How to use TikTok for business success in 2026

TikTok marketing is one of the most effective ways to grow your brand in 2026. The app’s creative format and viral potential give brands an edge in reaching people faster than on traditional networks.

With over 1.5 billion users, the app offers immense reach. Its audiences span every age group and niche, quickly turning TikTok into a central hub for brand discovery and engagement.

Yet, only 26% of marketers actively use it. This presents brands with a huge opportunity to connect with customers in a space where attention is high but competition remains relatively low.

Still, achieving success on TikTok requires more than just posting trending sounds. In 2025, the winning brands move fast, create intentionally and use advanced tools to turn viral moments into real, measurable business results.

Discover how to use TikTok for business success.

What is TikTok?

TikTok is a video-sharing social network where users create, share and discover vertical videos. From fast-paced 15-second clips to in-depth 10-minute explainers, TikTok’s content ecosystem thrives on trends, visual creativity and authentic expression.

While it started as a lip-syncing app, TikTok has evolved into a powerful engine for shaping culture, igniting brand discovery and reimagining storytelling. Unlike traditional social networks that rely heavily on follower counts or static content, TikTok gives every video a real shot at reaching a wider audience based on how engaging it is—not who posts it. For businesses, this means you don’t need a massive following to go viral or make an impact. Your true impact hinges on creating content that resonates with the right audience.

Ultimately, TikTok provides a fluid space where creativity and relatability drive discovery, making it the ideal social network for building awareness, testing ideas in real time and connecting with audiences on a more personal, unfiltered level.

When was TikTok created?

While the name TikTok has gained familiarity in the past few years, the basis of the app has been around for a while. It originated as an app known as Musical.ly in 2014, before being acquired by ByteDance in 2017, a tech company based in Beijing that already had an app named TikTok. Musical.ly and TikTok officially merged platforms in 2018.

Who created TikTok?

Half of TikTok, the aforementioned Musical.ly, was created by Chinese entrepreneurs Alex Zhu and Luyu Yang. And TikTok’s original form was created by ByteDance—the company that owns the platform today.

Who owns TikTok?

TikTok is owned by tech company ByteDance. ByteDance already owned TikTok—called Douyin in China—and merged it with Musical.ly after acquiring it in 2017 to create the wildly popular platform we know now.

Why TikTok matters for business and personal brand growth

Contrary to popular belief, TikTok isn’t an endless scroll of Gen Z dance videos. It’s home to a highly engaged, multigenerational audience, including millennials and Gen X, who use the platform daily for entertainment, the latest news or new products.

In fact, 2024 data shows that 55% of TikTok users are between 25 and 44 years old. Whether you’re a creator or a business, chances are high that your target audience is already there. The challenge is figuring out how to reach them efficiently.

Here are some key reasons to use TikTok to cultivate your personal brand or power your business strategy:

Increase brand awareness

TikTok’s unique content discovery model is tailored for brand awareness. Forget follower counts—the algorithm prioritizes how captivating your content is, focusing on engagement and interaction.

This trend-based algorithm can get you in front of users who’ve never even heard of your brand. So, even if you’re just starting out, you’ve got a real shot at landing on new For You pages (FYPs) and watching your videos go viral. This organic reach is why TikTok is so powerful for building brand awareness from scratch.

This is especially true for brands looking to reach younger generations. Gen Z, for example, ranks social media as their top source for news and product discovery. For brands, this makes TikTok a golden opportunity to reach younger audiences where they already spend their time.

Promote products

One of TikTok’s biggest pluses is its seamless blend of product promotion and entertainment, making product discovery feel natural.

There’s no need for hard-sell tactics when you can win over new audiences and showcase your products through fun, useful or relatable content, like a quick how-to, a creator demo or a funny take on a customer pain point.

And it works—46% of social media users use TikTok to discover products.

To spark interest in your products, create content that’s a natural fit for FYPs. Showcase your products in an authentic way that reflects your brand’s voice and values so it feels like genuine content—not an ad.

Grow your audience

With over a billion active users, TikTok’s interest-centric discovery engine presents plenty of opportunities for rapid and consistent audience growth. Every video has a genuine chance of reaching the right viewer—regardless of follower count. It’s one of the few social networks where your business can go viral before it gets big.

