Even if you’ve never attempted a trendy lip sync or dance video in your life, you know about TikTok. This insanely popular video-sharing platform has more than 3 billion downloads, and that number is climbing constantly. In fact, it was THE MOST downloaded app in 2021 with 656 million downloads!

And here’s the thing about TikTok—it’s not just for Gen Z. It’s not just for lip sync videos, and it’s not just for dance videos. In fact, there’s a good chance that TikTok could be a good fit for your business.

But to master this platform and make money from it, you’ll need to start posting the right kind of content—the kind that will not only grow your base of followers on TikTok but also translate into new clients/customers and, ultimately, sales.

TikTok vs. Instagram

Why not just stick with Instagram, you ask? The Instagram algorithm can be brutal. Unless you’re there all.the.time, your content isn’t being prioritized and, chances are, it’s not even being seen by your own audience.

On TikTok, everyone’s competing for users’ attention on a much more level playing field. If you just joined the platform yesterday, or if you’ve had an account for a while and post just once a week, your content still has a chance of showing up on people’s For You page. It still has a chance to go viral.

Steps to Level Up on TikTok

TikTok’s algorithm may be friendlier than Instagram’s, but that doesn’t mean you don’t have to put effort into TikTok to make it work for your business.

Here are 5 steps you can take to level up your game on this popular platform:

Determine what your purpose or goal is for TikTok. Your goal could be building brand awareness or building a personal brand, winning new brand partnerships, selling products or services, or something else. Once you have a goal in mind, you can develop a plan for success.
Get a handle on your niche and/or ideal TikTok viewer. In a perfect world, who would you like your content to reach? Think about what types of content these ideal viewers are consuming on TikTok, what search terms they may be using to find this preferred content, and how you can provide content that will attract their notice.
Align your content with your goal(s). If your #1 goal is to bring in new clients, then your content should provide the sort of information that will engage potential new clients and keep them coming back for more. (Think tips, tutorials, unpopular opinions that educate/inspire, etc.) Your content should set you up as an expert in your niche.
Create engaging content. You can package your content in endless ways—and yes, that includes those trendy lip sync videos. In fact, don’t shy away from using trending audio, because that can be a good way to gain exposure and, hopefully, engagement. Engagement is key to the TikTok algorithm, so make sure the first few seconds of your video includes an irresistible hook! (Example: “3 mistakes you’re making with ____”)
Be consistent and patient. Rome wasn’t built in a day! Make a concerted effort to post regularly for your first 30 days on TikTok. Test different types of content and figure out what your audience likes. Once you have a following, create a schedule and stick to it. You don’t need to post constantly, but you should aim to be consistently present on the platform to make it as profitable as possible.