by Di Hughes
While there’s never a magic formula for success on any social media platform, keeping up to date with the latest trends and how the algorithm works can help you improve your chances of being successful on Tiktok.
Tiktok has become one of the fastest growing social media platforms with *1.92 billion users and what makes it special is the way it just seems to know what you’re into. The platform’s storytelling format adapts to your preferences and interest to show you relevant content that keeps you engaged and scrolling for an average of 1.5 hours a day.
TikTok is also being used as a search engine according to Adobe.com. Stats show that 41% of users have reported using TikTok as a search engine for things like new recipes (36%) Beauty Advice (29%) and health tips (22%) Despite the growth and popularity of the platform, and **1 in 4 business owners using TikTok for product sales or promotions, business are still struggling to be successful on the platform.
How does the TikTok algorithym work?
Here’s how TikTok defines it’s For You page algorithm:
“A stream of videos curated to your interests, making it easy to find content and creators you love … powered by a recommendation system that delivers content to each user that is likely to be of interest to that particular user.”
Most social media platforms keep the inner workings of their algorithms a secret, TikTok did reveal some of its ranking signals in a post back in 2020, and although things have most likely evolved in the last 4 years, with no further insights from the platform since, it’s always good to know the basics. If you’re interested in reading how TikTok recommends videos to you, you’ll find the information in the link below
https://newsroom.tiktok.com/en-us/how-tiktok-recommends-videos-for-you
Tips to help your TikTok success in 2024:
One of the simplest ways to find what works on TikTok, is to analyse how you use the platform: What grabs your interest, what type of content you like and how you interact? Just watching how you use the platform yourself, what type of content you engage with and how other creators get your attention can give you some great ideas for your own content. Now let’s have a look at what some successful creators are doing, what TikTok recommends and some top tips for creating successful content on TikTok.
Attention Grabbing Hooks – Do I need them?
If you’ve ever scrolled through TikTok, you know it moves superfast, and creators only have a couple of seconds to grab your attention, so the first 1-2 seconds of your content is probably the most important. Starting with a powerful hook is number 1 on our list: You can grab attention with the visual plus text option. Ensure that there is no mistaking what your video is about, so people don’t have to wait about to see what you’re talking about.
For example, the image shows creator Trevor Barrett’s tutorial on how to lift and enlarge hooded eyes, there is no mistaking what the content is about, as they have used text at the very start of the video to explain, so if the algorithm has done it’s job and shown your content to the right audience, they have no reason not to stick around and watch your video. Some great hook examples are questions identifying a problem your view has that you are offering a solution for, here’s something I learned while… Hacks for the perfect…
It’s not just about getting engagement, it’s about how you respond…
The next way to help your growth is to get your viewers to comment. There’s many posts I’ve seen on ways to trick or shock viewers into commenting, but the best and most effective way is to simply ask. People love to help and offer their insight and points of view, so something as simple as a post asking for advice can generate a flurry of comments that help your content be seen. Great examples I’ve seen are people asking for urgent help with styling an old outfit for a special occasion they were feeling anxious about, asking for help with ideas for a Halloween costume (50 thousand ideas were received for this one!) and ideas on cheap but healthy meals to feed a single mum and her three children on a budget. These are some basic ideas that you can adapt to your industry and business to integrate as the “offer value and engage” part of your marketing strategy. It is also very important to try and answer and comment on every comment, this is very good for the algorithm as it counts as comments, plus it shows that you’re establishing a relationship with your audience.
Another great strategy that helps with the volumes of content you need to keep the algorithm going, is to turn replies into video content. Users love to get engagement and replies from the creators and brands that they engage with, and this strategy not only helps to boost engagement, make your audience feel special but also gives you more content. For example: You post a video regarding a particular service your business offers that is a solution to a problem your audience might have (Do you struggle with xxx xxx, then this product/service is for you…) and someone replies, “will this help me with xxx?” when you hit reply, select the video icon (image below) and recode a quick video for that response that gives an explanation answer.
One other thing to remember to do it be grateful! Your content wouldn’t go viral or be successful without your audience cheerleading your content, so thank your audience for following you, thank them for liking your content, ask them what they find useful and what they would like to see more of, and follow up with responses to their comments.
Make your posts count by posting at the right time!
TikTok moves fast and new content is only new for a short period of time: Because of this, it’s important to make sure you’re posting at optimal times. You can find information online about the best times to post, or if you’re using a social media scheduling software (I recommend Metricool – get it free here – https://i.mtr.cool/TMNSAU it shows you the best times to schedule your content by highlighting slots as light (less active) or dark (most active) times to post.
Keep it topical and relevant!
Talk about trending topics – The most viral videos right now are talking about trending topics or news stories, and because these topics are relevant and current, TikTok will push them out to For You pages, so if there are current news stories or trending topics that are relevant to, ir can be adapted to be talked about in your industry, then use them.
