TikTok Guide: Everything You Should Know About TikTok

In just a few short years, TikTok has dramatically changed the social media landscape. The short-form video app has been downloaded over 3 billion times and now boasts over 1 billion monthly active users (MAU) worldwide.

TikTok’s fun, entertaining, and addictive video content keeps users highly engaged on the platform. The average user spends nearly 58 minutes every day on TikTok – the most out of all social media platforms. Up next is YouTube at 48.7 minutes, followed by X at 34.1 minutes with Instagram close behind at 29 minutes.

This in-depth TikTok guide will break down everything you need to know about maximizing TikTok for your brand and marketing strategy, from setting up your business profile to developing winning TikTok content and ad campaigns. Let’s dive in!

Chapter One: What Exactly is TikTok?

TikTok, a highly popular social media platform and mobile application, specializes in short-form videos, and the duration of these videos can vary from a brief 3 seconds to a maximum length of 10 minutes.

The Evolution of TikTok

TikTok originated in November 2017 when Chinese tech firm ByteDance acquired Musical.ly, a lip-syncing app popular among teens. ByteDance merged Musical.ly with its own short-video platform, Douyin, which had already gained traction in China. This merger unified the platforms under the name TikTok, enabling the app to expand globally and quickly gain popularity beyond China’s borders.

TikTok’s Key Features

Now, let’s take a look at how and why this mega platform gained the massive popularity it has today.

Ease of use

TikTok prides itself on user-friendly features that allow for the simple creation, editing, publication, and viewing of entertaining short videos. In addition,  users with a TikTok business account also get free access to TikTok analytics, a built-in platform that provides in-depth insights into top posts, followers, reach, views, engagement rates, and more.

Recommendation algorithm

TikTok utilizes a proprietary algorithm that curates content for each user based on their previous interactions with videos, such as likes, shares, and comments. This results in a highly personalized and continuously entertaining feed for each user.

In fact, the recommendation algorithm is what powers TikTok’s famous “For You Page” (FYP) and it’s an integral part of why TikTok took off so fast, but we’ll get deeper into that in the next section.

Creative tools

TikTok offers a comprehensive selection of music, filters, effects, and editing tools for enhancing video content. Users have the option to incorporate popular music clips or original compositions by other users into their videos. Plus, they can add their own unique touch with hundreds of visual effects and overlays.

TikTok’s creative tools allow users to quickly incorporate the latest trends into their content while also being a potential goldmine for artists whose songs (or other forms of content) go viral on the platform.

Hashtags and trends

Hashtags are a foundational element of the TikTok experience, as they help organize content and shape trends. TikTok actively promotes user involvement in viral challenges, memes, dances, and other trends.

Content duplication

Users can replicate and re-imagine popular TikTok videos by adding their unique spin. This feature contributes significantly to the platform’s addictive nature, as you can spend hours scrolling other people’s takes or opinions that can extend the conversation far beyond the original posts.

TikTok’s Global Impact

Thanks to its captivating blend of personalized entertainment and creative expression, TikTok has experienced extraordinary growth since its worldwide launch. In 2022, it was the world’s most downloaded app with 672 million downloads, surpassing Instagram. From 2018 to 2022, TikTok enjoyed over 800% user growth in the U.S. alone, and today boasts over 120.5 million monthly active users in the States. 

Despite this rapid growth, TikTok still has ample room for further expansion, as short-form videos continue to gain popularity among both Gen Z audiences and older demographics.

Chapter Two: Understanding TikTok’s User Demographics and Statistics

Despite being a relatively new player in the realm of major social platforms, TikTok’s user demographics and statistics have undergone a rapid transformation. Initially, the platform garnered immense popularity among teenagers and the Gen Z population. However, over time, the platform’s audience has grown more diverse. The chart below highlights the growing diversity of the platform, with nearly 30% of the platform’s users age 35 or older.

Key TikTok User Demographics and Usage Statistics

Here’s a detailed look at the current demographic composition and usage statistics of TikTok:

Age Distribution of TikTok Users

Despite its initial popularity with the Gen Z crowd, TikTok has seen a surge in older users, with millennials and above now accounting for nearly 30% of its entire user base. But all things considered, TikTok remains an app loved by the youth, with over 70% of its users aged 13–34.

Gender Distribution and Usage Time

Gender split: The platform was once more favored by the female demographic, but that has changed in recent years, as females now constitute 45.2% of TikTok users while males account for 54.8%.

Young users’ screen time: Users under 20 spend more than 90 minutes daily on TikTok, on average. Back in 2023, TikTok announced a new 60-minute daily screen time limit for users under 18.

