TikTok is all the rage these days. Unlike the likes of Instagram and YouTube, where competition is fierce and the market is saturated no matter your niche, TikTok is still relatively new in the field.
Brands are jumping on the bandwagon to reach their audience, increase their brand awareness and generate sales via influencers on the platform.
There’s no doubt that TikTok is the platform of choice if you want to become an influencer in 2021. Its user base has seen massive growth over the past few years, and the trend is only expected to continue — reaching 680 million users globally in early 2021.
That’s a huge market, and you can claim a piece of the pie by producing relevant content that appeals to brands and your viewers. There’s a tremendous opportunity for you if you can grow a following and establish yourself as an influencer in your chosen niche.
Sounds complicated? It doesn’t have to be. Here’s how you can grow a following on TikTok.
1. Create differentiated content
Your videos could be differentiated in a number of ways.
You could play with filters, colors, and the environment you film in. You could use a specific type of music, sound effects or tweak/auto-tune your voice. You could add stunning or surprising visual effects to your videos.
Here are some ways that will help you stand out and grow a following on TikTok.
Lip syncing with a twist
Lip syncing videos are very popular on TikTok, because they’re highly entertaining. However, because of their popularity, most users do them.
How could you use a popular format without being a copycat? Perhaps choose weird songs, or blend lip-syncing with vocal interruptions or messages popping up on the screen.
- Anything to keep your viewers on their toes and create an element of surprise will work well.
Use trending memes
There’s an endless list of top memes out there. They’ve become global phenomenons and many people instantly recognize them. You could incorporate those memes into your own videos, too.
- Memes are humoristic. If you can make your viewers smile or better yet laugh, they’ll appreciate your content and likely follow you in return for more.
Trigger emotions with your content
Emotions are incredibly powerful.
They trigger the non-rational part of the brain and are usually more potent than facts when it comes to creating memories. We tend to remember events and people more easily and for longer when associated with strong emotions.
Not only that, but emotion has been linked to higher attention levels, as well as motivating action and changes in behavior. That’s how our brain is wired.
Top influencers and brands know the power of content that sparks emotion.
Ask yourself what emotion your content is going to trigger. Joy? Sadness? Anger? Surprise? Or even awe, perhaps?
- Research has shown that content that inspires awe, laughter or amusement is most likely to go viral.
Use trending songs
If you’re the first to use a song whilst it’s rising on the charts, you could benefit from the song’s popularity before everybody else does too.
That means acting fast, and keeping your finger on the pulse of what’s hot right now. If you can capitalize on a popular trend, you can quickly increase your follower count.
- Use sites like this one to keep on top of the trends.
- However, keep in mind songs that are popular on TikTok may not be the same as those playing on the radio.
Pair popular songs with trending hashtags
You can search for top hashtags and use them with specific songs. If top TikTokers are using a specific hashtag with certain songs, you can do the same to gain more exposure.
For instance, hashtag #FakeTravel was a top hashtag that used songs in foreign languages and costumes to transport the viewer to other parts of the world. #BadGuy was also a popular hashtag, based on the song of the same name.
- Don’t be afraid to use a popular video as a template for your own. Using a popular format is a good way to grow a following on TikTok in a short space of time.
Shoot in original locations and surroundings
Most TikTokers film from their own bedroom, kitchen or living room. Why not head outside and show viewers more diverse places?
You could also perform in public spaces, and add other peoples’ reactions to your videos. Showing fascinating, beautiful or weird landmarks and buildings could pique viewers’ interest.
- When you’re out and about, think about the places you could create content around.
- You can also easily change the look of your room by switching out the lightbulbs, or adding special lights and effects for different videos.
At the end of the day, creating original content takes effort and creativity. Don’t rush it. Even when you’re riding on popular trends that top TikTokers use, always look for a unique angle or twist to make your content stand out.
Another important part of success on the platform is your unique voice and personality.
2. Find Your Unique Voice
To grow a following on TikTok, you can’t just imitate what top influencers do and expect the same results. You need to bring something new to the table: yourself.
Simply put, users want to see your personality come across and watch videos that look different.
Ultimately, you’ll need to find your “X-Factor”.
If you’re not sure where to start, don’t try and mimic what you think will work. Simply ask your friends and family what makes you special, and you’ll find out.
If it’s your sense of humor, then let that shine through in your videos. If it’s your unique sense of rhythm and dance moves, then use those. If it’s your crazy earth-shattering laughter, then don’t hide it.
Read more about defining your own niche in our recent article “How to become a TikTok influencer?.