But growth isn’t fueled by TikTok’s algorithm alone. It’s also about highly active users. The app’s users also interact frequently—54% of TikTok users engage with brand content at least once a day, if not more. This translates to daily opportunities for your brand to connect with an active and invested audience.

Attract new customers

TikTok makes it easy for people to go from discovery to purchase entirely within the app. Key features like TikTok Shop allow users to discover your brand on their FYP and buy your product or service in just a few taps.

To make the most of this conversion opportunity, create content that fits TikTok’s style and turns discovery into action. Demonstrate how your product works in real life, answer FAQs and use clear calls to action (CTAs) to guide the customer journey.

The success of this content strategy is undeniable and has produced proven results. According to the 2025 Sprout Social Index™, more than a third of TikTok users are likely to make a purchase directly on the app. And a recent PartnerCentric report reveals that people who buy directly on the app typically spend an average of $59.

With in-app buying features, TikTok offers brands a powerful path to driving real sales organically and encountering new customers who are willing to spend.

Who uses TikTok?

To unlock TikTok’s marketing power, you need to know who’s using it.

People typically assume TikTok is exclusively for young people—and to a certain degree—they’re right. A massive 86% of Gen Z and 73% of millennials have a TikTok profile, making it a premier channel for connecting with the next generation of consumers.

But TikTok isn’t just for tweens, teens and millennials—its demographics are rapidly expanding. With 54% of Gen X and 38% of baby boomers also active, TikTok positions brands to reach diverse age groups within the network.

And TikTok’s user base isn’t only diverse in age, but also in where its users hail from.

(Source: World Population Review)

With 148 million users, the US has the most TikTok users. Indonesia’s a close second with almost 127 million users. Brazil comes in third with over 101 million users, while Mexico has roughly 78 million users and Vietnam has nearly 70 million.

This proves TikTok’s global reach is as strong as its multigenerational appeal, making it a powerful platform for brands aiming to grow internationally.

How to set up your TikTok account for business

Building a business presence on TikTok doesn’t just help you reach new audiences. It also connects you with tools that help you understand what’s working, sell products faster and drive measurable results.

With a Business Account, you get built-in analytics, a clickable link in your bio, access to TikTok Shop and the ability to run targeted ads.

Here’s how to set yourself up for success:

How to create a TikTok Business Account

For brands looking to establish a presence on TikTok, the first step is to understand the different TikTok account types. You have three options: Business, creator and individual. For brand marketing goals, a TikTok Business Account is the ideal choice.

Let’s compare the features of each TikTok account type:

Feature	Personal Account	Creator Account	Business Account
Analytics dashboard	Not available	Basic performance insights	Advanced analytics for content and audience
Link in bio	Not available	Available upon meeting criteria	Immediately available
Contact button (email/phone)	Not available	Available with setup	Immediately available
TikTok Shop integration	Not available	Not available	Native shopping features
Commercial Music Library (CML) access	Personal use only	Limited access	Full access to royalty-free commercial sounds
Post-scheduling tools	Must post manually	Available via TikTok or some third-party tools	Supports Sprout Social and third-party tools
Creator tools (like Creator Center)	Not available	Full access to monetization and insights	Business-focused tools and insights
Verification eligibility	Not available	Eligible based on presence	Eligible for business verification badge
Promote (TikTok ads)	Not available	Available	Full ad platform access, including Spark Ads

As you can see, a business account gives you access to TikTok’s entire suite of marketing tools. This includes TikTok analytics tools, a contact button, commercial audio, TikTok Shop and other resources. You’re also able to set up a shop and connect TikTok to third-party apps like Sprout Social to manage your content.

Setting up a TikTok Business Account is simple—just follow these steps:

1. Download TikTok on your iPhone or Android device from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.
2. Create or log in to your account.
3. Go to your profile and tap the (☰) menu icon in the top right corner.
4. Head to “Settings and privacy,” then “Manage account.”
5. Tap “Switch to Business Account.”
6. Select the category that best fits your business.

Optimize your profile

Once you’ve set up your account, make sure your profile looks the part.

