The nice thing about video marketing is that is not limited by the type of company or business sector in which you operate. TikTok is used for marketing purposes by recruitment agencies, cake designers, fashion houses, and lawyers. Almost any type of business can leverage the tools and filters included on TikTok to make slick, professional-looking videos.
If you have just got a TikTok account and need inspiration for video posts this article will help you.
1. Capitalize on trends
Popular videos take off quickly on TikTok, some getting hundreds of thousands of views and quickly becoming a trend. Trends don’t just have to be the 15 or 30-second video snippet either, TikTok trends include the music used, voice-overs, hashtags, and challenges that captivate the interest and imagination of the audience.
If you are just getting started with your TikTok account then jumping on the latest trends can be an excellent way to familiarize yourself with the platform and its digital tools, and using trend videos will assure you some early views and exposure. A quick search will show you what the current trends are, then you can select one and design a video around it.
2. Dialogue reenactments
It can feel a little overwhelming at first to get in front of the camera and film yourself talking. Generally, it gets easier with practice but until you feel comfortable, you can always use other people’s dialogue. This involves overlaying spoken dialogue onto your video to create a scenario or situation. This is a cool tactic that can be used to make amusing video content or posts about something more serious.
Using external dialogue gives you the opportunity to lip sync along as though you are the person talking, or react with expressions to the words that are spoken as though you are the listener. Either way, it makes for entertaining videos that can earn you likes and followers without you having to film yourself talking.
3. Showcase products
Video is extremely versatile so if you sell physical products TikTok is a great way to showcase your goods. With the editing tools and filters available it allows videos to be enhanced to show your products in their best possible lights. Add a great background, music, text, and animations, and you are left with professional-looking content to advertise your items.
Video techniques help to add interest and some good cutaways and video splits enable you to film your items from multiple angles. Effects like Panning, zooming, and scrolling can show your product smoothly sliding into view for a modern and sleek look.
With a few tweaks, you can feature products and make them look their absolute best which can be appealing to viewers. To help your business even further, TikTok has recently added a TikTok shop feature so you can sell your wares directly from the platform.
4. Previews and sneak peeks
Keep your audience engaged with tempting and slightly mysterious content that hints at upcoming product releases, new services, or exciting news. People like to think that they are the first in the know, so this can be a good way to drive user engagement on your TikTok platform. Making videos that only partially show an item or suggest a fantastic future deal makes for compulsive viewing.
Videos can be made in sections and released in short sequences to reveal the news in short bursts or sequences. This is an effective way to market things like seasonal sales or events with videos that lead up to the launch date. For your users, this adds value and keeps them following your account with the prospect of being the first in line to receive the latest news, information and deals.
5. Audience participation
Getting people involved is a surefire way to gain likes and followers. Give your audience the chance to have their voice heard by using TikTok’s interactive tools. Things like Q&A and polls give your users the opportunity to share their thoughts or opinions. Customers can provide feedback or ask about product features and being able to answer questions in public can be super positive for your brand image.
Answers provided by your followers can give you a clear idea about what potential or existing customers are looking for and provide good market research data. Common issues that arise can be addressed and keeping ahead of customer needs can help your business to be proactive in terms of its product offerings and features.
6. Go behind the scenes
Once you have gained a decent number of followers on your TikTok account, you can generate trust and loyalty by being open and transparent about your company. Sharing videos that go behind the scenes and show business processes to your audience can be powerful. It puts a human face on your business that drives positive connections, and you will be able to demonstrate your business ethos directly to potential customers and existing clients.
No matter what kind of business you run, going behind the scenes will give your followers a deeper understanding of your operation and day to day functions. You can show important stages of your day, or share things like planning and setup. For example, if your business involves a busy sorting and shipping operation or manufacture goods you can film the process from end to end.
7. Knowledge sharing
Just because you know something, it doesn’t mean that it is general knowledge. Even the simplest tips or snippets of information can generate thousands of TikTok views. People are thirsty for knowledge so use your TikTok channels to share tips, hacks, or how-to’s that people can benefit from in their own life. If the information is good then your video will likely be shared which can expand your reach even further.
On TikTok videos have the ability to reach millions of people and just one video shared a number of times can expand your audience exponentially. Product guides and answers to common questions are popular content that can be used for knowledge sharing. There are many examples of viral videos on TikTok that have gained hundreds of followers using this method.
8. Weekly recap
With a bit of simple editing a number of videos or photos can be spliced together on TikTok to make an exciting recap video. Users who may have missed a couple of post throughout the week will be able to see everything that happened at a glance. You can make these types of videos fast-paced and high-energy to make them very visually appealing to viewers.
Recap video can be serious, funny, or amusing and with a few fun stickers and text animations, you can drive your points across quickly. Doing this every week is an effective way to provide an at a glance view of your business operations.
9. Social commentary
A couple of more recent features added to the TikTok platform include Duets and Stitches. Both of these features allow you to share other people’s videos on your page. Use a duet for a side-by-side view of you and the other user’s video, or post a stitch to show a video then switch to your view. Either way, you can offer a commentary on the information shared.
If you keep up with the latest news and industry trends, Duets and Stitches allow you to comment on current events or the latest happenings. You can add your own take based on your knowledge and business expertise and give your own opinion by sharing your own video to say ‘This is why this is wrong/right/exciting’ and it can make for compelling viewing.
10. Share failures
Across all social media accounts there are users who have built influencer accounts by sharing their successful and glamorous lifestyle. Photos taken in exotic locations or showing high-end jewelry or performance sports cars are reasonably common. However, people do appreciate a healthy dose of reality occasionally, so don’t be afraid to share your failures.
Being real and showing your audience that things don’t always go to plan can make you highly relatable, and appear more truthful. Running a small business isn’t all glitz and glamour and your audience knows that. Hard work interspersed with trials, tribulations, and challenges can show your followers that you are prepared to be completely transparent and it builds loyalty among your users.
Final words
Video content is being consumed more and more frequently, and the public turn to platforms like TikTok in search of information and entertainment. Marketers are taking advantage of the thirst for video content by designing posts that are engaging and irresistible. Small business users can use TikTok to their advantage as the platform is far from being saturated and video marketing is still in its early stages. For new users, this allows the chance to build a strong TikTok audience with their accounts.
If you need help creating professional and engaging video content, contact Smarcomms today!