Adult users’ screen time: Reports indicate that adult users in the U.S. will spend approximately 55.8 minutes daily on TikTok.

The Significance of Understanding TikTok’s User Demographics

For marketers, understanding these evolving demographics and statistics is crucial in identifying their target audience groups on TikTok. This information aids in crafting content that resonates specifically with these groups.

While the younger Gen Z demographic continues to be a major focus for many brand marketers on TikTok, it is equally important for diversifying marketing strategies to engage millennials and older users who also dedicate significant time to the platform.

Chapter Three: How TikTok works

Now that we have an understanding of TikTok’s basic features and user demographics, it’s time to delve deeper into the app’s operational mechanics and key elements that shape the user experience. The cornerstone of TikTok’s user experience is its powerful recommendation algorithm, which creates personalized “For You” feeds for each user.

The Power of the “For You” Page

The “For You” page provides users with an endless, personalized stream of short videos tailored to their preferences and engagement patterns with previous videos. The more a user engages with specific types of videos, sounds, hashtags, and accounts, the better TikTok’s recommendation algorithm becomes at determining their preferences via machine learning. The app then continually refines its recommendations to keep users engaged with their preferred content.

Unlike social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram which are centered around personal networks and connections, TikTok is solely interest-based. As a result, users can find videos from complete strangers on their “For You” feed, as long as the algorithm deems these videos align with their preferences.

8 Metrics That Show TikTok What You Like

TikTok’s algorithm refines its recommendations using various engagement signals and metrics, including:

Popular Content Types on TikTok

TikTok hosts a diverse range of content, including dance and lip-syncing videos, comedy sketches, talent showcases, DIY tutorials, recipes, life hack videos, and much more. Due to its well-constructed recommendation algorithm, highly engaging content can go viral incredibly quickly on TikTok, sometimes reaching hundreds of thousands of targeted users in a matter of minutes.

Keeping up with TikTok Trends

Trends and viral challenges spread like wildfire on TikTok, making it essential for brands to stay updated with the latest viral phenomena in order to capitalize on them promptly. A deep understanding of the TikTok recommendation algorithm, current trending content types, challenges, memes, effects, hashtags, and influencers is vital for marketers. Armed with this knowledge, brands can create content optimized for engagement and viral distribution, reaching the right audiences at the right time.

It’s also important for marketers to consider the context of the trends they are witnessing and whether they are relevant to their brand.

Chapter Four: Why TikTok is an Essential Platform for Digital Marketing

There are several compelling reasons why TikTok is now considered a must-have platform for digital marketers.

Massive engaged user base: TikTok has over 1 billion monthly active users globally and it’s still seeing massive user growth, making TikTok’s sheer audience size something that brands and marketers simply can’t ignore.

Key demographics: 41% of TikTok users fall into the coveted Gen Z age range (16-24 year olds), who are often at the forefront of cultural trends and establishing increased buying power. Reaching this demographic is key for many brands.

Virality: Thanks to TikTok’s algorithmic recommendation engine, short videos can go massively viral at a rapid pace, a trend rarely seen on other platforms. This presents brands with huge opportunities for exponential reach and engagement growth.

Personalization: TikTok’s hyper-accurate recommendation algorithm allows brands to build loyal followings within very specific niche communities and demographics with tailored content, versus the one-size-fits-all approach that is popular on other platforms.

Ad targeting & formats: TikTok provides advanced ad targeting based on demographics and user behavior, allowing businesses to reach their audience with precision. The platform also offers various ad formats, notably auto-optimized video ads, which automatically adjust based on user engagement for increased relevancy and conversion potential.

Business impact: Brands who have found success on TikTok have translated that success into concrete business results, such as increased brand awareness, website traffic, lead generation, app downloads, and sales.

Chipotle’s TikTok Success Story

TikTok marketing success stories and case studies have proven how impactful the platform can be for boosting brands.

For example, Chipotle launched a TikTok hashtag challenge campaign #ChipotleLidFlip that promoted their new Cinco De Mayo menu items that increased their app downloads by a whopping 21% in just one day. The massive reach and business impact generated by brands like Chipotle who have tapped into TikTok’s marketing potential demonstrate why it’s become a mandatory platform for digital marketers to have on their radar.

Chapter Five: How to set up your TikTok Business Account

To tap into TikTok’s vast marketing potential, brands need to create an optimized TikTok business account. The following step-by-step guide will walk you through this process:

Getting Started: The Initial Setup

Creating a TikTok business account is straightforward and user-friendly. Here are the five easy steps to get your business account up and running on TikTok:

1. Launch the TikTok app: Open your personal TikTok app on your mobile device. Navigate to your profile by tapping the icon in the bottom right corner.
2. Access profile settings: Tap on the three-line menu icon located at the top right corner of your profile screen.
3. Manage your account: From the menu that opens, select “Manage Account”.
4. Switch to business account: On the following screen, choose the option to “Switch to Business Account”.
5. Enter business details: Follow the on-screen prompts to input essential details for your business account, such as your business name, business category, contact info, and more.

