5 steps for creating engaging content on TikTok

Whether you’re a brand manager or a content creator at an advertising agency, you’ve probably considered TikTok as one of the possible channels in your media strategy. In recent years, TikTok has become the dominant platform for creative video content, especially among younger audiences. However, according to recent data, more than 30% of users are over 35, and the number is increasing.

TikTok is also the social platform with the highest engagement rate. According to the reports by Social Insider, TikTok’s average engagement rate by followers is 2.65% and an average engagement rate by views is around 4%.

We can almost certainly say that the importance of vertical videos in the social media landscape will continue to grow in the following years. So, our question is: if your brand is not on TikTok yet, what are you waiting for?

Here are the five most important things you should know when beginning to craft a TikTok video strategy for your brand.

Step 1: Get to know the audience.

First, you have to know who you’re talking to. Research how your target group thinks and talks. Analyse trends so you can jump on them in time!

Step 2: Tell a story.

You’ve probably heard the phrase “Content is King”. That’s still true for marketing on every social media platform, but especially on TikTok! The golden rule is that you don’t just try to sell your product. This is not TV advertising, so don’t try to follow the same format. People use social media to relax, to get a laugh, or to learn something interesting. They want to get away from their daily responsibilities. That’s why the last thing you want to do is directly push your product.

Instead, tell a story. Your script has to follow specific storytelling rules. It needs to grab the audience’s attention in the first three seconds (we call that “a hook”), hold their attention until the end (by providing value), and motivate a specific behaviour (with a clear call to action). So let your creative juices flow, when writing a script for your TikTok video! We know this is not easy, but it sure helps if your team is well-organised and the project is well-planned, so that everything runs smoothly. This cuts the stress out of the equation, and you can focus only on crafting the best and most creative scripts for videos users will engage with. HyptT can help you with this, since it optimises the scriptwriting process and improves the communication between everyone involved in the project. Instead of reading and replying to emails or downloading attachments, focus more time on storytelling and scriptwriting! When everyone is satisfied with the script, they approve it with a click, which makes sure that each script is perfectly crafted before the shoot.

Step 3: Give them a reason to save it for later.

Your video has to provide value for the viewer. Ask yourself: Is the content funny, inspiring, educational, or relatable enough that the user will be compelled to comment on it, share it with friends, or even save the video for later? If your answer is no, return to Step 2.

You should also pick only one key message you want to convey since you don’t want to confuse your audience. We know sometimes that can be a problem: sometimes client’s briefs contain multiple key messages, other times key messages get lost in communication. Luckily, with hyptT, everyone involved in the campaign can get aligned on the key message more easily, since the platform enables instant feedback on scripts and the content which was created.

Step 4: Use engaging editing.

TikTok is a platform that promotes creativity, so don’t be afraid to experiment with editing! Add smooth transitions, background effects, subtitles, overlay text, sound effects, and background music. Using the right music can be what makes your video go viral on TikTok, so don’t take this part lightly!

Step 5: Use data to improve your strategy.

Always analyse your campaign at the end. This is how you’ll be able to evaluate the success of social media campaigns and guide informed decisions for future social media strategies. Analytics also help you calculate ROI for your campaign. The more detailed data you can get, the better. Unfortunately, TikTok doesn’t provide more than some basic analytics, such as views, likes, and comments, but you can use hyptT’s more detailed analytics to get more understanding what type of content works for your target audience and what doesn’t. You can compare performances of all your content and change your strategy accordingly. HyptT also lets you compare your KPIs with the industry benchmark and simplify complex data into actionable insights, which will help you improve your content strategy for the next time. You can also keep tabs on your budget and generate reports.

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