Ep. 36 - What I've Learned so far about TikTok (Getting my first 1000 Followers)

My journey with TikTok is probably pretty similar to yours – if you’re reading this post. I was super resistant to the new platform… Guess you could say I was stuck in my Instagram-ways! I initially resisted the idea of short-form videos, like TikTok. I wasn’t sure that it was going to be around for very long and so I didn’t dedicate much time to learning the platform and creating content.

But after seeing my peers have some success, consuming an embarrassing amount of short-form video content myself, and looking at the data – I decided to give it a fair shot!

As a bit of a data nerd – I had to do some digging. Was TikTok ACTUALLY going to be worth my time? I was on a mission to find out. Here are some of the highlights that shocked me:

TikTok has over 1 billion monthly active users with roughly 90% accessing TikTok daily and spending on average 95 minutes (guys – that’s more time then Netflix!)
The average user opens up the app 8 times a day (lol I definitely open it more then that)
As of May 2022 only 5% of marketers are using TIkTok (helllloooo untapped potential!)
Nearly 80-million monthly users are located in the United States
37% of TikTok users have a household income of $100,000+

Most of the data was pulled from Social Media Perth.

Honestly, I was super resistant to short-form videos for the longest time. Which in hindsight is funny because I adapted to Instagram Stories quickly and effectively right after the launch of the feature. I really expected TikTok to drop off quickly as other passing social media platforms often do. So it didn’t seem interesting or relevant to me to learn.

But as I started consuming more content, I realized the demographic was aging. It was no longer just teens and tweens dancing but it was also informational content from doctors, cute doggo accounts, families sharing their lives, influencers with entertaining alter-egos, and of course, business owners with tips.

I really wanted to improve my reach without spending money on Facebook Ads. When talking to business friends and seeing their results, I knew it was time I give it a try. My first real ‘try’ with TikTok was after I worked with a peer for a strategy session. I was consistent for about 2-weeks posting once a day. I didn’t see many results but my views were consistently improving.

I still had faith that TikTok could do something for me & my business – but I hadn’t figured out where I fit yet…

I now have just over 1000 followers on the account. While that number definitely isn’t anything special 0 it is monumental because I can now go live and I have the link in bio feature!

Inside this blog post and podcast episode, I’m diving deep into my journey with TikTok and what I’ve learned so far!

You DON’T have to dance!

When I figured this out, I was so freaking relieved! Instagram Reels is still very dance and trend-heavy while TikTok is more talking-head style videos which I love and are easy for me to create.

As the demographics on TikTok are aging and the content is truly diversifying – it’s no longer just a place to bust out your sick dance moves and ability to point to a beat. In both business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C), I’m noticing that talking head, timelapse, and even just stock video with text over top is becoming more and more normal and accepted.

Consistency is way more important than what you actually post. If you can post once a day – great, do that. If you can post twice a day – great, do that. When I’ve been consistent I’ve really seen the results happen.

Consider every post an opportunity to go viral.

Trends do help growth still!

While you don’t have to dance, you should pay attention to trends. I’ve noticed trends are coming in more variety. Here is what I’m paying attention to:

Trending sounds
Trending features (looking at the voice changer specifically!)
Trending ways things are being said (this is especially important with story-oriented content)
Trending formats

You can convert your audience without really mentioning an offer.

Before I went down and out with COVID, I repurposed a Reel I had made just for fun. For about 1 month, that video (and one that followed it up) got steady comments, views, and likes.

Without even mentioning that I had an offer, I had inquiries and a lot of genuine interest in the strategy I was talking about.

Video 1
Follow up Video

with that…

… Selling in the DMs works the exact same way!

I had about 600 followers when the videos I just mentioned started driving direct messages (DMs), inquiries, and comments!

And I was able to convert those followers and inquiries using the exact same strategies that I teach inside DM to Dollars – but on TikTok. It was a really cool full-circle moment for me.

For these initial conversion, I did keep the conversation right on TikTok. In the future, I may try to move the conversation to Instagram just because the message functionalities are so far superior on the good old ‘gram.

This really is a quantity-over-quality game!

Learning this was a hard lesson for me. I like to feel like I’m putting out my best work, 👏every.👏 single. 👏time.👏 But what mattered more was that I was active and putting out content.

When trying to grow on TikTok, you really need to focus on consistency in posting and it seems the more the better.

To wrap it all up…

TikTok is a super sweet app and I’m excited to see where it goes from here. I’ve learned everything I outlined here purely from experimenting but I have had some help along the way! When it comes to learning about the algorithm and optimizing my profile, I learned from my friend Sarah and her TikTok Tea membership (aff link).

Inside the TikTok Tea Membership, you get an interactive community, weekly trend report, live calls, and bonus training! If you want to take TikTok seriously in 2023 – join me inside! It’s a goodie!

@victoriahboyd

Show Notes

In today’s episode of the Make it Marketable Podcast, I’m sharing my journey on TikTok so far! While this isn’t a flashy episode or some huge milestone, I share wins and relatable stories about growing on a new app.

About your Host

Ready to make money in your DMs and make your sales take off? Victoria Boyd is the marketing strategist and DM selling expert you need if you’re an online entrepreneur ready to explode their business.

With a Masters in Internet Marketing and over 7 years of digital marketing experience as a social media strategist and manager, she has helped clients at every stage of business scale their online presence. Victoria is also a successful coach and course creator who multiple online education opportunities under her belt, including the Sell In Your DMs Playbook, Make It Marketable, Services That Sell, and personalized coaching.

Her specialty? Helping you craft strategic messaging that speaks directly to your dream clients so you can scale your business and close sales from the comfort of your DMs, without the sleazy tactics. She’ll guide you on how to tie all of your marketing together so you can generate leads, get your brand scene, make sales, and have fun working on your business instead of in it.

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