Optimizing your TikTok profile does more than give your page a polished look. It also tells potential customers who you are, what you offer and why they should care. A well-honed profile builds trust and credibility, reinforcing your brand identity and making it easier for users to take the next step: follow you, click a link or buy from your TikTok Shop.

Here are key TikTok profile elements you need to optimize to stand out, build trust and convert:

• Profile image: Use a high-quality logo or image that represents your brand.
• Username: Keep this consistent with your other social media handles.
• Name field: Add relevant keywords to show up in TikTok’s search bar.
• Bio: Keep your bio short and punchy to showcase your brand’s personality in a single line.
• Link in bio: Use a link in bio tool, like Linktree or SproutLink, to connect users to your website, products or lead magnets.
• CTA: End your bio with a simple CTA like “Shop now” or “Watch our tutorials.”

Here’s a snapshot of Samsung’s TikTok profile:

(Source: TikTok)

Understand the app’s layout

TikTok’s layout is ideal for discovery. Knowing how to navigate its sections and features is crucial for better content planning.

Here are key areas of the TikTok app every brand should know:

• FYP: Discover trending content and get your videos in front of new audiences, even with zero followers.
• Following tab: Watch videos from creators and brands you follow to stay up to date with key competitors and potential collaborators.
• Search bar: Find trends, creators, topics and videos to inspire your content strategy.
• Creator Center: Access insights, trending sounds, content ideas and performance analytics.
• Inbox: View likes, comments, mentions and messages to respond and engage with your audience.
• Record button: Start creating videos instantly with a single tap.
• Templates: Use ready-made video formats for quick and easy content creation, no editing skills required.

Get verified on TikTok

Getting verified on TikTok adds a blue checkmark next to your account name. It means TikTok has confirmed that your account is authentic and belongs to a notable business, like Canva.

(Source: TikTok)

A verified badge helps build trust and credibility with your audience. It also protects you from fake accounts trying to impersonate your brand by marking your profile as the original one.

• Authenticity: Your account must represent a real business or individual, with a matching email domain and username.
• Complete profile: Your account must be public and include a profile photo, a bio, a username and at least one public video.
• Notability: You must appear in multiple reputable news outlets (press releases don’t count).
• Security: You must enable two-factor verification and confirm your email and phone number.
• Active presence: Your account must be active at the time of registration. The core measure of that activity is your content’s quality and public value, not your follower count.
• Compliance: You must follow TikTok’s community guidelines and terms of service.

To apply, you must do the following:

1. Go to your profile and tap the menu icon.
2. Head to “Settings and privacy” and select “Account.”
3. Tap “Verification” and choose “Business Verification.”
4. Submit the required information, including a verified email and any requested documents.

After you submit, TikTok reviews your application. You can usually expect a decision within 30 days.

How to use TikTok to grow your business

Growing your brand on TikTok comes down to more than simply showing up—you also need to be strategic. From content planning to real-time TikTok analytics, the most successful businesses use tools to stay consistent, creative and data-driven.

Define your goals

What do you want to achieve on TikTok? Maybe it’s increasing brand awareness, driving traffic to your website or boosting product sales. Whatever it is, having clear and meaningful goals will help guide your content creation and overall TikTok marketing strategy.

Break down your main goal into SMART targets. For example, if you want to increase brand awareness, you could set targets like:

• Gain 10,000 new followers within the next three months
• Hit 500,000 video views across all TikTok content in the next quarter
• Get 75,000 profile views within the next six months

Once you’ve set your social media KPIs, you can create content that aligns with them and track your progress. But before that, there’s one more thing you need to do.

Identify your target audience

To succeed on TikTok, you need to create content for the right audience. Think about who your ideal customer is, what they like and how they behave on the platform.

Start by looking at your current customers and identify common traits, like age, gender, location and interests. Then, check out your competitors and see who they’re targeting on TikTok.

Once you have a clear picture of your target audience, dive into the app and see what content they engage with, what hashtags they use and which creators or brands they follow.

Use this info to create personas that represent your ideal TikTok followers. This will make it easier to craft your content strategy around what they like, boosting engagement and growing your followers (more on this in the next section).

Connect your TikTok profile to Sprout Social

Getting started with TikTok using Sprout’s TikTok integration is really easy.

