As a Northern Michigan business, how much should you be paying attention to TikTok?

What is TikTok anyway? Simply—it’s a social media app where people share short videos of themselves and it’s become very popular, especially with the younger generation. In fact, it’s now the most popular social media app in the world. So if your target market includes people under 30 and you’re not marketing on TikTok, you may be missing out on a lot of potential customers!

Here’s what your Northern Michigan business needs to know about marketing on TikTok:

TikTok is all about creative content.

TikTok has taken the internet by storm, with no signs of slowing down. The app boasts over 800 million active monthly users, with a majority of those users being Gen Z (those born between 1995 and 2010) As a business owner, you may be wondering if TikTok is worth your time. The answer is likely yes if Gen Z is your target audience.

How to create creative content on TikTok

With a little bit of creativity and outside-the-box thinking, anyone can create content that’s fun, engaging, and memorable. Here are a few tips to get you started.

1. Keep it short and sweet.

Since TikTok videos are limited to a few minutes, you’ll need to make sure your videos are concise and to the point. This might seem like a challenge, but it actually forces you to be more creative with your content. Keep your videos focused on one specific message or call to action, and make sure that message is communicated within the first few seconds.

2. Be authentic and relatable.

TikTok users are looking for content that is real and relatable. They want to see behind-the-scenes footage of your business, meet the people who work there, and get a sense of what your brand is all about. Don’t be afraid to show off your personality—it’s one of the things that makes TikTok so special.

3. Use trending sounds and hashtags.

One of the best ways to reach new audiences on TikTok is to use trending sounds and hashtags in your videos. This will help your videos get seen by more people, and it might even land you a spot on the For You page—the holy grail of TikTok success. Do some research to see what sounds and hashtags are popular in your industry, and then start incorporating them into your content strategy.

4. Use engaging visuals.

Since TikTok is all about creative visuals, it’s important to use engaging visuals in your videos—think eye-catching graphics, creative transitions, and fun animations. These elements will help your videos stand out from the crowd and capture people’s attention. If you’re not sure where to start, there are plenty of tutorials online that can help you get started with visual effects.

Be timely with your content.

Since TikTok is all about trends and what’s happening in the moment, you need to be quick to jump on trends and ride them out.

You need to have a handle on what’s trending.

You can do this by following relevant users and hashtags, as well as checking out the For You page. Once you see a trend that you think your business could get involved in, jump on it quickly. The key here is to be timely – if you’re too late, the trend will already be over and you’ll have missed your chance.

Make sure your content is high quality.

Even if you’re able to jump on a trend quickly, if your content is bad, people will not want to watch it. Take the time to ensure that your videos are well-edited and engaging.

Be creative in your use of trends.

Don’t just copy what everyone else is doing – put your own spin on things and make your content unique. If you can do this, people will remember your videos and are more likely to follow you.

Finally, Northern Michigan businesses should remember that they don’t have to be perfect on TikTok.

The whole point of the app is to be fun and silly, so don’t take yourself too seriously! Just have fun with it and see where it takes you. Northern Michigan businesses that can embrace this approach will be the ones that succeed on TikTok.

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Tips for successful Northern Michigan businesses on TikTok:

• Keep videos short and sweet
• Be authentic and relatable
• Use trending sounds and hashtags
• Use engaging visuals
• Be timely with your content
• Have high-quality content
• Be creative in your use of trends—Don’t take yourself too seriously!