TikTok is one of the largest and hottest social media platforms right now, a place where just about anyone can go viral overnight. Many content creators have catapulted their careers by using the platform to subtly direct their audience to their exclusive fan pages or adult content. However, there are some important things to keep in mind when promoting yourself on TikTok. Here are a handful of best practices I follow that have helped me grow my success through the platform.
DO YOUR RESEARCH
Ideally, you want to target an audience that is broad enough to rack up big numbers but also specific enough to be enthusiastic about your particular content.
Often there is a pattern to videos going viral. I recommend following and studying content creators whose image or overall vibe is similar to your own, to gauge what videos seem to gain traction. Stay up to date on the latest trends and sounds, keep your target audience in mind and track what types of videos go viral in your genre. This will give you a better grasp on the types of videos you will want to record to have a higher chance of seeing them take off.
FOLLOW THE WINNING FORMULA FOR TIKTOK VIDEOS
When creating a TikTok, keep these key elements in mind:
- Grab the audience’s attention from the very first second of the video. Stand out!
- Record high-quality videos in the app itself. Avoid filters that lower the video quality. Use natural light.
- Keep the video clean, simple and aesthetically pleasing.
- Keep the audience’s attention throughout the whole video. This can be done with your expressions, lively cutting, telling a story or having the audience anticipate the ending based on how you craft it.
- Give the audience a reason to engage with your TikTok. The more comments, shares and likes, the more the video will be pushed by the app’s algorithm. Even controversial statements can help if they spark debates in the comments section.
KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE
Make sure you know what audience you are targeting. Is it men in their 20s? Older men? City people? Folks from rural areas? Or are you making catch-all crowd-pleaser fare? Ideally, you want to target an audience that is broad enough to rack up big numbers but also specific enough to be enthusiastic about your particular content.
Once you have a good idea of your target audience, research trends for that niche. For example, a trend might be popular among a female audience but not so popular among males. You can find out what audience a video has hit by looking at the comments and observing the average commenter.
PERSISTENCE IS VITAL
Perhaps one of the most important tips I have to share is that you’ll need to be persistent with TikTok. For every one of my videos that has gone viral, I have had dozens that have flopped. I have had multiple accounts banned, suppressed or deleted, videos removed and many other challenges. Successful TikTok users will agree that they have had to stay persistent and try multiple times before having a video really take off.
STUDY TIKTOK’S TERMS OF SERVICE
This is probably one of the most frustrating barriers for a lot of creators. Although TikTok’s moderation process is a bit of a mystery, creators have developed best practices on avoiding strikes against your account. Creators often take one of two routes: They create careful content that follows TikTok’s TOS, or they play it a bit risky and farm as many viewers as they can until the inevitable ban hits. Unfortunately, even if you try to play it safe, you could still end up finding your account banned. That’s why persistence is exceptionally important.
Although I do my best to follow TikTok’s guidelines, my main account has been permanently banned over 10 times. I’ve had to use multiple avenues of contact in order to reach TikTok and appeal these bans, and each time my account was eventually restored. Even verified creators have had their accounts banned by what I assume is TikTok’s automated moderation system.
BUILD A SUPPORT SYSTEM
Although having a support system may not seem as important as the rest of my recommendations, this could be one of your most valuable assets while attempting to boost your career using TikTok. Getting banned from TikTok or having videos removed, especially when you have been following the guidelines, can be extremely discouraging. Having other like-minded creators to turn to, who can empathize with these issues, can make a world of difference in terms of your outlook and resilience. Just seek out your fellow creators via social media, Reddit, forums, etc. and you’ll find your tribe.
In summary: Become super familiar with what other creators are doing for your target audience, create your own unique brand of content, calculate risk/reward for TOS violations and stay persistent in the face of inevitable setbacks. Follow these rules and you should see results — hopefully stellar ones.
Ellesquishy is a content creator whose content can be found on ellesquishy.com or @ellesquishy on TikTok and Twitter.