Step 1: Start a free trial and set up an account using your business email.

Step 2: Select TikTok Profile from the connect buttons, then click Next.

 

 

Step 3: Click Authorize and log in to your TikTok account.

Step 4: Select the relevant access options and click Continue.

Step 5: Fill in information about your organization.

Step 6: Provide more details on your intended use of Sprout Social. You’ll then be connected and ready to go.

Create a TikTok content calendar with Sprout Social

There are a few ways you can post content to your publishing calendar in Sprout:

1. In Sprout’s dashboard, navigate to the Publishing tab and select Calendar, then click the blue Compose button in the top right.

2. In the Compose window, select your connected TikTok profile and begin drafting your post. (Keep these video specifications in mind: video must be between three seconds and 10 minutes long and have a minimum frame rate of 23 frames per second and a maximum of 60 frames per second.)

3. Click on the pencil icon on the video preview at the bottom of the draft box, then select Choose a new thumbnail frame to select a frame for your video thumbnail.

4. In the TikTok Options section, click to allow comments, Duets or Stitches.

5. In the Publishing Workflows section, create custom approval workflows and, if relevant, select a mobile publisher.

6. In the Sprout Tags section, you can add tags and campaign labels to organize your content.

7. In the Show draft on calendar section, select a date and click Save to add the content to your calendar. (Make sure the This is a draft toggle underneath your draft is on to prevent the post from publishing automatically.)

Once you’ve scheduled your post, you can click the Publishing tab and head to the Calendar to see all the posts you’ve lined up by List, Week, Month or Tag.

Use the Calendar to plan, create and schedule your TikTok content in advance, including uploading videos and adding captions and hashtags. The Calendar is also where you go to for a final preview of each post before it’s published and goes live on TikTok.

Leverage Sprout’s multi-network visibility to coordinate TikTok posts alongside content for Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and more, aligning your strategy across networks and scheduling your posts to auto-publish when your audience is most engaged.

During scheduling, use Sprout’s AI Assist to quickly generate engaging captions and hashtag suggestions, saving you time and creative energy.

The Calendar also supports collaboration, allowing you to assign tasks, tag assets and loop in all relevant stakeholders for reviews or approvals.

Monitor your TikTok performance

Tracking performance in Sprout is simple and powerful.

Access Sprout’s rich TikTok analytics in the Reports tab. You’ll find post-level insights, audience growth trends and engagement metrics, including reach, shares and completion rates.

With Sprout’s Premium Analytics dashboards, you can filter by campaign and tag content for easy tracking. Use this information to zoom in on what’s fueling real impact—such as top-performing content and content formats, posting times and creative elements—to inform future content strategy.

If you’ve connected more than one social media account to Sprout, you can use its Cross-Network Post Performance Report for side-by-side reporting across all connected channels. This makes it easier to identify trends and compare engagement across your entire social media strategy. With built-in sentiment analysis and trend detection, you can track what your audience reacts to across networks to identify the content and topics that resonate with them.

Develop a TikTok content strategy for your business

Building an engaging presence on TikTok starts with a content strategy. Don’t post on the fly. Whether your goal is awareness, credibility or conversions, a solid content plan makes it easier to show up consistently and with purpose.

Here’s how to shape your strategy to build a TikTok presence that reflects your brand:

Build awareness

For users to discover your brand on TikTok, your content needs to be timely, relevant and impossible to scroll past.

Here are a few ways to capture attention and stop the scroll:

• • Learn from the crowd: Familiarize yourself with the platform before you start pushing out content. Get comfortable with all the features and buttons. Check out popular creators in your niche (such as FinTok or BookTok), study your competitors and figure out your audience’s tone on the platform (e.g., humor or emoji use).
  • Join trending challenges: Participate in hashtag challenges or create your own to boost visibility and encourage community interaction with engaging, relevant content. Challenges and trends (like the POV trend Crocs jumped on) drive engagement for their entertainment value. But hopping on trends has a quick expiration date. According to the Index, while most people (40%) think it’s cool when brands jump on trends, 27% say this only works if it happens in the first 24–48 hours of the trend.

