How to Market on TikTok

Marketing on TikTok means creating content that feels less like a billboard and more like a conversation. This guide will walk you through the entire process, covering how the algorithm works, what kind of content to make, and how to build a real community that drives results for your brand.

Understanding the TikTok Algorithm: Your Secret Weapon

Unlike other platforms that heavily rely on your social graph (who you follow), TikTok's "For You" Page (FYP) is an interest-based powerhouse. It's designed to serve users a non-stop stream of videos it thinks they will love, regardless of who created them. This is your biggest advantage as a marketer: you don't need a million followers to go viral. You just need to create one great video.

The algorithm primarily cares about a few key signals:

• Watch Time: This is the holy grail. Does the viewer watch your entire video? Even better, do they watch it more than once (a "Loop")? High average watch time signals to TikTok that your content is engaging and should be shown to more people.
• Engagement Signals: Likes, comments, shares, and saves are all strong indicators of a video's quality. Comments and shares are particularly powerful because they require more user effort.
• Initial Performance: TikTok first shows your video to a small pool of users. If it performs well with that test audience (high watch time, good engagement), it gets pushed to a larger audience, then larger, and so on. This is how videos go viral.
• Audio & Effects: Using trending sounds and popular effects can give your content a significant boost. The algorithm recognizes these trends and often prioritizes videos that participate in them.

Your goal isn't to "beat" the algorithm. It's to partner with it by creating content people genuinely want to watch and interact with.

Set Up Your Profile for Growth

Your profile is your digital storefront. Before you even post your first video, make sure it's optimized to convert viewers into followers - and eventually, customers.

• Switch to a Business Account: It's free and takes seconds. This gives you access to crucial analytics, a link in your bio (once you hit 1,000 followers), and other business-specific features. Go to Settings and privacy -> Account -> Switch to Business Account.
• Create a Clear Bio: You have 80 characters. Use them wisely. In one simple sentence, tell people who you are, what you offer, and why they should follow you. Emojis can help add personality and break up text.
• Choose a Recognizable Profile Picture: A clear headshot or your brand's logo works best. It should be easily identifiable even as a tiny circle.
• Add Your Call-to-Action Link: Once you have 1,000 followers, you can add a clickable link in your bio. This is your one shot to drive traffic off the platform, so use a link-in-bio tool to house multiple links or send them directly to your most important page.

How to Create TikToks That Don't Feel Like Ads

The number one mistake marketers make on TikTok is bringing their polished, overly corporate content from other platforms. TikTok users can spot an ad a mile away and will scroll right past it. Success means acting like a creator, not a corporation. Your content should aim to either entertain, educate, or inspire.

Find Your Content Pillars

You can't post about everything. Identify 2-4 content "pillars" or themes that relate to your brand and your audience's interests. For example, a coffee shop's pillars might be:

• Pillar 1: Behind-the-scenes latte art tutorials.
• Pillar 2: "Day in the life" of a barista.
• Pillar 3: Highlighting local suppliers and ingredients.
• Pillar 4: Funny, relatable skits about coffee culture.

Sticking to defined pillars helps the algorithm understand who to show your content to and gives followers a reason to come back for more.

Ride Trends (The Smart Way)

Trends are the language of TikTok. Participating keeps you relevant, but you can't just copy what everyone else is doing. The key is to adapt trends to fit your niche.

1. Spot a Trend: Scroll your FYP and keep an eye out for recurring audio clips, video formats, or challenges. You can also check the "Discover" page to see what's trending.
2. Analyze the Format: What makes the trend work? Is it a specific camera movement? A punchline structure? A reaction to a piece of audio?
3. Make it Your Own: Ask yourself, "How can my brand use this format to talk about [your niche]?" The coffee shop could use a trending "before and after" sound to show a dirty espresso machine getting a deep clean, satisfying viewers and demonstrating their commitment to quality.

Don't jump on every trend. Only participate if you can find a natural, authentic way to connect it back to your brand's message.

Master the First 3 Seconds

You have a vanishingly small window to convince someone to stop scrolling. Your video's "hook" is the most important part. Get straight to the point.

