How to...

Build your
business'
profile on
TikTok
Not many social platforms have
made quite the impact that
TikTok has. As brands
continue to innovate on the
app, it’s probably about time to
touch base on what best
practice actually looks like.
With an estimated one billion global monthly users, there are plenty of
reasons why small businesses with a relevant customer base should be
putting thought into their TikTok strategy.
Indeed, a 2021 study from Influencer Marketing Hub showed that it has the
highest engagement per post of all the social platforms. But knowing it has
huge potential and knowing how to play to its strengths are two different
things. One business doing it well is Toronto-based Lala Hijabs – a hand-
dyed hijab brand set up by husband-and-wife team Will and Sana Saleh
during the pandemic. In a little over a year, the two have managed to
grow two thriving accounts with more than 1.3 million followers combined.
Here, Sana offers a few rules to stick to.
Keep it engaging
‘We create content around whether people will engage with it – whether
that’s sparking a conversation or learning something new. People think it’s
just a dancing or music app, but it’s so much more than that. You can
literally learn anything on TikTok: how to cook perfect pasta or cut grass
properly. So utilize TikTok to gain authority in your niche, teaching people
while giving value. The amount of knowledge that comes from a one-minute
video is crazy.’
Go BTS
‘We do a lot of behind-the-scenes stuff. We love sharing sneak peeks of
new products we’re working on or thinking about, sometimes asking our
audience for name suggestions. It makes people feel special to be involved.
How does your business work? How many employees are there? How do
you pack your orders? It brings it back to relatable content. If people see
that, they’re more likely to support a business.’
More: The importance of having your own channel
Be consistent – and raw
‘You’re not going to go viral right off the hop, although some people do.
It’s about consistency. Don’t feel discouraged if the first 10 or 15 videos
don’t perform great. There’s going to be that one video that finally sparks
on the For You page and it’s going to be like wildfire. Post frequently, a
minimum of five times a week if you’re just getting started. Once you’re a
bigger brand, you can post a lot less. But you don’t always have to put so
much thought behind them. They don’t have to be high-production. Just use
your phone and capture the raw, authentic moments.’

Use trending sounds

‘When you’re scrolling through the For You page on TikTok, there will be
certain sounds you’ll hear more than once. Those are the sounds that you
need to use in your videos because they’re currently trending. TikTok is
going to push those out to more people so utilizing those is always a good
thing.’
More: TikTok and fame velocity
Showcase new products
‘When we design a new hijab, a week before we launch it I always hype it
up on TikTok. I’ll show the pieces and I do tutorials with it, and that really
makes people want it right away. They’ll set alarms and make sure they’re
on the website right when it launches. Our peak times when we sell out are
always when we launch and that’s strictly through that because we’re not
running ads. All that hype comes directly through TikTok.’
This article was first published in Courier issue 42, August/September 2021.
To purchase the issue or become a subscriber, head to our webshop.