How to Build a Community on TikTok?
TikTok’s popularity has skyrocketed over the past year, and you should consider building a community on it for your business. TikTok demographics are very broad not only for teenagers anymore.
TikTok users love to interact with memes and other content that gives them an opportunity to flex their creativity. This format is perfect for engaging with your audience.
TikTok has a unique algorithm that uses machine learning to recommend videos to you based on your interests. You can use this to hyper-target potential customers or a niche market without having to pay for ads (like you would on Facebook or Instagram).
Have you ever wondered how to build a community on TikTok? There is no doubt about it, TikTok has taken over the internet and its community of users is booming. Don’t be the last one to take the TikTok train.
Here, you’ll discover multiple techniques to develop an engaged and loyal audience on TikTok and build a strong community on TikTok.
TikTok rules and how to master them
The first thing you need to know is that the TikTok platform is built around music. So we like to think of our content in terms of the music, and we make sure to match our copy to the tone and style of the song.
That means if you’re making a TikTok with a pop song, you should probably use language that’s light-hearted and fun. If you’re using a rap or hip-hop song, use language that’s bold and direct.
You can also use language that plays off of specific lyrics from the song—like “you need to calm down” from Taylor Swift’s song “You Need To Calm Down” or “I ain’t got no type” from Rae Sremmurd’s “No Type.”
Once you’ve figured out your voice, it’s time to think about your video. TikTok videos are short—we’re talking 10 minutes, 15 seconds or less.
But don’t let that stop you from being creative! Just think about how you can make the most of those time seconds. Pick your style make your own touch. 😃
- TikTok has its own style and set of stylistic conventions. You can’t just put a video from YouTube on there and expect it to take off—you have to know what the audience is looking for, and you have to play with it.
- Trim your video to be 15 seconds, or less than 60 seconds (if you’re making a longer video).
- DO NOT try to put an ad in the middle of the video, as viewers will skip past it, and you’ll waste your money.
- Try to make videos that will go viral—but don’t focus on how many views you’re getting right now, instead focus on the quality of the content you’re putting out. If everything is high-quality, eventually your videos will go viral!
Post consistently
The first step towards building a community on TikTok is to post consistently. Posting on a consistent basis builds brand familiarity, helps you grow your follower base, and increases the chances of your videos going viral.
The more frequent you post, the greater chance you have of getting featured at the top of For You feed.
- Create a posting schedule: To make sure you’re posting consistently, create a posting schedule so it feels less like work and more like a habit. If you’re just starting out on TikTok, try to post at least once per day and build consistency from there. We recommend creating 1-2 videos per day if possible or shooting multiple videos at once that can be posted over the course of several days or weeks.
- Make it personal: A great way to keep audiences coming back for more is by adding a personal touch to your content by sharing behind-the-scenes footage or showing them who’s behind the camera or in front of the camera with you if applicable! This will help humanize your brand and make people feel like they know you better than other creators who aren’t as open to sharing their everyday lives on social media.
Respond to some comments and likes
“You’re so funny!” “I love your account!” These are the types of comments that you want to see, and don’t worry—they happen.
When they do, you have a chance to respond with a simple thank you. These comments will be great opportunities for you to build relationships with your fans who engage with your content.
You can also use these comments as avenues to encourage more engagement. Ask them what type of content they would like to see or if they have any questions about the topic at hand.
This is another way that you can get feedback from your audience and begin building a community around your brand on TikTok!
Post engaging videos
- Post engaging videos.
- Use songs with a catchy beat or chorus.
- Make your content entertaining and unique. This could mean adding text to the video, using stickers, or any other thing that draws people in as they are scrolling through their feed.
- Keep your videos short and to the point—try not to exceed 15 seconds
- Humor is appreciated by most audiences. If you can make someone laugh then they are more likely to watch your whole video, share it with friends, and watch more of your content in the future.
Don’t take it too seriously
While there are many factors that can influence your follower count and the success of one’s account on TikTok, the most important thing is to remember to not take the platform too seriously.
While it may be tempting to try and make a name for yourself by posting content you think would be popular, this will ultimately result in your work feeling forced and disingenuous.
At the end of the day, TikTok is just a fun way for people to connect with each other through short videos.
Do what you enjoy, don’t worry about likes/followers/engagement metrics, and always be authentic to yourself.
Comment on other people’s videos
The best way to build a community on TikTok is to engage with the communities you’re already a part of. It’s pretty simple: comment on other people’s videos!
You might want to start by commenting on videos from people you already know, like your coworkers or friends.
Then, branch out and comment on some videos from people you don’t know but whose stories you enjoy watching. This is a great way to start conversations and get to know other creators.
Make your own hashtag
🌟 Use a hashtag that is relevant to your content.
🌟 A hashtag can be branded, it can be funny, or it can cause people to think. It’s important that your audience connects with the topic you choose for your hashtag. If you’re running a beauty channel, consider using something like #beautyhacks or #makeupinspiration. If you’re funny, then maybe use a hashtag that reflects that. If you’re trying to get people thinking about important issues in today’s world, find hashtags that reflect this goal.
🌟 Don’t use too many words in a hashtag (or too many hashtags).
TikTok does not allow more than two hashtags in the description of any given post, for example. Using the maximum allowable number of two hashtags per video is perfectly acceptable and will actually improve the chances of your content being found by people outside of your immediate follower base.
Take advantage of duets and reels
The best thing about TikTok is that it allows you to easily interact with other users, and one of the best ways to do this is by using Duets.
Duets allow you to record a video of yourself alongside someone else’s video. That means that as soon as you find a great video from another user, you can make your own version of it and share your creativity with the world.
Reels are another fun way to interact with other users. Similar in concept to Duets, Reels allow you to record a video of what’s happening on your phone while watching someone else’s TikTok.
For example, if your favorite content creator has posted a really fun tutorial on how to make something, you can use Reels to show the process happening on your phone while recording yourself doing the same thing in real life!
This is great for showing off what kinds of products and brands are important to you and creating an authentic relationship with other users who love those same things.
Repost other user’s content
Don’t be afraid to repost other users’ content. If you see someone making the same jokes or talking about the same topics that you do, give them a shout-out.
It will bring your followers over to their accounts and could introduce you two to each other.
Usually, people are happy that their content has been recognized by another user because it means more potential viewers for them.
And if they start following your account, you can both help each other grow by watching and commenting on each other’s videos!
That being said, don’t steal content from other people. Always credit the original creator with a comment (not just in the caption).
Don’t repost someone else’s video without their permission, and don’t repost content that isn’t yours! Even if it’s not “theft,” it makes you look bad if you’re pretending to present an idea as your own when it’s really copied from someone else.
Not only that—if the original creator gets wind of what happened, they might also flag your video or block your account.
Follow creators you like and ask them questions
🌟 ****As you’re scrolling, follow creators whose videos you enjoy.
🌟 When you find a creator whose content aligns with your own, drop him or her a comment.
🌟 Ask them how they got their start on TikTok, or what their favorite app is.
🌟 If you really like their work and want to know how to get better at making it yourself, ask for some pointers.
🌟 Doing this will almost always get the person’s attention and help make them aware of your work as well.
TikTok can be a lot of work, but it can also be really fun if you do it the right way! The more important is to have fun, and don’t take yourself too seriously.
Don’t be afraid to fail and learn from your mistakes. It takes time to figure out what kind of content will work best with TikTok’s algorithm and audience. So experiment with new ideas and don’t let yourself become discouraged by failure.
Be creative and come up with new ideas for videos all the time. That’s one thing that makes TikTok so fun! Use any tools or resources available to help generate new content ideas.
And just start 🚀
