TikTok was first introduced in 2016 and since that time has become the one of the most downloaded apps in the world. With more than one billion active users, TikTok is one of the largest and most popular social media platforms.
TikTok started with 15-second videos and as you might guess is frequently compared to YouTube although there are some pretty significant differences. YouTube has a much broader spectrum of content than TikTok, including feature-length movies, TV episodes, music videos, podcasts, vloggers, and personal videos. TikTok is short video clips of a couple minutes or less.
What videos do well on TikTok?
Understanding who the average user on TikTok is will help you better understand the type of videos that will do well on the platform.`Short-form video (think one to three minutes) are the norm. Early adopters were teenagers, so if you have products or services you want to market to Gen Z or a millennial audience they will likely be there. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t a strong Gen X presence and maybe even a few Boomers in the mix—there are.
Videos that entertain outpace other categories of video. Dance and music videos have been a big part of TikTok since the very beginning, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t other categories that do really well. Life hacks, advice, fitness, fashion, cooking, pets, and pranks also do well on the platform. There is no single content type that is guaranteed to do well, but funny and relatable videos goes a long way on TikTok.
How do I make TikTok videos unique?
TikTok is very trend driven so knowing what the latest trend may be will help, but you’ll need to put a personal twist on it. A hot TikTok trend doesn’t see to last more than a few days, so you need to be ready to respond to a new trend quickly in order to reap the rewards.
Leveraging popular hashtags is another approach to make your videos get noticed. Enter a keyword in the search bar and you’ll find a list of trending hashtags and the number of views they typically get. Getting noticed is the first step.
Music and other audio is huge on the platform. Pay attention to the music, sounds, or songs in the videos you view. Incorporating them into your unique video is a great way to improve your reach. Or, create your own audio. Creating your own audio plays right into the algorithm because one of the things it considers is the originality of the content.
Interact with your followers. Make sure you engage with your followers. Ask questions, participate in the comment section and maybe include a call to action in your videos. Ask for a comment, for example.
You might want to collaborate with other creators on the platform to come up with something more unique than you might create on your own. Everyone on TikTok is looking for new content ideas, so don’t be afraid to reach out to someone in your niche to see if they’re interested in doing something with you.
Remember, funny and relatable does really well on TikTok—and maybe throw in a little controversy on the side.
The best ideas for TikTok videos
Remember, shorter is better so no matter what you do keep it short. With that said, here are a handful of ideas that might help get the creative juices flowing.
Share some expertise or experience: Share a life hack or a tutorial on something the average person might not know, but you do.
Piggyback on someone else’s great idea: If you run across something you think is really interesting, give your take on it. Share the idea with everyone who may not have seen the original.
Do a challenge: If you’re not up to creating your own challenge, participate in someone else’s challenge.
Host a livestream: A livestream is a great place to make an announcement, host a Q&A, or interview a special guest.
Share fun facts: All the better if they happen to be funny.
Conduct a vote: Create a choice and invite a vote. The more absurd the better.
Weight in on a current event: Use the news, celebrity gossip, or a major holiday as inspiration. Share your oscar picks or who you think is going to win the Superbowl. Don’t be afraid to channel your inner Jimmy Kimmel.
This is just a handful of suggestions, but hopefully it’s got you thinking. I’m convinced that you need to be thinking about what’s next all the time to keep things fresh and to have a queue of content ideas at your fingertips. Consistency is important so decide how frequently you want to post. Is it three or four times a week or a couple of times each day.
Your audience will start to anticipate your posts and watch for them—which is what you want.
