Alright! Let’s get cracking with how to use TikTok to drive rapid growth for a solopreneur. You know it’s not just for dancing and lip-syncing!
Unleash the Power of TikTok’s Algorithm
You’ve heard it said. Many times. The algorithm is king. Get with the algor. Learn to groove to the beat of the algorithm. Except on TikTok, it’s not just the king. It’s the king, the family, the court, and the kingdom in one. Let’s run through the playbook.
Crack the Code of the For You Page
The For You Page (FYP), however, is where the real magic happens and where you should aim to have your content featured. Most of the time a user will spend on TikTok is spent on the FYP. An average video posted on the FYP gathers between 1-2 million views, as per a study by Influencer Marketing Hub. So, how exactly can we ensure that our content gets onto the FYP? A couple of important things that need to be taken into account are the engagement rates, watch time and relevancy of your content.
To boost your chances of landing on the FYP:
- Create content that encourages viewers to watch till the end
- Use trending sounds and hashtags (but only if they’re relevant to your content)
- Post consistently (aim for at least once a day)
- Engage with other creators in your niche
Keep in mind, the algorithm favours you the more often users stay on the app. Make videos that users want to watch over and over.
Master the Art of TikTok SEO
SEO feels like it’s strictly a Google thing, but not at all. TikTok has a search engine, too. Picture this: your brand is gaining traction, but you want that lucky little break you know social can give. What are your best options? You could have an influencer shout you out, but that costs money. Social media marketing is pricey. Or, you could catch the star’s attention yourself, and hope they pick you. That could work, but there’s a faster option. It starts by making your way to the search section of TikTok (as of March 2023, TikTok specifically mentions YouTube but, without naming Google, applies to the search giant as well.) Under the search box is your target. Once on TikTok, search engines are your most fierce competition. More people will now search for things on TikTok before they go to Google. TikTok’s own data shows that 40 per cent of Gen Z users search TikTok or Instagram instead of Google.
To optimize your content for TikTok search:
- Include keywords in your captions, hashtags, and even in the video (text overlays are ideal)
- Create content that answers common questions in your niche
- Use descriptive titles for your videos
- Engage with comments to boost your video’s relevance score
Harness the Power of TikTok’s Creative Tools
You might assume that the creative buttons that have become a feature of TikTok are just for fun, but they will give your videos a professional edge if you know how to use them. Here’s how to harness the capabilities of the coolest video-editing app around.
Leverage Green Screen Effects for Mind-Blowing Content
Green-screen effect videos are becoming more ubiquitous, and that’s a good thing. A green screen can bring an extra world of engaging, informative content, and, according to a early study by Hootsuite, videos created with TikTok’s green screen effect enjoy 60 per cent more engagement than those without.
Here are some advanced ways to use the green screen effect:
- Create virtual “tours” of your products or services
- Overlay data and statistics to make your points more impactful
- Transport yourself to different locations to tell a story
- Use it for before-and-after demonstrations
Master TikTok’s Duet and Stitch Features
Duet and Stitch are TikTok features that let you remix other creators’ videos. They’re fun to use, but they’re also great for growing your audience. A study by Influencer Marketing Hub has discovered that adding a Duet or Stitch to your video can increase your reach by up to 200%.
Advanced ways to use Duet and Stitch:
- Respond to trending topics in your niche
- Collaborate with other creators for cross-promotion
- Provide expert commentary on relevant content
- Create a series of videos that build on each other
Craft a Content Strategy That Converts
Creating great content is one thing; creating content that converts viewers into customers is another thing altogether. Now, let’s get a little more advanced:
Implement the “Hook, Line, and Sinker” Method
Because you only have three seconds, especially with the ever-new feed on TikTok, to grab someone’s attention, Hook, Line, and Sinker becomes a useful formula. If you look at the main study that TikTok ran on the performance of its millions of videos, you’ll see that a strong Hook in the first three seconds of your video can increase watch time by 50%.
Here’s how it works:
- Hook: Get people within the initial 3 seconds (overlay text, beautiful shot, or some sort of query)
- Line: Keep them watching with valuable content
- Sinker: End with a strong call-to-action
Leverage Storytelling for Emotional Connection
We are hard-wired for the narrative. Storytelling on TikTok is your path toward brand loyalty. According to a study by Sprout Social, 70% of consumers felt closer to brands represented by CEOs who are sharing on social media.
Advanced storytelling techniques for TikTok:
- Use the “Hero’s Journey” framework to structure your content
- Share behind-the-scenes glimpses of your solopreneur journey
- Create a series of videos that tell an ongoing story
- Use music and sound effects to enhance emotional impact
Maximize Engagement with Advanced Community Building Techniques
It’s not enough to build a TikTok community, you’ve got to build a tribe – a demographic of fervent followers who zapped Mia into a viral phenomenon, giving her a cachet of credibility beyond that delivered only by millions of approval-hungry consumers.
