the brand which can bring in more traffic. 

How to Create a TikTok: Step-by-Step Guide

TikTok includes many cool video editing features and effects that are so simple to use. No matter your level of experience, you can create a fun and entertaining video by using the app’s user-friendly tools. Here is how you can create your very own Tiktok.

Step 1: Download TikTok and Get Familiar With the Tools

Download the app and create an account. Then you can create a video by either starting from scratch or uploading a video from your camera roll. To get started, tap the Create Video icon to shoot a video. Next, choose from a wide variety of different effects and recording tools located on the bottom and the right side of the screen.

There are several TikTok video editing tools to choose from, including the flip option where you can shoot from your front-facing camera or rear-facing. Speed where you can slow down or speed up the recording. The beauty tool hides blemishes and smooths out your skin, giving you an “airbrushed” look. There are also many filters to choose from, they can be applied before or after recording. To apply filters, select the filters button and swipe left to preview. TikTok even has categorized filters which include Portrait, Landscape, Food, and Vibe.

The Timer button allows you to set an auto-record countdown if you want to film hands-free. You can also set how much of your video you want to record at once.

The Flash icon can be used to record only the front facing camera.

You can also add a sound to your video by clicking “Add a Sound,” located on the top of the screen. It will give you the option of choosing a music overlay or sound effect that you want to record with. You can then search for a sound from the Sounds menu, which also includes sounds that are trending.

TikTok has hundreds of effects to choose from for your video. You can apply effects to your video by selecting the Effects icon at the bottom left of your screen. There are many different categories including Trending, New, Special Effects, Interactive, Workout, Beauty, Face, Artistic, and Animal. Most effects can be added before or after you shoot the video, while some are only available before you start shooting.

Step 2: Record Your Video

Once you’ve selected your recording effects, it’s time to start shooting.

You can shoot your video by holding down the record button or hands-free, which gives you a countdown option between 3 to 10 seconds.

TikTok allows you to record in segments, once you start recording, you can click the record button again to stop recording. You can then pick up where you left off and continue recording. If you aren’t happy with your segment, you can press the Back button, located to the right of the record button. You’ll then be asked if you’re sure you’d like to delete the last segment. If you’d like to continue, just hit Confirm.

Step 3: Editing Your TikTok Video

Once you’ve finished recording all your segments, hit the checkmark, this will take you to the TikTok video editor. Here you will see Filters, Adjust Clips, Voice Effects, Voiceover, Trim, and Volume controls on the right-hand side of your screen.

By selecting Adjust Clips, you can rearrange the order of your clips, or you can trim a clip. The Trim button can be used to shorten your video if it’s just one continuous clip.

Voice effects such as Chipmunk, Baritone, Shake, and Electronic can be applied to video audio. You can also choose the Voiceover option as your audio. If you add a sound or music to your video, you can adjust the volume. This will show under “added sound,” the volume can be louder or quieter than your original sound. You also have the option of muting your original sound and raising the volume of your added sound.

Step 4: Publish Your TikTok Video

Once you’re done editing, you can finally publish your TikTok video.

Before you post your video, you can write a caption for your video and include a handful of hashtags that will increase your discoverability. A caption should be short and complementary to your content. Having a short caption and selective hashtags will bring your video better results.

Then you have the option of choosing who can view your video, you can set it to Public, Friends, or Private. You can also select comment and duet settings. Finally, you’re ready to post!

How to Market on TikTok?

TikTok marketing can be done in two ways, creating original content, or working with influencers. It’s best to consider both options when marketing your brand on TikTok.

Working with Influencers

TikTok is full of people doing fun and creative projects. There are some huge TikTok influencers that have millions of subscribers. These influencers have a large audience and often show their viewers products from different brands. Many influencers have an audience that may want to buy your products, brands that team up with influencers to create an influencer marketing campaign.

Brands would pay these influencers to use their products in their TikTok videos and promote the brand to potential customers.

This will benefit your brand and you’ll earn the trust of your customers too. Potential customers trust an influencer’s opinion more than what a brand says, this is a great advantage for your business.

If your brand wants to use an influencer to promote your products, then it’s important to consider certain components before hiring someone.

Someone with a large following on TikTok will be expensive to work with so it’s important to do some research of influencers who post popular videos in your niche. You can do this by searching keywords that relate to your industry or brand, products, or services. You can also watch these influencers to see how they communicate with their followers to determine if they fit your brand.

Creating Original TikTok Content For Your Brand

Creating your own content will take lots of time and effort, it requires the use of resources and lots of creativity. This can be a powerful marketing strategy for brands. TikTok is mostly based on viral content, if you’re posting content that is not likely to go viral, it will be ignored by TikTokers.

By using the discover page you can do your own research to track trending hashtags and sounds, where you can then use them in your own TikTok in an original way. Adding humor is a great way to catch the attention of TikTokers. Another example of content can be offering how-to’s, tips and tricks, or insider secrets from your industry.

Hashtags are also an essential part of your post, having a list of hashtags for your business and industry can give your brand an upper hand in going viral.

You can also get inspiration from influencers for your industry by borrowing the hashtags they use and add them to your own posts.

Using TikTok Ads

TikTok ads are a great way for brands to promote their products. If you don’t have the time to come up with creative content to post — TikTok has an advertising platform that allows you to reach a whole other audience with a budget.

TikTok offers a couple of ad options – ads can appear in the feed depending on how creative you are, on the detail page, post-roll and stories.

You can even manage your TikTok Ads by targeting a specific audience, gender, location, age, interests, and more. You can also measure your performance on posts.

Conclusion

TikTok marketing content should be fun, original, and shareable, whether it’s paid or organic, remember to use this guide on helping you market for your brand.

If you’re looking for extra guidance with a TikTok strategy for your brand, our team at JOeve Marketing is here to help.

A version of this article was first published on the DAN