Top TikTok Tips: Boost Your Engagement

TikTok is a platform where anyone can go viral, regardless of their videography skills or expertise in digital marketing services in San Diego. In fact, some of the most popular videos on TikTok’s For You Page are simple, short, and fun. They capture attention by being engaging and straightforward about their content.

If you want to increase your chances of being seen on TikTok, there are several tips and tricks that top marketers and content creators swear by. From leveraging trending audio to using green screen effects, read on to discover the 13 best TikTok tips and tricks.

Tips for Making Great TikTok Videos

To understand what type of organic content works well on TikTok, I spoke with some marketers to get their best tips for creating engaging TikTok videos.

1. Focus on the Hook

One universal piece of advice from marketers is that your TikTok video needs a strong hook. Capturing your viewers’ attention within the first few seconds is crucial for engagement.

Viewers want to know what they’re getting from a video before they watch it. Grab their attention right away with eye-catching visuals, such as a close-up shot or a splash of bright color.

If your videos aren’t gaining traction, focusing on the first three seconds can make a significant difference. Take inspiration from what hooks are working for other creators in your niche and then experiment with different ways to introduce or frame your content.

2. Use TikTok Studio

TikTok recently replaced its “Creator tools” with TikTok Studio, a new tool that allows creators to create, edit, upload, manage, and analyze their TikTok content and performance. Monitoring your engagement and analyzing follower behavior is essential for making successful TikTok videos. This tool is also useful for running ads on TikTok, ensuring you reach the right audience and meet your goals.

3. Go into Content Creation with Fresh Eyes

As marketers, it’s easy to get bogged down by data and context, which can hinder our ability to judge content objectively. We advice taking off your “context goggles” during the scripting and editing processes to see your content from a fresh viewer’s perspective.

13 Best TikTok Tips and Tricks

1. Find the Right Niche

The algorithm favors niches. If you get traffic based on a particular style or type of content, videos outside of that won’t perform as well. Finding the right niche involves balancing content that works for your brand and what your audience finds valuable. Experiment with different types of content to find what resonates and stick with it.

2. Don’t Delete Low-Performing Videos

It’s tempting to delete videos that don’t perform well, but we advise against it. It takes a while for the algorithm to feed you to the right group of people. Don’t delete low-performing videos because you never know when the algorithm might pick them up and serve them to the right audience.

3. Post at the Right Time

According to HubSpot’s 2024 Social Media Trends Report, the best times to post on TikTok are between 6-9 p.m., 3-6 p.m., and 12-3 p.m., with Friday being the best day. However, every audience is different, so check your analytics to see when your audience is most active.

4. Stitch Top-Performing or Relevant Videos

The Stitch tool allows you to combine another video on TikTok with your own, enabling collaboration and expanding your reach. Look for top-performing videos in your niche by using the search bar and typing in relevant keywords.

5. Use the Green Screen Effect

TikTok’s green screen effect lets you stay on-screen while different images appear in the background, enhancing your storytelling. This filter is ideal for explaining topics or providing recommendations, as it adds visual aids that complement your commentary.

6. Leverage Trending Audio

Sound is crucial on TikTok, with 90% of users stating it’s essential to their experience. Using trending audio can grab attention and add flavor to your content, often serving as the starting point for creating great videos.

7. Try Vlog-Style Videos

Vlog-style videos, which include multiple clips tied together with a voiceover, feel personal and intimate. This format is highly engaging and allows viewers to experience events through your perspective.

8. Incorporate Both Niche and Trending Hashtags

Hashtags are vital for discoverability on TikTok. While popular hashtags have a larger audience, they are also highly competitive. Niche hashtags, though they attract fewer views, engage a more interested audience. For example, #workout is broad, but #coreworkout is more specific and targeted.

9. Respond to Comments with Video

Engaging with your audience is crucial on TikTok. Instead of replying to comments with text, respond with another video. This approach allows you to dive deeper into topics and keep your audience coming back for more.

10. Add Value with “How To” TikToks

“How To” videos and tutorials provide value to TikTok viewers without sounding overly promotional. They position you as an expert in your niche and keep your brand top-of-mind for viewers.

11. Leave a CTA in Your Description and/or Comments

A call-to-action (CTA) in your description or comments can drive engagement. Whether you want viewers to follow your page, visit your website, or leave a comment, clearly state what action you want them to take.

12. Add Subtitles to Your Videos

Subtitles make your TikTok videos more accessible. You can manually add captions for greater flexibility or use the Captions tool to generate subtitles automatically.

13. Explore Top-Performing Videos in Your Niche for Inspiration

The most successful TikTok videos are often creative and quirky. Explore top-performing videos in your niche by typing relevant keywords into the search bar and sorting by like count or relevance. Use these videos as inspiration to create your own unique content.

Conclusion

The key takeaway about TikTok tips and tricks is that there isn’t one right path to digital marketing in San Diego. TikTok is a platform that thrives on experimentation, and brands that get creative see the most success. If you’re new to TikTok, start with these tips and give yourself room to experiment with different videos, filters, and concepts. Don’t be discouraged if a video doesn’t get much traction; try another tactic, see what your competitors are doing, and lean into whatever style or format resonates with your audience. Keep posting videos, engaging with users, and having fun to get the most out of the platform.