Why are you not on TikTok yet?
I believe that as entrepreneurs, we have not fully utilised TikTok (representing shorts). We're still focused on "optimising for SEO," a process that takes years to generate traffic. Meanwhile, TikTok offers the potential for huge traffic with just a single 30-second video.
When was the last time you saw your 50-year-old parents read a blog? Yet, they spend a significant amount of time on TikTok.
In this piece, we'll examine the facts from 2023, and then I'll share some tips I've gathered to achieve success on TikTok (I've experimented a lot and learned about several 'NO NOs' on TikTok that could result in shadow banning).
1. Tiktok vs Instagram
If you're not aware yet, people spend more time on TikTok than on Instagram, with 4.43 billion daily minutes compared to Instagram's 3.91 billion. I believe many can relate to this sentiment: Instagram isn't as appealing anymore, and personally, I only use it to keep up with friends (a feature TikTok doesn't offer).
Despite TikTok having slightly fewer monthly active users (82.3 million compared to Instagram's 118.4 million), users spend significantly more time on TikTok on average. This indicates that TikTok captures more attention.
Currently, Instagram excels in generating ad revenue per adult user per hour spent, around six times more than TikTok. This is mainly due to Instagram's longer attention span compared to TikTok.
2. Tiktok vs Search Engine
Let's delve into search behavior. A Gen Z survey revealed that almost 51% of them prefer using TikTok over Google for searches—for food, places, tourism, health—I mainly use TikTok as it's more engaging and enjoyable than Google. I believe some of you might share this experience.
Using video format as a search engine isn't a new concept. For a long time, people have used YouTube for "how-to" videos, and YouTube was previously the second-largest "search engine" website. Moreover, most people don't watch an entire "how-to" video; they skip to the part they need. That's akin to TikToks.
3. What other are doing on Tiktok
TikTok isn't new; many traditional shops sell through TikTok, yet there are few TikTok videos promoting or discussing SaaS (Software as a Service). Instead, there's an abundance of SaaS-related blogs.
That's why I believe TikTok is a new playground that all SaaS owners should explore and engage with. One SaaS owner, Marc Lou, gains significant success through humorous videos. As for me, I'm still navigating this new terrain, and below, I'll share what I've learned about what to do and what not to do on TikTok.
4. Musts and must-nots on TikTok
Must Do:
- Good lighting
- Good camera
- Good mic
- Engaging video hook; TikTok users have a short attention span
- If a video works, replicate it across multiple accounts for more traffic (be cautious of detection)
- Respond to comments using video
Must Not Do:
- Directly promote any external links; I've been shadow-banned permanently due to this. If you're starting, avoid promoting external videos or links. Be creative.
- Avoid responding to comments using videos (opt for simpler interactions)
- Avoid being too complex. TikTok users have short attention spans and prefer straightforward content.
That's why I believe TikTok is a better investment than SEO. I hope this post sheds light on this perspective. If you find it enlightening, don't forget to join our email news, where we share cool organic marketing tricks we've discovered.
Check out decentool.com if you want quick cross platform organic traffic analysis
Here are some interesting references:
Here are my whys:
I'm ready to hear: "Facebook isn't much better..." to which I say:
Let's go make some short and hilarious videos and conquer the world!
:) tiktok your way to success
Hey!
Why do you think tiktok is good for saas? People don't come to TT to do business. Its consumers, and the B2C market. So e-commerce works in there.
B2B not so much imo.
I am not on yet because it just a waste of time and very addicted
TikTok is definitely a good platform to consider for marketing and building an audience but it all comes down to the type of product and your ICP.
Thanks for sharing this. TikTok has been on my list and it never makes it to the top, mostly because it feels hard to crack. But the longer I procrastinate, the slower until we start learning from it.
Absolutely correct, most of us are still accustomed to the old search and advertising platforms, not realizing that people's habits have changed.
If you could write some content that is more practical based on experience, I would be very grateful. Also, have you ever tried using a tiktok business account? I registered one but can't find the United States.
Additionally, Snapchat seems to be very popular among the younger generation, it's worth paying attention to.
definitely an interesting read. I haven't been on Tik Tok for awhile, but it seems like an excellent opportunity to find customers. Even some niches would perform WAY better than SEO articles depending on their audience.
Bookmarking this for future reference, thank you!
I've been on TikTok for the last 5 months. We create 3 accounts with different types of content.
It's freaking hard! If you don't have a viral product or your content isn't unique, it would be hard to grow.
I could not agree with you more. From my observation young people seem to understand tiktok better. Maybe energy thing, I am not entirely sure. But one thing figuring it out might give you huge benefits
Tiktok is blowing up these days, I also recommend you all to must join tiktok , it could be a game changer
Yeah one thing that I would recommend is find young people to do it. For some reason young people are good at tiktok. And getting advice from people who already successful on tiktok might be helpful. As for me I am currently starting over after getting 2 account shadow banned lol ( because I was linking to my youtube )
Thank you so much for sharing, and do you think TikTok is a good platform for B2B Marketing?
Not entirely sure. At first I thought it was not a good platform but I saw some dude selling office buildings, and private jets which those things mainly used by corporates.
It probably good in term of building trust and showing your day to day business, and make people familiarize with you so they know who they are dealing with. What do you think ?
Insightful take on leveraging TikTok for SaaS businesses!
What do you think about tiktok, from reddits people really hate tiktok.
This comment was deleted 3 months ago.