5 Ways to Make a TikTok to Promote Your Business

TikTok is rapidly becoming one of the largest social media platforms. In 2021 Cloudflare reported that TikTok surpassed Google by traffic. This is up from the eight place spot the platform held in 2020. That is no easy feat, even if it is only at that rank temporarily. This platform, focusing on short-form video also has over a billion active users as of January 2022.

There are two main ways to interact with potential customers on TikTok. The first is to create engaging video content. The second way is to use TikTok’s TikTok For Business to create advertisements either through video or images. We go over the benefits and issues with each method. First, let’s talk about how to start.

Getting started on TikTok

While you are able to view your profile and videos through a browser, TikTok requires their app for phones of computers to access more advanced features. You also will not be able to upload a video through the browser. 

Step 1:

Create an account or log in to TikTok through your browser or the app for your phone or desktop.

Step 2:

Once you are logged in your front page will be a curated list of videos their algorithm thinks you may be interested in. You are able to view videos, comment and follow people you enjoy watching.

Step 3:

When you want to upload a video, press the upload button on the top right (at least on the desktop version).

Step 4:

There are some video restrictions that you are able to upload. Try for 780×1280 resolution. The video also has to be under three minutes. And it also has to be under 1 GB. While they would prefer for the video to be a vertical video, you can upload it in other resolutions. But, the issue is that TikTok videos are only oriented to be vertical so the video will be quite small. Try for vertical or cropping the wide-screen video if possible.

Step 5:

After you have selected your video you can write a caption of the video. This is where you can direct people to your profile to find a link to your website or product. You are also able to tag other users with the @ button and add hashtags with the # button.

Step 6:

You can limit who can view the video. Either to the public, friends, or private.

Step 7:

Next, you will see checkmarks for comment, duet and stitch. This allows how people can interface with your video. Either by just commenting, doing a duet with the video or by allowing them to take part of your video and stitching it to their video. We will explain what a duet and stitch is later.

Step 8:

Next, you can check the video for any copyrighted audio. This is important because any detected copyrighted audio may be muted automatically.

Step 9:

Finally, you are able to post your video. Congratulations on uploading your video to TikTok!

Creating content on TikTok

The first thing to know about TikTok is that a lot of the content is fun or engaging short videos. The longest a video can be on TikTok is three minutes. Even then the majority of videos are under three minutes.

The types of videos on TikTok range from videos dancing to a song to cooking to presenting science in fun ways. If you can make it fun and engaging it will find an audience. Knowing how to make videos that fit the format is important. If you go on the platform to make uncreative advertisement videos about your business you will quickly be ignored. There are many ways to present your product in fun ways. Look at how companies such as Lush show off their soaps on their TikTok.

Duets and stitching

Also popular on TikTok is the ability to do a duet. A duet is where you take a video and respond to it in a way by putting your video next to it. The two videos will then be combined into one video with both playing at the same time. Also, you are able to make a duet with a video if they allow it. It can also only be done through the phone app.

Stitching on the other hand adds your video to another video. You can take some portion of another TikTok, and then add your video to it. This can be used as a response or even a continuation of a gag from the first video. You can get creative with how it works. There can be long chains of stitches as a trend that can happen in some popular videos.

Both methods are a way to help establish yourself in the TikTok community. It can also be a  good way of getting people to notice you and the other content that you have uploaded about your business. Try and use them, and have fun with them!

Advertising through TikTok For Business

TikTok has over a billion users as of 2022. It seems like it is only getting increasing in popularity. Having access to that audience to advertise your business is incredibly valuable.

Here we go over how to create ads for TikTok. You are able to create advertisements for your business through TikTok. This is done through their advertisement program called TikTok for Business. This allows you to set up video or image slideshow advertisements that will play before other TikTok videos. This is a business-only program to help you promote your business.

Creating a TikTok For Business account

Creating a TikTok For Business account is relatively straightforward. The one thing that may be confusing is the Simplified and Custom Modes. These modes are not set in stone when you create your account. Not only that, but when you create an ad, you can easily switch between each mode. For the most part, the Simplified mode will be fine for most people. For this article, we will go over how to create an ad using the Simplified mode. The Custom mode allows you to have finer control of the ad. Also, it provides options such as A/B testing, audience targeting based on video and creator interactions and ad combinations. If you want to know more, check out TikTok’s Business Help Center.

Creating your first ad

When you create an ad you can have as much control as you want. The Custom mode will provide you with the granularity to create the ad to your specifications. Conversely, the Simplified mode will allow you to create ads quickly.  We go over how to create your first ad using the Simplified mode.

Step 1:

The first step is to choose whether you want your advertisement to have one of the predefined goals, or to have the ad drive conversions. The goals they have are Connect with Customers, Get Website Visits, and Generate Customer Leads. To stay in Simplified mode, choose one of the goals. But if you choose to Drive conversions, you will be switched to the custom mode.

Step 2:

Next, you will choose the audience you wish to advertise to. TikTok has a system to automatically select an audience that is the most receptive to your ad. They will present the ad to a large audience and then select the most receptive ones. But you can manually select the audience you want to market to.

Step 3:

Next, if you wish you can manually choose the audience you want to market to. You are able to choose the gender, age, language, interests and behavior of the audience you want to market to. The interest option will market ads to people who have expressed interest in a certain topic. For example, if someone watches TikToks on food often, then they have expressed an interest in the food topic. Interest is based on data over time, long-term.

Behavior, on the other hand, will show your advertisement to someone who has watched a certain type of video within a set time limit. Additionally, you can limit it by if the person has done an action on TikToks containing that type of content. For example, if someone commented on a video about someone performing music, or watched that TikTok to completion. Finally, you can choose what that time period is, either a week or fifteen days.

Step 4:

Following that, you will choose the budget and how long to run the advertisement. There are certain limits to the budget. It has to either be a minimum of 5 CAD per day or a lifetime budget of 70 CAD.

Step 5:

This is the step where you will add the content of the ad. Your ad can be from 5-60 seconds long. It can be a video, a series of videos, an image or an image slideshow. If you choose to upload a video, it can be a 16:9 (horizontal), 1:1 (square), or a 9:16 (vertical) video. It also has a limit of 500 MB. When you upload the video, you can have then automatically process the video with their own audio on it or you can use the original video.

If you want to upload an image or series of images in a slideshow, you can do that as well. They will automatically optimize the images. They will automatically resize the images, display the images for a set amount of time and put music on top of the images. Both options, video or images will have to go under review before they will be shown to your selected audience.

Step 6:

Finally, you will put in the title and description of the ad. You can also choose what the button says and what webpage the person will go to when they press the button. Once you press submit, the advertisement will go under review. Congratulations! You have made your first TikTok advertisement.

How we can help

At Symbol Syndication we can help you advertise and create content on TikTok to promote your business. Not just TikTok, but YouTube, YouTube Shorts and Instagram as well. We can create videos that you can use in your advertisements and your TikTok account with our videography services. Not only that but we also provide digital marketing services. Contact us today and find out how we can help you.

We also provide SEO and other digital marketing services. This includes Facebook advertisements, Google AdWords, and WordPress site optimization. We also do consult for your business. If you are looking to grow your business, our consulting services can help you create better videos and improve your social media presence. We are also available to do speaking engagements to help coach your team on social media.