And that’s it! You’ve now successfully switched your TikTok account to a business account.

Creating a Compelling Business Profile

Now that you have a basic business account, it’s time to optimize your profile. A compelling, strategically optimized business profile should include your logo, an engaging and optimized bio section, website links, contact information, highlights of your branded content, and posts featuring your products or services.

Tweaking Advanced Settings

Next, let’s explore and adjust the advanced settings and tools for your business account:

Enable analytics: Navigate to your TikTok account settings and enable analytics. This will give you access to crucial performance analytics and insight data.

Configure ad tracking settings: Adjust your ad tracking settings. Ensure the TikTok pixel is installed on your website, and set up conversion tracking correctly to gauge the effectiveness of your campaigns.

Familiarize yourself with TikTok ads manager: Spend some time understanding the TikTok Ads Manager and the myriad of advanced advertising options available to your business.

With your TikTok business profile set up, you can now leverage the full array of tools available for businesses on TikTok, including essential analytics, TikTok’s advertising capabilities, and other critical business tools to optimize your online presence and marketing strategy.

Chapter Six: Building a Winning TikTok Marketing Strategy

Creating a winning TikTok marketing strategy is essential to achieving success and avoiding irrelevant content that doesn’t resonate with your audience. Here are the key components of a successful TikTok marketing strategy:

Identify Your Target Audience

Start by using TikTok analytics and audience insights to identify your target audience groups on the platform. Establish the key demographics – age, gender, location, and interests – that align with your brand. Integrate this audience data into your content creation strategy and ad targeting to maximize relevance.

Craft Your Content Strategy

Examine trending short-form videos within your industry and gain insights from competitors with a strong presence on the platform. Develop a diverse content calendar, including tutorials, comedic sketches, engaging challenges, reaction videos, motivational content, and more. Test different types of content and continually refine your approach based on performance data.

Time Your Posts Effectively

Posting consistently is not just an important element of building your brand, it’s critical due to the dynamic nature of the TikTok algorithm. Start with 1-2 posts per day and use analytics to identify when your audience is most active on the platform to help inform your efforts and create the ideal posting schedule.

Utilize TikTok’s Unique Features

Familiarize yourself with TikTok’s features to enhance your content:

• Implement TikTok’s extensive music library and sound effects to make your videos more entertaining.
• Add visual flair using effects, filters, text overlays, and stickers.
• Engage audiences and capitalize on viral trends through duets, reaction videos, and the Stitch feature.
• Improve discoverability and ride the wave of viral challenges by using hashtags strategically.

Promote Your Content

Promoting your content across different channels is crucial to maximize reach. Here are some of the most effective ways to do so:

• Implement a mix of popular and niche hashtags to improve discoverability.
• Cross-post your TikTok content on your other social media channels (such as Instagram or Reddit) and embed TikTok videos on other platforms.
• Run paid TikTok ads to reach new audiences and amplify your best content.
• Encourage audiences on other channels to follow your TikTok profile through clear calls-to-action (CTA’s).

Monitor Your Performance

Regularly analyzing key TikTok performance metrics is essential to gauging what’s working and what’s not in order to optimize your efforts. Key performance indicators to track include:

• Content engagement rates (likes, comments, shares per post).
• Follower growth and demographic breakdown.
• Website traffic driven from TikTok.
• Sales or leads generated from TikTok.
• Return on ad spend (ROAS) from TikTok campaigns.

By integrating these critical components into a comprehensive TikTok marketing strategy and iterating based on performance data, brands can achieve significant results.

Chapter Seven: Harnessing TikTok Trends and Hashtags for Effective Marketing

Riding the wave of viral TikTok trends and challenges is pivotal for brands aiming to achieve exponential growth. Additionally, strategic hashtag use is crucial for discovery. Here are several expert strategies for leveraging TikTok trends and hashtags effectively:

Spotting Trends Early

Identifying trends before they become fully “mainstream” is key in your ability to capitalize on them. Keep an eye on the ‘Discover’ and ‘Trending Hashtags’ pages to catch emerging challenges before they really blow up. Also, follow top influencers in your industry to identify trends at their early stages.

To stay up to date on all the hottest and emerging trends in social, be sure to check out The Viral Edit for weekly updates. 

