With over a billion active users and three billion installations, TikTok has the largest online audience, which can be hugely beneficial for your business.
With a younger audience, small businesses thrive on this platform due to the fact that the majority of Gen Z are looking for unique, ethical, and sustainable products and services.
As the most used search engine for this generation, it makes sense for small businesses to follow their consumers and advertise their products and services where they’re most likely to see it.
Why should my small business be on TikTok?
TikTok had been the most downloaded app for several years, recently overtaken by BeReal. With a majority demographic of 16-25 year olds, authenticity truly is the greatest currency on this app, especially for business owners, as it gives younger consumers the opportunity to see a real, fun side of you and your business.
Although often branded as an entertainment platform with teenagers dancing (which it definitely is), TikTok has also become one of the main sources for its audience’s news, tips, and information, which is why it’s an amazing platform to delve into as a business owner.
Tapping into the TikTok market will:
- Broaden your exposure to a younger audience
- Encourage you to develop different types of content
- Help you keep up with a developing market
How do I target my audience?
In order to get the most out of your content, it’s important to understand your audience and what they want.
If you’re a small business owner, you’re in luck, because that is exactly what a lot of Gen Z are looking for. As consumers, this younger generation often want to purchase from unique small businesses that have ethical and sustainable values that reflect their own.
Gen Z are particularly drawn to the following attributes in small businesses:
Authenticity
Unique Branding
Inclusivity
Questions to ask yourself before you set up a TikTok account for your business:
1. Is TikTok the right fit for your business?
- How old is my audience? (Would you benefit from a younger audience viewing your business?)
- What is my brand voice? (Would you need to maintain a formal image of your business?)
2. How do you want to present yourself on TikTok?
- What does my small business sell? (What kind of visual content would be most appealing)
- What is my small business TikTok purpose? (Eg. selling your products, raising awareness, etc.)
- What is my brand’s personality? (Showcase what makes your business unique)
Expert Tips for Social Media:
Social media has removed the media gatekeepers because you share it yourself, which is why authenticity is such a great currency right now.
Timi Merriman-Johnson
Last month, we held a networking event where a panel of experts in the Hatch community gave their peers tips on using social media.
Timi Merriman-Johnson, founder of Mr Money Jar, celebrates authenticity on social media and encourages business owners to show their following the person behind the business.
With this advice, however, he advises that you have clear boundaries or what you are not prepared to share on social media, which you can grow with time.
Alongside being authentic, comes enjoying the content you’re putting out there and relieving yourself of the stress of counting numbers of likes, followers, and ultimately, engagement.
The people that need to work with you will work with you. It’s not about the likes and followers which you can buy but don’t provide real engagement.
Sonya Barlow
Sonya Barlow, founder of LMF Network, illustrates this point through her experience in having been chosen as the UK’s entrepreneur of the year by French fashion brand, ba&sh, who had never connected or liked any of her posts, yet had been watching her content for some time before picking her over hundreds of applicants.
Social media can be an amazing tool for networking, finding your unique community, providing advice, and selling your products or services.