How to Beat Your Competitors by Using TikTok

By John Awa-abuon on December 10, 2020 - Fact checked by Dumb Little Man

by John Awa-abuon December 10, 2020

The popular teen dance and lip-sync social media platform is becoming something bigger.

With millennials making up a greater share of the social media platform’s user base, marketers and business owners are suddenly looking at TikTok from a fresh perspective.

But why should your business care?

Here’s what Satish Kanwar, Vice President of Products at Shopify has to say: “TikTok is currently one of the world’s fastest-growing entertainment platforms with over 100 million highly engaged users in the US alone.”

TikTok offers businesses looking to reach customers with a stronger purchasing power an attractive platform for reaching their target audience.

How can TikTok help you beat your competitors?

With over 800 million active users, TikTok might be your best shot at getting ahead of your competitors. With its enviable user base that has over 24% of the platform’s user base aged between 25 -34, the platform has become one of the best platforms brands that can leverage to reach customers with the strongest purchasing power.

Previously known mostly for viral teen dance, challenges and lip-sync videos, the platform now has videos spanning every niche possible. DIY videos, beauty tutorials, styling, and fitness videos are now popular on the platform.

Another great advantage of the platform is its unique algorithm that allows users with low follower count to achieve viral status on the app, which is something other social media platforms like Facebook or Instagram do not offer.

Aside from providing a huge opportunity for brands and businesses to increase awareness and reach for free, TikTok also offers other ways for brands to drive traffic from the platform.

Below are five ways to get ahead of your competitors by driving traffic from TikTok:

Add a Clickable Link in Your Bio

Adding a link in your TikTok bio is a great way to convert users who find your current content interesting to leads. You can, with the link in your bio, drive traffic to your website or landing page. You can add a call-to-action in your product post captions to direct followers to the link in your bio. This is a great way to turn your TikTok viewers into leads.

However, only selected TikTok accounts have access to the link in the bio feature by default at the moment because the feature is still undergoing beta testing.

To confirm if you’re among the selected, click on the “Edit Profile” on your profile page. If you find a “Website” field, then you’re good to go.

Can’t find the “Website” field? You might get the feature if you join the TikTok testers program. Here’s how to join:

Go to your TikTok Profile
Tap the three dots in the top right corner
Click on “Join TikTok Testers”
A new window will open and you’ll be asked to sign in with your email address
After successfully signing in, you’ll receive an update on your TikTok app
Update the app and if you’re lucky you’ll be able to add a link in your bio

Still can’t find the website feature after joining the testers program? This could be due to the country you’re in or your follower count. You’ll get it soon as TikTok is gradually rolling out the feature to all its users.

Craft a TikTok Content Strategy

To grow and nurture customer engagement with your brand, you need a custom content strategy as great content can help attract leads for your business.

Choosing your core topics, establishing a posting schedule, using TikTok Live and engaging with your audience are some of the best practices when it comes to content strategy.

Work with TikTok Influencers

Just like influencer marketing on any other social media platform, working with TikTok influencers can help get your brand’s message in front of your target audience to generate leads and increase the return on investment (ROI) on your marketing efforts.

Take advantage of TikTok Challenge

TikTok challenges can be organic or sponsored and they provide a great opportunity for you to increase your brand awareness and lead generation on the platform.

Taking part in a viral challenge can put your business in front of thousands of your potential customers. Your business needs to add TikTok challenges to your lead generation tools to appeal to younger audiences.

You can get started with TikTok challenges by participating in already popular challenges or by launching your own TikTok Branded Challenge.

And finally,

Use TikTok Ads

The easiest way to generate leads on TikTok is by using the official paid ads. The platform’s ads are designed to help businesses reach their target audience with ease.

You can take advantage of TikTok ads to increase your brand awareness, collect customer insights, and drive traffic to your landing pages.

TikTok continues to be one of the fastest-growing social media platforms in the world. With the right strategy, the platform can be used to increase brand awareness and for generating tons of leads for your business, which can help you stay ahead of your competitors.

You can use any of the above-listed tips, from adding a clickable link in your bio to using TikTok ads, to get ahead of your competitors.

And remember (awesome) content is KING. Capture the attention of your target audience and you’re set to reap massive returns.

In closing, here’s a reminder of the five ways to get ahead of your competitors by using TikTok.