Using TikTok For Business In 2020? (No Dance Moves Required)

Today let's break down exactly IF you should, WHY you may want to & then HOW to use the TikTok social video platform to grow your business in 2020.

"But isn't TikTok just a bunch of kids lip syncing & showing off weird dance moves?" - Most business owners over the age of 30

You know where I've heard that before?

In the early 2000's when YouTube & FaceBook were in their early stages.

Now both command the attention of the world AND billions in ad revenue.

And no. The answer is no.

TikTok WAS exclusively a hive of youthful shenanigans as early as a few months ago, however today with over 1.4 billion downloads, the rest of the age groups are catching up.

Fast.

Here's What You'll Know After Reading This Breakdown:

1. Serious info on TikTok you might not be aware of... but should be
2. How fast it's growing, who is using it & for how long
3. Exact steps for using TikTok to build your brand, grow your OTHER platforms like Instagram & YouTube... Oh yes. Yes indeed.

NOTE: A great deal of the data you'll see here was compiled from a range of sited sources. However, if you want to read an even more detailed stats breakdown you can check it out on Oberlo >>

What You Don't Know May Be Costing You:

Before I dive into some relevant stats, let me first hit you with a 1-2-3 punch of data that might make you wish read this a year ago...

• TikTok is one of only TWO platforms where you can get real, authentic FREE organic reach. (Remember that stuff? It's like FaceBook circa 2012 when fans could actually see what you posted!)
• TikTok has already grown to over 500 million daily active users. And that stat is old. Like Sept 2019 old. As of 2020 it's now the 6th most used social app in the world
• Users on the app are spending up to 45 minutes PER DAY watching videos. (Remember when we all thought how cool it was FaceBook commanded 20 min of daily attention?)

What do those things have to do with your business?

IF you have a business where sales are predicated on people knowing you exist, then it could have quite a bit to do with you.

When used correctly it could potentially become a great new pool of eyeballs. And not just for growing an audience on TikTok, but for helping grow your audience on Instagram AND YouTube. I'll cover that little gem in just a minute.

I'm not saying you need to abandon your fav social advertising platform (AKA FB) in favor of this new upstart.

What I am saying is you'll want to begin posting to the TikTok as well.

And in just a minute I'll share exactly how you can easily incorporate it into what you're already doing on social.

Getting In Early Can Mean Huge Rewards:

As of this writing, you have an opening to get "first mover advantage". The platform is still early enough & growing fast enough that the demand for content is outweighing the supply.

In situations like this (like every platform in their early stages) you'll get the boost of tons of organic exposure. They want people to see & consume your stuff so they show people your stuff. After too many people join the equation flips.

If you take advantage of this and do it fast, you'll be able to build a highly targeted platform of highly engaged followers.

And, as more and more join the platform, you'll already be in a position to be seen more often. As you probably already know: a big, engaged audience beats a small engaged audience.

TikTok Is Rapidly Taking Market Share:

One of the biggest benefits to jumping in now is that only about 9% of the US market is using it. Because it's still so fresh, many people don't even know what it is. But that is rapidly changing.

Because the videos can, and are, uploaded to every other platform, you've probably already seeing these everywhere.

So is everyone else.

No other platform does this. And that's why it's already #6 in terms of social app usage in such a short time.

Which brings us to how you can jump in & leverage this opportunity to make your other social activities A LOT easier.

Using TikTok To Grow Your Brand, Audience & Sales:

Tip 1: Using TikTok As A "Pass-Through" Platform.

Pass-Through means you're able to grow OTHER social followings via their app.

Once signed up, you can connect both Instagram & YouTube accounts. These then show up on your main TikTok profile.

In the videos there's no reason to not to say "If you like this, check out my YouTube link in my profile for the full length training".

Think of it like having a fire hose of fresh, organic traffic you can point directly at two of your main existing platforms.

Beyond that, when you sign up (under your in app settings) you can become a 'tester' account & put your URL in your bio.

Tip 2: Using TikTok Videos To "Change The Channel" For Viral Engagement

Because may creators allow their videos to be downloaded & shared across other platforms, you can get incredible viral traction as curated content.

Note: Not all videos will download, but those that do are branded to both the platform & the creator who made them

I personally experienced the power of this strategy after posting a video on my personal profile. In less than a month it got over 9.7 million organic views on FaceBook! Here's a screen shot >>

While I typically don't use that profile for anything other than family, the incredible explosion of viral traffic lead to a bump in my site traffic.

Knowing what I know now, my suggestion would be to post relevant content from that app to every social channel you have. Daily.

As I'm sure you already know, curating content from other locations can be very effective.

Tip 3: Post Daily & Use Trends With Your Unique Voice & Message

There is zero need for you to try to hop on some "dance challenge" to scoop up viral followers. If you're a business owner those followers aren't who you want anyway.

Keep your message on point & tight. Your people will find you.

Your primary "go to market" strategy should be to incorporate these style of videos into all of your social media marketing. Put your own voice & spin on trends so they stay relevant to YOUR audience.

• Leverage trending audio & simply turn the song to volume 0
• Use hashtags the same as LinkedIn, Pinterest, Instagram & Twitter
• Use 3rd party apps to quickly create high quality content (YouTube training here)

Once you've made the video, you can post it everywhere.

Step 4: Keep It Up.

Above all else, just like with all the other social sites, you need to keep doing it. You're not going to get "TikTok famous" with only a handful of videos.

Try to post at least 3x per day & keep the schedule cooking.

DO NOT worry if you don't see growth right away. Winning anywhere is all about keeping at it for the long term.

Bottom line: In all reality nobody knows if TikTok will make it. While current usage stats look VERY positive, hey, it's the internet. Anything could happen.

However, regardless if this platform's here to stay one thing is VERY certain: developing the communication style to deliver high impact messages in 15-60 seconds is vital.

On top of that, because these videos can be repurposed for every social channel, there are zero reasons why you shouldn't be publishing here as well.

But at the very least, even if you have no interest in becoming a content producer, you should follow me for the free daily marketing tips. (And to make fun of the fact it seems I only wear 3 outfits.)

If you found this helpful, please comment & share with a friend!

Until next time.

Jonny Andrews