Stay in your lane!
A generic piece of advice you will always see about your content on social media platforms is to find your niche and stick with it. Keeping to your specific industry niche will get you shown to a community of viewers who constantly engage with that niche, and this is a key element of defining your personal brand. Don’t be afraid to be specific either, the more concentrated your niche is, the more relevant and specific your audience will be, which is not only good for engagement, but also for business if you’re communicating with people who want what you have. For example, if you’re a business owner who offers many different products or services, try homing in on one particular product or service that offers a solution to a problem, and focus on that. Become an expert in that subject, position yourself on TikTok as the go-to person for advice on that product or service and be consistent. Over time, your content will become instantly recognisable, you will be known for this niche, and the algorithm will know exactly what your content is and push it to more people who are looking for what you have to offer.
Align your content with TikToks formats and profiles.
TikTok’s premier format is storytelling, so try and remember this when creating content, tell the story of your business, your services, your products. Don’t overdo the production, keep it real and relevant, and create good stories that evoke emotions. Your brands content should also align with the psychological profile of the platform, and content that works on TikTok is generate in a way that appears you are talking to your good friends. Remember to show your own and your businesses personality, and have fun!
Trends, Trends Trends!
Jumping on trends is a great way to boost your views and engagement, but make sure you’re keeping it relevant and putting your own spin on it. An example would be to put a viral hack you’ve seen that’s relevant to your niche to the test, show the original hack, recreate it and give your take on whether it works or not. Click the search icon in the top right hand side of your home screen to see current trending items and content you might like suggestions.
Talk about trending topics – The most viral videos right now are talking about trending topics or news stories because these topics are relevant and current, TikTok will push them out to For You pages, so if there are current news stories or trending topics that are relevant to, it can be adapted to be talked about in your industry, then use them. If you can grab a piece of the action for viewers who have fallen down a rabbit hole of a trending topic, you’ll help boost your views.
What’s hot right now?
TikTok is such a fast-moving platform, and social media algorithms change all the time, but here’s what you should be doing and what’s working right now…
- Stuck in the 300 maximum views vortex? TikTok has confirmed that shadow banning and TikTok jail is not a real thing, and the way to beat this is to post quality content that is relevant to your niche and post consistently.
- Post more images and carousels – Right now, images and carousels are getting twice the views and engagement.
- Don’t ever boost your content – Unfortunately this will destroy your organic engagement, if you’re going to run ads, run them properly from the TikTok ads where you can access the full suite of tools and targeting options to make your ads work harder.
- Never delete your posts – Delayed views are a thing despite some information saying that TikTok only shows videos for a week, and sometimes it can take weeks for your content to be pushed out or noticed, but it can hurt your place in the algorithm of you delete videos after a few days if you don’t get many views on them.
- Don’t use sounds if you’re talking – Many creators have discovered their videos have gone silent after a huge number of songs and sounds we removed from the platform, this has resulted in videos have no audio because of this.
- Post landscape videos – right now, TikTok is boosting landscape videos but not many people are posting them, so if you do, you’ve got more chance of your videos being seen by a lot more people. TikTok has been trying to rival YouTube and testing 30 minute long videos and encouraging views to turn their phones sideways to watch longer content.
- Stuck in the 300 maximum views vortex? TikTok has confirmed that shadow banning and TikTok jail is not a real thing, and the way to beat this is to post quality content that is relevant to your niche and post consistently.
- Share tutorials – TikTok is being used as a search engine by 42% of it’s users, so if you can grab views who might be looking for help, support, or advice on your niche topic, this could generate followers looking for more of the same. A good tip would be to show how a product you sell should be used, or a tutorial on the correct aftercare for a service you offer.
- Collaborate with other creators, business or even your followers, it can halve your workload and double (or even more) your audience.
- Use #hashtags. Using hashtags on TikTok allows your content to be much more discoverable. Adding them to your captions will help you land in front of viewers who are already invested in your chosen topic.
TikTok summarised its 2024 strategy by saying:
In 2024, the TikTok community will ignite a transformative mindset fueled by curiosity, imagination, vulnerability and courage. In fact, taking strategic risks and being vulnerable is now the ultimate brand strategy, where leaning into micro insights and showcasing quirks can be your superpower. The unknown and uncomfortable is what creates the unimaginable – and those brave enough to create for it won’t just keep up, they’ll flourish.
You can download TikTok’s What’s Next 2024 Trend Report via the link below.
https://www.tiktok.com/business/en-US/trends-whats-next
My final piece of advice for anyone looking to use TikTok for business is to make sure it’s right for you. Don’t just dive into creating a profile and creating videos without a strategy. Content creation on TikTok can be time consuming and frustrating if you don’t see results. Do your research, define your brand identity and create a strategy before you dive in.
*statista.com
**hootsuite.com