Drawing Inspiration From Trends

Customize trending challenges and formats to fit your brand. Utilize viral meme formats in a way that aligns with your brand’s unique tone, voice, and messaging. Showcase your products or services in a fresh light using trending TikTok features, such as specific sounds, effects, transitions, and stickers.

Creating Your Own Trend

Capitalizing on a trend is great but it relies on your ability to leverage it effectively. So instead, why not create your own trend? Strive to originate a viral TikTok trend that encourages your audience to interact with your brand. Launch a branded challenge that inspires user-generated content. Share a catchy sound, effect, or humorous meme format that others can incorporate into their videos.

Employing Strategic Hashtag Use

Use a combination of widely popular hashtags (like #fyp) and niche hashtags to target your audience precisely. Avoid overusing niche hashtags that could limit your reach. Incorporate relevant hashtags into video captions and in-video text to enhance discoverability.

Capitalizing on Trends Swiftly

Speed and adaptability are key when seizing TikTok trends. Attempt to create trend-jacking videos within 1-2 days upon spotting a new viral trend or challenge for maximum impact. Stay flexible and reactive – you may need to quickly adjust your video plans to tap into trending phenomena for extensive reach.

Brands like Ocean Spray perfectly exemplify the effective use of TikTok trends. Their classic cranberry juice brand gained significant relevance thanks to a timely meme video associated with a massively viral TikTok dancer.

@420doggface208

♬ Dreams (2004 Remaster) – Fleetwood Mac

Chapter Eight: Exploring TikTok Advertising Options and Best Practices

Aside from organic content, TikTok advertising presents a significant opportunity for brands to expand their reach and enhance results via paid campaigns. Here’s a summary of the various advertising options available:

In-Feed Video Ads

In feed-ads act as TikTok’s core ad units. Much like Instagram or Facebook video ads, these are brief video advertisements cleverly inserted between organic videos on user feeds. They’re designed to appear native and are optimized for engagement by the algorithm.

Stories Ads

These are full-screen images, GIFs, or videos that appear amid TikTok videos. They’re restricted to a duration of 5-15 seconds and aid in augmenting brand awareness.

Brand Takeovers

A highly interactive ad format – takeovers involve the use of sponsored branded effects, filters, lenses, or hashtags. Users can interact with these branded elements to trigger your ads and get redirected to your site or app. 

Topview Ads

Topview ads ensure that your video is the first thing a user sees when they open TikTok for the day, maximizing attention, impressions, and brand visibility.

Branded Hashtag Challenges

Sponsoring a branded hashtag challenge engages users and promotes awareness. Users create content centered around your branded hashtag.

Shoppable Videos

TikTok allows you to add shoppable links, product tags, or Shopping tabs to your video ads to drive direct sales of your products.

When establishing and optimizing TikTok ad campaigns, the following best practices should be considered:

• Implement conversion tracking tools like TikTok pixel to attribute value.
• Test different ad formats to identify what connects best with your audience.
• Experiment with various targeting settings like interests, behaviors, and placements.
• Conduct A/B testing with different types of short video ad creative.
• Employ a range of bidding strategies, from CPC to optimizing for conversions.
• Monitor performance in real-time and quickly terminate underperforming campaigns.

Well-executed TikTok ads provide brands with a cost-effective method to place their content and products in front of a substantial new audience of potential buyers.

Chapter Nine: Effective Collaboration with Top TikTok Influencers

Partnering with influencers forms a significant part of a brand’s TikTok strategy. However, finding and working with the most effective influencers requires a methodical approach. Here are some expert tips for achieving success with TikTok influencers:

Identify Relevant Influencers

Use influencer marketing platforms and tools to search for TikTok influencers that fit your brand’s niche. You can filter results based on audience demographics, interests, engagement rates, and other attributes relevant to your brand.

Prioritize influencers with high engagement rates, as they have built a strong connection with their audience.

Vet Your Potential Influencers

Don’t rely solely on vanity metrics. When considering influencers for collaboration, ensure they consistently produce high-quality content and have a predominately authentic following.

Analyze their audience quality by looking at who follows them and how engaged their followers are. Be cautious of red flags like suspicious comments or followers, and be mindful of the type of content they create, as maintaining brand safety is imperative in today’s consumer-driven environment.

Ensure your brand is protected and aligned with the right influencers by leveraging Viral Nation Secure—an AI-powered vetting tool that provides advanced content analysis for unmatched brand safety and fit.

Establish Fair Rates from the Start

Establish clear and transparent expectations, requirements, and guidelines for the partnership right from the beginning. Offer fair, pre-determined compensation packages based on audience size and content type. However, be flexible to negotiate with smaller influencers who have limited budgets.