(Source: TikTok)

• Use bold visuals and hooks: To stand out in the feed, combine striking visuals and rapid movement with bold text overlays and curiosity-driven hooks. For example, a meal kit brand might open with a close-up of a sizzling pan and text that says, “I cooked this in under 10 minutes—and didn’t ruin it.”
• Lean into TikTok’s native formats: Engage your audience with TikTok’s Stitch and Duet features. Stitch lets you clip part of another video into your content, allowing you to add your hot take. In contrast, Duet shows your reaction side by side with another user’s content. Both formats feel conversational and invite engagement.
• Make your videos relatable and easy to reshare: To connect with your audience, create content that reflects real experiences, solves a problem or sparks emotion. This type of content is more likely to be saved, shared or sent to a friend. For instance, personal videos like “POV: you proudly overwatered your succulents into an early grave” or “3 ways I finally got my toddler to sleep” resonate and invite resharing because many people can relate.
• Leverage TikTok’s video editing tools: Take advantage of TikTok’s creative editing tools to make your content pop. Experiment with eye-catching transitions, effects and filters to give your videos that extra oomph. Use trending music to make your content more engaging and include subtitles for accessibility.
• Decide when and how often to post: Monitor your audience’s behavior to work out the best times and days to post for maximum engagement. What times are they online? Which days of the week do they use TikTok the most? Use this data to create a content calendar and schedule posts for the biggest initial impact.

Use listening tools to track which sounds, hashtags, trends and creators are gaining momentum so you can join in early and stay culturally relevant.

Build credibility

When you build trust with your audience, you build loyalty. TikTok’s raw, unfiltered style makes it the perfect place to build credibility by showing—not just telling—what your brand stands for.

• Share your POV: Use TikTok’s POV format to tell personal, behind-the-scenes stories, like “POV: we stopped using plastic packaging and our costs went up (but so did customer loyalty).” This style feels direct and self-aware, positioning your brand as human and relatable while still communicating your values or expertise.
• Go behind the scenes: Give viewers a peek behind the curtains to show how things work at your business. Try content ideas like “A day in the life of a florist during wedding season” or “Packing 50 orders with me—speed edition.” These grounded, unfiltered moments build credibility and connection as your audience watches your brand in action.
• Show social proof: Leverage real customer wins with reaction videos, before-and-afters or screenshots with voiceovers. Humanizing social proof makes it more powerful because it feels authentic, not scripted. For example, “This DM made our week—here’s what they said after trying our sleep tea.”
• Partner with influencers: Let trusted creators endorse your product in their authentic style, like a skincare influencer doing a “get ready with me” featuring your cleanser. This type of content offers a genuine recommendation and gives you access to the influencer’s audience. And with Sprout’s Influencer Marketing platform, it’s easy to find creators who fit your brand and track results to refine your strategy.
• Stay consistent: Strengthen your message by being consistent. Use recurring formats, like “weekly small-business wins,” signature sounds or branded filters, that reinforce your identity. When your content feels familiar, people are more likely to recall and trust your brand.
• Keep it authentic: Ditch the polish—TikTok favors real, playful content over scripted promotions. Try concepts like “Our team trying to guess each other’s coffee orders” or “Ranking our own products—no bias (OK, some bias).” Casual, personality-driven videos make your brand more relatable and fun to follow.

Drive conversions

Once you’ve caught their attention and built trust, nudge viewers to take action. Here’s how to turn engagement into results:

• Use direct CTAs in videos: Encourage users to comment, follow, click a link or shop with clear, action-driven messaging, such as “Click the link to grab yours before they’re gone” or “Tag a friend who needs this in their life.”
• Set up a TikTok Shop: More and more, users want to shop directly within apps. In fact, the Index shows 36% of social media users have used TikTok to make a recent purchase. Set up a TikTok Shop and make it easy for them to browse and buy in-app. Product links, live shopping and featured collections all help convert interest into sales.
• Cross-promote content and offers: Give your best TikToks more mileage by repurposing them across channels. For example, you could turn a popular “3 ways to style this jacket” TikTok into an Instagram Reel, then link to the featured product in Stories. You can also use a TikTok demo in an email campaign with a CTA, like “Watch how it works in 15 seconds.”
• Use data to refine your approach: With Sprout’s analytics dashboards, you can identify what’s working, track conversions and view TikTok performance alongside your other social media accounts, informing your strategy on what to drop and when to double down.

