Tricks and Techniques for TikTok

Insights from our latest ID Academy

TikTok is the app of the moment and a Gen Z must-have. Having the platform as a central part of your digital marketing strategy, particularly when trying to connect with this younger demographic, is a big plus. And if you’re going to use it, use it right.

Below are the insights gathered from our TikTok specialists, and shared in our most recent ‘ID Academy’ – our agency’s internal tips and tricks-sharing session:

What makes a great TikTok?

TikTok was made to be a fun platform – use it that way! Less polished/professionally edited videos generally perform better.
While jumping on trends is a great way to get views, it’s not a “one size fits all” approach. If the TikTok is for a client, be mindful of which trends/sounds are well-suited to them.
Establish your hook within the first couple seconds of the music video – people want to know what they will be watching!
Using closed captions on videos that include speech to make them more accessible for audiences.
Using keywords on the video, as well as in the captions, helps optimise search results.
Use trending audio if (it fits you or your clients “vibe”) as well as hashtags.
Stay personable. Too much detail or excessive sales messaging can put your audience off, and also prevent the TikTok algorithm from pushing your content out.
The shorter your video, the more watch time it will have. Only about 50% (or less) of your audience will stick around to watch your video if it is 40 or more seconds long. If your video is 13 seconds or less, you will have 90 to 100% watch time.The more watch time you have on your video, the more likely the algorithm will push it out for more people to see.

TikTok Best Practices

When adding text on screen, only keep it on screen for four seconds or under- unless it’s a caption needed for context. When there’s continuous text on the screen, ensure a balance between keeping it snappy, and giving the viewer enough time to read.

Avoid placing text or the closed captions towards the bottom of the video where the caption will be. You want people to be able to see what’s written!

Stay consistent with your post title style for consistency on feed, and always pick the most engaging cover that will encourage more audiences to click.

When it comes to posting, you want to put content out when the app is most active. In the morning this is between 10:30 am and 12:30 pm. In the afternoon, from 3:30 pm to 5:30 pm and in the evening, from 7:30 pm to 10:30 pm. It’s helpful to find out when your followers are most active and post 30 minutes before those times.

Hashtags

When using hashtags, aim to use five or six with the following guidelines:

2+ that are niche specific
2+ that are related to the video specifically
2+ that are trending in your niche

Trends

TikTok’s creative centre allows business accounts to find what performs well on the app to better engage with audiences. When looking, you can browse what hashtags, songs, creators, TikTok videos, etc. are trending now.

Influence Digital’s TikToks – Highlights

Client – Faithless

@faithlessofficial

Faithless Family. 27 years of No Sleep. 27 years of Insomnia. Thank you for listening. #faithlessinsomnia #faithless #insomnia #electronicmusic #electro

♬ Insomnia – Faithless

Client – Strawberries & Creem

@

♬ –

Client –Backyard Cinema

@backyard_cinema

BACKYARD CINEMA MANCHESTER PRESS NIGHT✨ #cinema #backyardcinema #backyardcinemamanchester #thingstodoinmanchester #manchester

♬ original sound – Backyard Cinema