Show more of yourself
Your personality comes across in what you wear, the language you use and the tone of your voice as well as your body language.
Don’t neglect any of these aspects; there’s only one you, and acting like you is how you’ll connect with viewers organically. If viewers can relate to you on a personal level, they’ll follow you to see more of you.
Over time, followers will identify you with the specific type of personality and content you put out.
It’ll become your personal brand — and that’s what will attract brands to hire you. You’ll be able to promote their products and services in a way that aligns with their own values and messaging.
3. Know Your Audience And Give Them Value
Think of yourself as a business. As an influencer, your product is simply you.
Your job is to find and connect with a specific audience, and give them value in return for their engagement.
Rather than trying anything to see what sticks, take time to understand your audience.
Who are they? What do they want from your content? Why are they on TikTok to begin with?
Your content should align with what your audience expects. It could be one, or a combination of the below:
The goal of your content will determine its tone and style.
Inspirational videos will have different soundtracks, perhaps quotes for the viewers to reflect on, and a more serious tone compared to entertaining ones.
Educational videos, on the other hand, will contain more information and insights.
Make sure your video resonates with what your viewers want. A good way to do this is to always keep in mind which of the above 3 benefits your content aims to provide.
Are you entertaining the viewers with light-hearted humor? Are you providing them valuable information that will help them in some way? Or, are you inspiring them to reach higher goals, launch a business, get fitter etc.?
Don’t leave it to chance: be clear on what your audience wants, and give them what they want. Simple as that!
Moreover, we would recommend you engage with you audience more often. There’re various ways to do that, but we would highlight one of the tools which can help you communicating with your followers and earn money on that, namely, the Snipfeed app. It offers you several options to engage with your followers, such as creating short video-messages for them or conducting 1-1 Consultations. Check out our full review on Snipfeed for details!
4. When Promoting a Product, Don’t Hard-Sell
…Instead, share a story.
Hard selling is not how TikTok’s audience wants to be engaged. Brands know this, and typically promote their products in subtle ways rather than jamming them in people’s faces.
When you work with a brand, don’t just push the product in front of the camera and expect people to engage with that kind of aggressive, salesy content.
Instead, tell a story around the product.
Film yourself using it in an engaging or funny way, add some theatre to it, and make it special. If you’re looking for some ideas, head here.
5. Watch Your Competition And Adapt
Follow the top TikTokers in your niche and watch their most popular videos.
What made them so popular? Are they using specific songs or filters? What elements could you replicate, but still add in your own twist? What kind of comments are they getting?
If your niche is highly competitive, you can find ways to improve on the existing content from top influencers in that niche. You could even do parodies to ride on the back of their popularity.
You could also choose to collaborate.
By “cross-pollinating” content, you’re reaching another influencer’s audience, and vice-versa. Your video will show up on the other influencer’s feed, which is a great way to grow your own account.
6. Create and engage consistently
Lastly, posting regularly is key to growing a following on TikTok.
If you show up in viewers’ feeds often enough, you’ll build rapport with them. This will lead to higher engagement rates.
You might think coming up with new ideas every day will take too much effort. However, you could quite simply document what you’re up to, which will come across more naturally than something carefully planned.
Spontaneous content can do very well on the platform. Keep it simple. Don’t feel like you need to spend days planning your next shoot.
When you post your videos also matters.
According to research by Influencer Marketing Hub, the best times to post on TikTok tend to be: 6 am to 10 am and 7 pm to 11 pm, EST.
However, this may vary depending on the day of the week, your niche as well as the location of your followers.
There are 2 ways you can track this:
- You can see when followers are most active on the platform by clicking on the “Followers” tab, and convert the above time slots to your audience’s time zones.
- Under the “Content tab”, look at your posts’ analytics and see if a pattern emerges. Are videos posted at certain times consistently performing better than others?
Don’t forget about leveraging your other social media accounts, too.
Share each video on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. Add a link to your TikTok profile so people can follow you easily. And if you’re filming friends and family, get them to share your videos on their social profiles too!
Wrapping up: how to grow a following on TikTok?
If you want to grow a following on TikTok and succeed as an influencer in 2021, here are the key ingredients you’ll need:
- Create differentiated content
- Bring something new to the table with your unique voice
- Understand what your audience wants and align your content with it
- Learn to tell a story around, rather than hard-sell, a product or brand
- Keep an eye on other influencers in your niche to improve on their content or collaborate
- Share your content consistently and across social media platforms
TIKTAL is an influencer agency that specializes in connecting TikTok influencers with top brands worldwide. Take the hassle out of finding brands to work with and let them come to you instead. Find out more here.