If your social media management tool supports it, tag and group TikTok posts by campaign to track how specific content drives results. This provides a clear, campaign-level view of what’s working and where to optimize, eliminating the need to dig through individual posts. This level of insight is crucial for brands running multiple promotions or tracking long-term ROI.

Use AI to automate tasks and brainstorm ideas

Creating consistent, high-quality TikTok content doesn’t have to be a drain on your time or creative energy. AI tools can help marketers automate repetitive tasks—like developing fresh ideas, analyzing trends, suggesting posting times and drafting scripts or captions—so you can spend more time focusing on the creative decisions that make content resonate.

Sprout’s AI-powered capabilities can strategically assist you in generating ideas, polishing captions and speeding up production while preserving your unique brand voice.

Here’s how AI can boost your efficiency and help you stay consistent, relevant and post-ready:

• Write engaging captions faster: Generate scroll-stopping copy based on your video theme, tone or CTA using AI Assist. For instance, it can transform a basic product demo into something catchier, like “Can you guess what this tool does in 10 seconds?” or “Your garden’s new best friend—watch it in action.”
• Generate smart hashtags: No more guessing which hashtags will help you show up on feeds. Use AI Assist to recommend relevant and trending hashtags tailored to your content and audience, helping you reach the right viewers without the endless research.
• Add subtitles seamlessly: Boost accessibility and retention by generating clear, well-timed subtitles directly within Sprout’s platform. Captions can help keep viewers engaged (even with the sound off) and visually reinforce your key messaging.
• Get fresh content ideas: Use AI Assist to suggest TikTok video ideas or content hooks based on your topic, like “3 quick tips,” “Mini myth buster” or “If you struggle with X, watch this.”
• Post at the right time with ViralPost®: Sprout’s AI helps you understand when your audience is most active and recommends optimal send times, landing more of your content on For You pages.

By leveraging AI, Sprout helps social media teams stay creative—and efficient—especially when they’re juggling multiple social media accounts and deadlines.

Essential TikTok features to know about

To truly grow your brand on TikTok, you need to understand its most valuable tools.

By leveraging TikTok’s top features, you can effectively connect with your target audience, share your brand’s unique values and turn casual viewers into loyal customers.

Here’s a breakdown of the features that matter most and how to use them:

TikToks

TikToks are the network’s bread and butter. They’re dynamic, short-form videos that populate user feeds and can reach new audiences through the FYP. Use them to capture attention, express your brand’s personality and share valuable or entertaining content.

For instance, you can showcase your brand by posting a behind-the-scenes look at how you make your product or offer a quick how-to that solves a common customer pain point.

Duet and Stitch

Duet and Stitch allow you to co-create using other TikTok videos.

Duet splits the screen between your content and the original video clip. This allows you to react, collaborate or add commentary. Stitch lets you clip a short segment from another creator’s video and integrate your response directly afterward. Use this feature to expand on ideas, share opinions or add useful context.

(Source: TikTok)

These features are great for jumping into conversations, reacting to trends or spotlighting user-generated content (UGC). For example, a skincare brand might Stitch a trending skincare myth video to correct it or Duet a customer’s review to add a thank you.

TikTok Live

TikTok Live offers a powerful way to connect directly with your audience through livestreaming, fostering a sense of immediacy and authentic interaction.

Use livestreams to answer questions, showcase products or host launch events as viewers comment and react. This unscripted, two-way communication builds trust while driving engagement in ways that static videos can’t.

Analytics

TikTok’s built-in analytics provide insight into your content performance, tracking views, watch time, traffic sources and audience demographics. These crucial insights reveal what’s working (and not working) with your audience and when to post.

For instance, if a video drives a spike in profile visits or website clicks, analytics will flag this pattern, allowing you to replicate that success in the future.

Playlists

Playlists allow you to group related videos into curated collections directly on your profile. This keeps your content organized and encourages viewers to binge-watch your videos.

For example, you might group all your tutorials in one playlist or create a series for each product line you offer.

