How to Use TikTok to Promote Your Personal Brand
Practical tips to showcase your creative projects on the popular social media platform
TikTok is becoming one of the preferred social media platforms for young people. Several creative brands are discovering its potential: it is used in more than 150 countries (mostly ranking within the top 25 national apps), and there are 800 million active users all over the world.
Given the current content trends, you should be able to use TikTok as another tool to get your creative projects out there. Read on as we share some practical tips to begin using the app and include it in your social media strategy.
Become familiar with the platform
Of course, the first step will be to create an account. Choose a name similar to one of your other social media accounts and a suitable profile picture, and share some information about yourself.
If you've never used TikTok, spend some time getting to know its functions and basic tools. The initial feed is split between a selection of content based on your interests (it builds up according to your activity) and the content shared by the people you follow.
Start to interact
After creating your account, look for people with similar interests. For instance, if your area is illustration, look for other illustrators you know and like, or find new ones through a hashtag search.
As with other social media platforms, it is recommended that you comment, share, and interact with the content you like to make valuable connections. To make sure your content stands out, experiment with the available tools: filters, text, music, and hashtags.
Content format
TikTok allows you to upload videos from 9 to 15 seconds, or up to one minute. You'll be able to record a video directly on to the app or use recordings previously edited on your devices and stored on your phone.
A popular function is the ability to change between the front and back cameras of your phone: you will be able to speak facing the camera and then straight away show something in front of you. There is a timer in the app so you can film, pause, then carry on recording without interrupting the song in the background of your video.
As for other social media platforms, you can opt to pay to promote advertised material and reach more people. After a time building on your network of followers, you'll be able to decide whether creating paid-for content is still a good option for you.
What content should you share?
Many TikTok users create entertaining content to engage their audience. Challenges are a typical feature of this community. Tiktok users appreciate real content in which they can actively participate.
For example, if you like to draw, your followers will be interested to see videos in which you do that, and they will love to share their drawings with you if you set up a drawing challenge (using a hashtag).
Contrary to other social media platforms such as Instagram, where the quality and the editing of a picture are the most valued features, on TikTok, the content's originality is the priority: comical or fun content tops an elaborate production. TikTok can be considered a 'behind the scenes' of what you would probably not share on Instagram and, as such, it allows for more informal activity.
Watch below a compilation of TikTok videos, including drawing projects, illustration, painting, crafting, and lettering. You will notice that many have a comical element in their endings, as well as a fun use of songs related to the actions.
Use what has worked before
If you have content on your other social media that you know works well, try to replicate the same formulas on TikTok. For instance, if your area is fashion, and you have a series of Instagram Stories that were particularly liked by your followers (perhaps showing how you created sketches for one of your collections), chances are a TikTok audience will also receive them well.
Some ideas to start
You should try some of the following ideas, used by creatives on TikTok:
- Creative processes. For example, how you start or finish an animation, made into short recordings.
- Setting up. If you’re a photographer, for example, show how you prepare your sets.
- Live recordings. If you have an announcement, such as the launch of a product, live recordings are popular. If you are a fashion designer, you can show how you try on garments and announce your new collection live.
- Talk to the camera. Don't be afraid of your front camera, and talk about what you want to share. For example, you can ask your followers about what they would like to see on your account. Other options are to show yourself on camera without talking but showing some interesting content. Play with different editing modes.
- Duet. A popular function on TikTok, this allows you to split the screen in two. On one side you upload an existing video, and on the other, you recreate the content of that video as a homage, you complete a challenge suggested by someone else or join a conversation. (The other account needs to be public for you to use this function).
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