Planning and Creating TikToks

TikTok, the short-form video social platform, continues to grow in popularity. If you’re thinking about setting up a TikTok account and creating your own TikTok videos, take some time to think through what you’d like to convey to the TikTok audience and the best way to do it.

Here are some things to consider as you plan and begin creating TikToks.

1. Who is your audience?

If you are looking to reach Gen Z and Millennials, TikTok could be the right place for you to market your product or service. 55.7% of TikTok users are male and 19.1% are males between the ages of 25 and 34 years old.

2. What kind of content do you want to produce?

Look closely at the popular videos on TikTok. Are they appropriate for your brand? Some of the popular types of videos on TikTok include:

Entertainment including dance videos and music videos – Users create their own choreography or attempt dances created by other TikTok users or they show off their musical talents.

Challenge and prank videos - Users are challenged to do something – typically humorous or outrageous, but sometimes risky (or downright dangerous) or they film pulling pranks on others.

How To videos – Demonstrating quick step-by-step instructions to making things from crafts to cocktails or how apply makeup or put together an outfit.

Dialogue reenactments – Lip-syncing to audio, such as famous lines from movies or TV shows, excerpts of comedy routines, or original audio from other users.

Opinion or Advice – People expressing their opinion or offering advice, whether based on credentialed expertise or lived experience.

You don’t have to focus on only one type of TikTok video, but you do want to develop a style that is recognizable and memorable, as well as aligned with your brand.

3. Storyboard your videos.

Keep in mind TikToks are typically short, with experts recommending between 90 to 120 seconds long, although you can upload videos up to 60 minutes long to your TikTok account. Once you decide the type of TikToks you’d like to produce, plan it out by writing the scenes and dialogue or referencing TikTok trends to use.

You may want to storyboard your videos by sketching out frame-by-frame images to visually explain what will be shown on screen. Visuals are usually paired with dialogue or captions. Make sure the dialogue and captions complement and don’t detract from the visuals. You can also add embellishments such as stickers, filters, effects including a green screen effect, and trending sounds.

4. Use relevant hashtags.

As with any other social network, hashtags play a role in helping people find and identify content. Two of the most popular tags on TikTok are #ForYou and #FYP. The For You Page is a curated feed of TikToks that is customized to each member and appears when they log into the app. Most experts recommend using three to five hashtags on TikTok.

Most companies using TikTok also use a hashtag with their company name or one that is closely related to their business or brand. If you’re already using a hashtag on other social networks that works for your brand, you may want to use the same one. Do a search of the hashtags you want to use on TikTok to see what else shows up and if the content is relevant and appropriate for your brand.

5. Jump on a TikTok trend.

While not all TikTok trends will work for your brand, browsing the Explore tab or the For You page on the TikTok app can help you find out what videos are trending. Determine which trends are aligned with your brand, then plan out how your version of the trends will play out. When you’re ready to post it, add the hashtags related to the trend so your video can be grouped together with related videos.

When producing videos based on trends, be careful to avoid copyright infringement. More importantly, stay clear of trends that are potentially risky or dangerous like some challenges. Even if the trend isn’t something you started, you could face legal liability if someone tries the challenge for themselves after viewing your version of the trend and something unfortunate happens to them.

Overall, when planning and creating your TikTok video, use popular videos as templates for your content but find ways to make them your own. Get familiar with the particular visual style of the more popular TikToks and take advantage of the tools TikTok offers to achieve specific looks and sounds. TikTok may not be suitable for every company, but if you use it creatively and stay on-brand, you could enhance your social media marketing and reach a fresh, engaged audience.