Stories

TikTok Stories are vertical videos that disappear after 24 hours.

Use Stories to share quick, casual updates or real-life moments that show the human side of your brand. For instance, offer a glimpse into a live event or share a spontaneous behind-the-scenes look without overloading your main feed.

Stories are also ideal for time-sensitive content. Consider posting a limited-time offer or prompting viewers to sign up early for a product drop before it’s gone.

If you’re not sure how to create a compelling Story or you need a creative boost, try Sprout’s free TikTok Story templates to kickstart the process and stay on brand.

TikTok Shop

TikTok Shop lets users browse and buy products directly within the app. By keeping the entire buying experience on TikTok, you shorten the path from discovery to purchase, which drives more sales with a seamless buyer journey.

You can turn everyday content into instant conversions, without needing to redirect potential buyers to outside sales channels. You can tag products directly in TikTok videos, livestreams or Stories, making it simple for viewers to go from watching to buying in just a few taps.

Imagine you own a beauty brand, and you’re demonstrating a new product in a short video. As viewers watch, they can tap the product, make a purchase and check out—all within seconds.

Sounds and music

Since TikTok was originally a lip-syncing app, sound is at the heart of its culture. Whether it’s trending songs, voiceovers or funny audio clips, the right TikTok sounds can massively boost your content’s reach.

TikTok prioritizes sound-based discovery, so using trending audio is a proven way to show up on more FYPs. You can also use original voiceovers or branded sounds to add personality and consistency to your content.

Hashtags

Hashtags make your content searchable by helping TikTok understand what your videos are about. By using them strategically, you can join trending conversations and place your videos in front of the right audience.

For instance, you could use broad tags like #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt or your own branded hashtags for specific campaigns to encourage user-generated content.

Filters, effects and CTAs

TikTok offers a wide range of filters, visual effects and interactive CTA tools that enhance your videos and guide viewer behavior. These creative tools make your content feel more engaging while supporting your marketing goals.

For example, you could use a branded effect to reinforce your identity or add a clickable CTA that links directly to your TikTok Shop or website.

After you begin creating content on TikTok, there are several ways to boost your performance on the platform:

Learn the TikTok algorithm

Mastering TikTok requires a deep understanding of how the algorithm works. This will help you create content that ranks higher in user feeds as well as on the Explore and For You pages.

First, know that TikTok’s algorithm recommends content tailored to each user’s interests. But you’re competing with millions of videos, and there’s only space for a handful of them on the For You page. So, how does TikTok decide which videos get more exposure?

Here are the factors TikTok’s algorithm considers when ranking content:

• Engagement: Likes, shares, comments, completion rate and favorited videos—these are all key signals that help TikTok understand what kind of content your audience likes to engage with.
• User interactions: TikTok considers the accounts each user follows and the content they create to understand their unique preferences.
• Video information: The captions, hashtags and sounds on your videos help TikTok categorize your content and determine when to show it and to whom.
• Device and account settings: Language preferences, device type and country settings also play a role in which users see your videos on their For You pages.

Knowing these factors can help you create content that’s more likely to rank in front of the right people. Also, TikTok’s algorithm doesn’t recommend the following types of content:

• Duplicate and spam content
• Content users have already seen
• Potentially offensive or dangerous content
• Videos that have just been uploaded or are under review

TikTok’s algorithm doesn’t consider factors like follower counts or previous high-performing videos when recommending content. This means even if your business is new to the platform, your videos are just as likely to rank as those posted by popular accounts.

Master TikTok SEO

Want to make your videos easier to find? Optimize various aspects of your content so it ranks higher for relevant search queries. Here are some tips to nail TikTok SEO:

• Find and use the right keywords: Research relevant and popular keywords in your niche to find what your audience is searching for. Incorporate these keywords naturally into your video titles, descriptions and captions. This helps TikTok understand what your content is about and show it to users searching for those specific topics.
• Hop on trends, challenges and hashtags: Creating content around current trends and challenges can boost your visibility on TikTok, especially when a trend is new and there are fewer videos to compete with. Also, use relevant and keyword-rich TikTok hashtags so your content is easily categorized and searchable.
• Create high-quality content: Videos that are engaging, informative and entertaining automatically get more engagement. This shows TikTok your content deserves more exposure and boosts your overall visibility and ranking on the network. Along with providing value, grab attention in the first few seconds with captions, hooks, high-res visuals, good lighting, clear audio and creative editing and transitions.
• Engage with your audience: Staying active on the app can increase your search rankings, visibility and brand awareness. Regularly engage with the TikTok community by liking and commenting on posts, hosting live sessions, responding to comments and DMs, asking questions and starting conversations.