Implement a Comment Strategy That Boosts Visibility
Comments mean cash on TikTok. The more comments your video gets, the higher it climbs up the rate of engagement, which in turn brings it to the FYP more often. There are easy ways to artificially juice up your numbers, but comments are a fluid and dynamic entity that respond to your actions. Later, a marketing platform that caters to Instagram, Facebook and TikTok, recently did some research on the problem in a blog post that examines the importance of engaging with TikTok audiences. What they found is that, when a creator replies to a comment in the first hour after a video goes live, the engagement rate enjoys a 70% lift.
Advanced comment strategies:
- Respond to comments with video replies
- Ask questions in your captions to encourage comments
- Create content that sparks debate (but keep it positive)
- Use pinned comments to highlight important information or continue the conversation
Host TikTok Lives That Convert
TikTok Live is not only something musicians do with their fans or gamers bringing followers along on a Prohibition-era moonshine run; it’s a way for the solopreneur to communicate with her tribe on a very human level, live. Live videos engage with audiences 150% more than regular TikTok videos, according to TikTok.
Advanced TikTok Live strategies:
- Host Q&A sessions to build trust and authority
- Offer exclusive promotions or content to Live viewers
- Collaborate with other creators for Live “takeovers.”
- Use Live to launch new products or services
Leverage Data for Continuous Improvement
In TikTok land, what works one day might not work the next. So you morph your performance metrics into content strategy; you keep your eyes on the dashboard.
Master TikTok Analytics for Data-Driven Decision Making
There’s actually an obvious but often overlooked analytics package built into TikTok. According to the social-media intelligence firm Hootsuite, creators who check their analytics regularly and refine their strategy according to it see their engagement grow over time.
Advanced analytics strategies:
- Track your video retention rate to understand what keeps viewers watching
- Analyze your follower growth rate to identify which content resonates most
- Use the “Top Territories” feature to tailor content to your audience’s location
- Monitor your engagement rate over time to spot trends and adjust accordingly
Implement A/B Testing for Continuous Optimization
A/B testing isn’t just for email. A/B testing isn’t just for websites. A/B testing isn’t even just for pre-production. It doesn’t matter if you are a TikTok creator whose content relies on your presentation: a series of subtle adjustments in your audio, lighting or body language can make you a significantly more powerful influencer. By adopting the systematic approach of A/B testing, you can continuously improve your performance.
Advanced A/B testing strategies for TikTok:
- Test different video lengths to find your sweet spot
- Experiment with various types of hooks to see what grabs attention
- Try different posting times to find when your audience is most active
- Test various call-to-action styles to see what drives the most conversions
Conclusion
If you want to become a solopreneur with a huge following on TikTok, posting ‘for the fun of it’ won’t cut it. The path to relevance involves using TikTok’s unique design and algorithm to build your brand and scale your business by employing certain hackneyed tactics that only insiders know how to apply – such as cracking the black box of the For You Page or using data to engineer and iterate your way to success. If you’re truly committed to becoming a TikTok star, here’s how to go from zero to hero.
And remember; TikTok is not a heckle, it’s a machine – success here is determined by the ‘grind’ (as in, ‘videos take time’), creativity and a willingness to pivot. By adding some of these trickier mechanics to your arsenal, you’re already on your way to virality and a powerful voice on one of the world’s fastest-growing platforms.
With that in mind, are you ready to take your solopreneur endeavours to the next level with TikTok? The reality is: if you start implementing these tactics now and track your results, you’ll inevitably learn some useful lessons along the way to enhance your TikTok endeavours in due course. So, what are you waiting for? TikTok awaits!
FAQs
How often should I post on TikTok to see rapid growth? There’s no magic formula, but most of the successful TikTok creators that I’ve met post a video pretty much every day. If you can do that, the algorithm will like you. The main reason is because most TikTok users follow high volumes of creators. By creating new content on a consistent basis, you will prioritise yourself on their feed – this way, they are more likely to see your content. The bottom line is this: you want a steady stream of high quality content, not a sporadic flurry of low-quality shares.
How long will a solopreneur have to wait to generate appreciable revenue on TikTok? The amount of time it will take to reach your goals depends on your niche, the quality of your content, and whether you are consistent. Some creators experience massive growth within a few weeks, while for others months have passed and yet they don’t see the results they were hoping to get. The key here is to stay consistent and patient. Keep your performance metrics in check, and listen to what the numbers have to say. Be ready to tweak your strategy to suit the feedback you get from the data.
Do I have to show my face to be discovered as a solopreneur on TikTok? While it’s much stronger connection with an audience if people can see your face, it’s not strictly necessary, either. There are plenty of successful TikTok creators who use voiceovers, text overlays, and creative visuals to explain what they want to share without actually showing their own face. The most important thing is that the content you share is unique, interesting and resonates with your audience. If you’re not comfortable sharing your face with the world, there are other ways you could make your content truly distinctive and engaging.