Here are a few hook formulas that work:

• The Question Hook: "Did you know you've been cleaning your oven all wrong?"
• The "Mistake" Hook: "Stop making this one mistake when brewing your morning coffee."
• The Shocking Statement: "This one productivity hack saved me 10 hours last week."
• Visual Hook: Start your video mid-action with something visually interesting and unexpected.

Use attention-grabbing on-screen text to reinforce your spoken hook and catch scrollers who have their sound off.

Talk to One Person

Create your videos as if you're talking directly to a friend. Use "you" and "I" language. This makes the content feel more personal and conversational, which helps build trust. Instead of saying, "Here are some tips for homeowners..." try "If you're a homeowner, you need to know this..." The small shift makes a huge difference in how the content is received.

Provide Genuine Value

Every video should leave the viewer with something. It could be a laugh, a helpful tip they can use right away, a new perspective, or an inspiring feeling. The most successful brands on TikTok are incredibly generous with their knowledge. Teach your audience how to solve a problem related to your industry. Share behind-the-scenes looks that satisfy their curiosity. Value builds loyalty far faster than a sales pitch.

Building a Consistent Posting Schedule

Once you have a handle on content creation, consistency becomes your top priority. Sporadic posting will kill your momentum.

How Often and When to Post

The "right" frequency depends on your resources, but aiming for 3-5 videos per week is a great starting point. The goal is to post as consistently as you can without burning out or sacrificing quality.

To find the best times to post:

1. Make sure you have a Business or Creator account.
2. Go to your profile -> Tap the three lines in the top right -> Creator Tools -> Analytics.
3. Navigate to the "Followers" tab.
4. Scroll down to "Follower activity." This graph will show you the days and hours your followers are most active. Post 1-2 hours before these peak times to give your video a chance to start gaining traction.

Use Hashtags Strategically

Hashtags help TikTok categorize your content and show it to relevant audiences. Avoid stuffing your captions with 20 generic tags. Instead, use a strategic mix:

• 1-2 Broad Hashtags: Describe the general topic (e.g., #coffeetiktok, #smallbusiness).
• 2-3 Niche Hashtags: Get more specific about your sub-community (e.g., #lattearttutorial, #baristalife). These are where you'll find your most dedicated audience.
• 0-1 Branded Hashtags: For your brand or specific campaigns (e.g., #YourCoffeeShopName).

Skip hashtags like #fyp, #foryoupage, and #viral. They are too saturated to be effective and don't tell the algorithm anything useful about your video's content.

Engage Your Community to Grow Faster

TikTok is a social platform, not a broadcast network. Engagement is a two-way street.

• Reply to Comments: Respond to as many comments as you can, especially in the first few hours after posting. This activity signals to the algorithm that your video is sparking conversation.
• Use Video Replies: Find interesting questions in your comments and use the "reply with video" feature. This is an amazing source of new content ideas and makes your followers feel seen and heard.
• Engage with Others: Spend 15-20 minutes a day scrolling your FYP and legitimately interacting with videos from other creators in your niche. Leaving thoughtful comments on their videos puts you in front of their audience - a highly relevant group of people who are likely interested in your content, too.

Analyze, Learn, and Adjust

Your TikTok analytics are your report card. Check them weekly to see what's resonating with your audience.

Pay close attention to:

• Video Views: Look for outliers. What did your top-performing videos have in common? Was it the hook, the topic, the format?
• Average Watch Time: If viewers are dropping off in the first few seconds, your hook needs work. If they're watching all the way through, you've found a winning formula.
• Profile Views: A high number of profile views per video view means your content is compelling enough to make people curious about who you are. This is a great sign!

Data tells you what your audience actually wants, not what you think they want. Use these insights to refine your content pillars and double down on what's working.

Final Thoughts

Marketing on TikTok is all about joining the community, not interrupting it. By focusing on creating authentic, value-driven videos that entertain or educate, you can build a genuine connection with a massive audience that truly cares about your brand. Be consistent, engage with others, listen to your analytics, and most importantly, have fun with it.

When we were running marketing teams, the biggest headache was wrestling with older social media tools that just weren't built for a video-first world like TikTok's. That's exactly why we built Postbase. It was designed from the ground up to make planning and scheduling our video content on a visual calendar feel easy, not frustrating. Having one simple inbox for all our comments across every platform also saved us countless hours, so we could focus on creating great content instead of constantly switching between apps.