Leverage TikTok ads effectively

Businesses can run different types of TikTok ads that blend in seamlessly with the rest of the content on the network, such as this ad from beauty retailer Sephora featuring the Carolina Herrera Good Girl perfume. Ads can boost your marketing strategy on the platform by widening your reach and driving more targeted traffic to your website.

(Source: TikTok)

You can promote organic posts using Spark ads or partner with creators to produce sponsored influencer content. You can also tap into more traditional ad formats, like in-feed, carousel, TopView and brand takeover ads.

Collaborate with TikTok influencers

TikTok is a haven for brands looking into influencer marketing. There are countless influencers of all levels on the platform—from mega influencers with millions of followers to nano-influencers with a few thousand fans.

For instance, nutrition brand Tropeaka partners with lifestyle influencers like Sopha Dopha (@sophadopha), who help create video content for the brand. Here’s an example:

(Source: TikTok)

Working with influencers can help you attract new audiences and build a credible brand image by reaching out through someone they trust. Below are some tips for maximizing your TikTok influencer marketing campaigns:

• Find the right influencers to work with: Look for influencers that align with your brand’s voice. Also, consider whether to pursue large influencers or smaller ones. Larger influencers offer more reach, but they’re more expensive. Smaller influencers are more affordable, and while they offer less reach, they often have a loyal, highly engaged following. Depending on your goals, the influencers you engage may differ, which brings us to the next point.
• Have clear goals in mind: Partnering with TikTok influencers without clear objectives can be a waste of resources for both parties. You need to know exactly what you hope to achieve out of this collaboration and communicate it to the influencer so they know what to do. Is it brand awareness? Is it an increase in followers or a certain number of sales?
• Don’t be too controlling: Once you’ve communicated the end goal to the influencer, don’t try to take over every aspect of the campaign. Outline points you want them to cover, but let them have their creative freedom and do things “their way.” Not only will this improve your relationship with the influencer, but it will also make your brand look more credible and authentic.
• Measure and analyze results: Track the performance of your influencer marketing campaigns both during and after the execution phase. Determine whether your outlined goals and objectives have been met or whether you need to pivot in any way.

If done right, influencer collaborations on TikTok can be highly rewarding for your brand. Use an influencer marketing tool to choose the right partners and work closely with them during the planning and strategizing phases to see impactful results.

Don’t forget—they’re experts at what they do and might be able to bring a lot of great ideas or valid concerns to the table that you’d have otherwise missed.

Learn and grow from your TikTok analytics

TikTok analytics refers to all the data on your profile, content and audience that helps you track the performance of your videos, learn about your followers and make strategic decisions.

TikTok can be very competitive, but a data-driven approach can help your business stand out and drive targeted results. Here are some key metrics to look out for:

• Video views, play time and completion rates
• Traffic sources (e.g., For You page, hashtags, sounds)
• Likes, comments, shares and profile visits
• Follower growth and peak activity times
• Audience demographics, like age, gender and location
• Song uses, link clicks and video downloads

To effectively compare the performance of different video types, formats, lengths and distribution tactics, and to identify what resonates best with your target audience, robust TikTok analytics tools are highly beneficial. These tools help you surface patterns and trends in your data to guide your content creation and posting schedule, allowing for more informed and strategic decisions.

Grow your business with TikTok

TikTok is one of the fastest-growing platforms of our time. If you’re still not using it for your business, you’re missing out on tons of potential brand awareness, revenue and engagement. Follow the steps in this article to get started on TikTok on the right foot.

Amplify your TikTok marketing strategy with the right tool. Sprout’s powerful social media management platform can help you engage with your audience, schedule posts and analyze performance all in one place—and not just for TikTok. Start a free 30-day trial now and take Sprout for a test drive.