Are you on #smallbusinesstok?

TikTok has transformed the way small businesses are promoting themselves. Popular videos that show the benefits of a certain product, unique jewelry, or handmade crafts perfect for a cool apartment can cause stores to sell out almost immediately. Restaurants and stores have benefited from the fame, as the visual appeal of certain types of food or the aesthetically pleasing way a store is laid out can cause thousands of people to visit places they otherwise wouldn’t have known about.

TikTok is a social networking app that focuses on the upload of videos ranging from 15 seconds to 3 minutes. These videos can be anything – from daily vlogs to painting videos to dance routine videos. However, TikTok also enabled small businesses to continue operating and become successful during and after the pandemic.

How does this work? It’s important to establish a niche – find something that is valuable, engaging, interesting, and is filling a void. For example, handmade jewelry or homemade candles. A small business can be anything! As long as you’re offering something that makes you different from the rest.

Why do some videos gain popularity and others don’t? There isn’t a concrete explanation other than the algorithm. However, there is somewhat of a general set of rules that can help in making someone go viral. First, it is vital to have a TikTok business account. This enables creators to have access to more marketing and analytics tools to see how well they’re engaging with their followers.

Second, content! It’s important to understand your audience and what they’re looking for. Is it a video showing the process behind making your product, or a day in the life as a small business owner? Engaging with different types of videos, ideas, and techniques enables creators to understand what followers most engage with and thus increasing their following.

Third, as always, is consistency. The more you post, the more new followers you will gain, the more you’ll show up on people’s For You pages, which increases engagement and sales.

Small business TikTok is a fun way to engage with potential customers and boost overall brand awareness. To learn more about social media marketing and strategy for your small business, click here.