Provide Clear Guidelines

Provide influencers with specific instructions, brand guidelines, necessary imagery or video assets, product information, and guidance. This allows them to create compliant and strategically aligned branded content for your campaign.

Monitor Performance Closely

Incorporate trackable links, unique promo codes, branded hashtags, etc., into your branded influencer content. This allows you to clearly trace sales and conversions back to specific influencers. Evaluate which influencers generated the highest ROI and engagement rates to guide future partnerships.

With careful selection and strategy, the right TikTok influencer collaborations can yield incredible benefits for brands, such as expanded reach, increased conversions, stronger audience connection, and increased loyalty. However, to achieve exceptional ROI from TikTok influencer campaigns, brands must be intentional, strategic, and data-driven in their influencer relationships and thoroughly evaluate performance.

Tap into Viral Nation Talent and connect with a diverse roster of over 900 top creators across every niche, from mega-influencers to rising stars, driving high-impact partnerships that deliver lasting results for brands.

Chapter Ten: Monitoring and Analyzing TikTok Performance KPIs

In the fast-paced TikTok environment, continuously monitoring and analyzing performance data is required for brands to optimize efforts and achieve continual improvement.

Here are the key TikTok performance metrics and KPIs brands should be tracking:

By consistently tracking key metrics such as content performance, follower growth, engagement rates, conversions, and ad effectiveness using tools like TikTok analytics and UTM tracking, you can gather valuable insights to refine and optimize your evolving TikTok strategy.

Compare the performance of various content types, captions, CTAs, posting times, influencer collaborations, and ads. Focus on what consistently drives the best results, because without performance tracking and optimization, you’re essentially flying blind.

Brand’s can leverage Viral Nation’s Business Intelligence to gain deeper insights into campaign performance. With advanced analytics and AI-powered data, we help brands optimize strategies, measure success, and drive better ROI across social ecosystems.

Chapter Eleven: Case Studies – Successful TikTok Influencer Collaborations

The power of TikTok influencer collaborations cannot be overstated. There are a variety of successful brand campaigns that illustrate just how efficient partnering with influencers can be. Here are some successful TikTok case studies:

Walmart 

Walmart brilliantly collaborated with TikTok influencers to create a dance challenge as part of their back-to-school campaign. The result? Over 1.5 billion views and 250,000 user-generated videos.

@trinity

Are you the type to join me in my silliness or walk away embarrassed? 😂 #DealDropDance @walmart

♬ Water Me – Lizzo

The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA)

Global accounting company ACCA collaborated with TikTok influencers to create segments for “a day in the life of an accountant.”. The innovative campaign helped make accounting more relatable while confronting the ‘boring accountant’ stereotype and successfully attracted over 1 million views, transforming how people perceive the ACCA and accountants in general.

@shericebanton

Work time vs LUNCH TIME 😂 Relatable? 🤪 Such fun with #ACCA Accountants at Flinder 😂🔥 #Comedy #ad

♬ –

Benny Blanco – Universal

To promote his new song “Graduation,” Benny Blanco – Universal worked with TikTok influencers. The campaign generated over 1 billion views and 1.5 million user-generated videos.

@guionfroy

Juice WRLD & Benny Blanco – Graduation (edit) #juicewrld #bennyblanco

♬ som original – Gui Onfroy 999

Guess

The popular fashion brand created the “InMyDenim” campaign and promoted their denim products through TikTok influencer collaborations. The campaign was highly successful, leading to 5,550 user-generated videos and 10.5 million views while recording a 14.3% engagement rate.

Red Bull

Red Bull initiated a dance challenge named “RedBullDanceYourStyle” and partnered with influencers to promote it. The challenge exploded on TikTok, generating over 7 billion views.

@stanceelements

Jazzy bringing her swagger to Redbull Dance Your Style Norway! 🔥🔥🔥

♬ original sound – Stance

These case studies exemplify the vast potential of integrating TikTok influencers into your marketing strategy. Effective partnerships can help your brand reach a wider audience, generate immense engagement, and promote your message in innovative, memorable ways. Tapping into the creative minds of influencers and fully utilizing TikTok’s native features leads to exceptional campaign success.

Supercharge Your TikTok Content Strategy with Viral Nation’s Social-First Experts

Maximize your brand’s impact with Viral Nation’s full-service Social Content Studio. From concept to execution, our team of experts crafts engaging, high-quality content designed to capture your audience’s attention and drive results across all platforms. Whether it’s video production, social media assets, or long-form content, we tailor every piece to fit your brand’s unique voice. Ready to create powerful, brand-defining content? Contact us today to get started.