21 Tips To Grow Your TikTok In 2023

I’ve worked with wellll over 200 clients in my business at this point. 🤯

And although I didn’t recognize it at the time, I went through the EXACT same process with each client when we were creating a social media content strategy for them (especially when it came to TikTok!).

At first, they come to me wondering about social media strategies, personal marketing, the TikTok algorithm, attracting their dream audiences online, and — essentially — how to leverage their messaging and content so it sells their offer the second someone finds them online.

And HOW we do all of that will actually be different with every single business.

So this common theme has nothing to do with what my clients are actually learning while they work with me.

But what it does have to do with, is what they’re UNLEARNING from listening to literally E.V.E.R.Y.O.N.E. else.

👉🏼 Unlearning that the marketing strategies that worked 5 years ago DO NOT WORK THE SAME TODAY.
👉🏼 Unlearning that your strategy on TikTok will NOT be the same for your strategy on Instagram.
👉🏼 Unlearning that even your strategy for Reels won't even be the same as your strategy for TikTok.
👉🏼 Unlearning your previous content pillars that focus WAY too heavily on YOU and YOUR BUSINESS.
👉🏼 Unlearning your attempt to fit into one singular niched-down box that you probably never fit into anyway.
👉🏼 Unlearning the social media strategies of the past to re-learn the one's of the present.

So this is your permission slip to just STOP listening to everyone else for a minute.

And RE-LEARN how exactly to utilize TikTok in your marketing strategy to scale the shit out of your business in 2023!

Here are my 21 top tips for mastering TikTok for your small business:

1) You need to know WHY people are coming to TikTok in the first place.

And by that I mean, people are not coming onto TikTok to specifically FIND your business. Or even the solution to the problems that they have that you can solve for them.

So focus LESS on your actual business here and MORE on your CUSTOMER.

What's coming up on their FYP? What do they find funny or entertaining? What do they want to BINGE watch on here?

Now how can YOU as a business use that knowledge to get in front of them!? Go ahead and download my FREE guide Be Found By Your Dream Customers On TikTok to find out!!

2) STOP wasting time with fancy editing and outside apps!

Fancy editing on here DOES. NOT. MATTER.

Even fancy "looks" don't matter.

Consumers WANT raw, unedited shit. They WANT authenticity.

I want to feel like you're my BFF and you're talking me and only me.

So remember these things:

• Just film your video right here in the app.

• Stop using filters. Leave those for Instagram. YOU'RE BEAUTIFUL ANYWAY!

• Unless your Elyse Myers, the gifs are distracting as fuck.

• If you're gonna record only ONE video and post it to both Ig and TT, I cannot recommend ENOUGH that you film it HERE on TikTok. Just trust me.

3) Posting 3-5 times every day is going to do absolutely NOTHING if you're posting content that isn't GOOD.

I know, I know, HARD TRUTH.

Basically, you’re wayyyy too focused on video quantity.

Until you understand the types of content that actually get in front of your dream audience, and grows your account, and sells your shit... You're just wasting your time posting. 

So unless you WANT to post five days a day, there is absolutely no need to. EVEN if you DO make hella good content!!

4) People want REAL content here!!

Relatable.

Emotional.

Actionable.

Loaded.

And if your first response to that is, "but I AM making that kind of content" yet you STILL don't get past those average ~200 views (that literally everyone gets if they haven't broken any rules to get their video flagged) theeen you're not. 💔

5) Don't waste time with hashtags.

Hashtags can be helpful in two scenarios:

If you HELLA niche them down.

If you're hopping on a trend that has a hashtag with it.

In a nutshell, Hashtags were created for social media to basically do what Search Engines do because social platforms and algorithms weren't that smart years ago.

Buuuut now they are! So there's really no need to specifically use hashtags if you're already using the words you want to use in your captions and on screen text.

Aka. Use them if you want but don't waste your time on them!

6) Focus on being relatable.

If you want to grow quickly on TikTok (while also putting in little effort!), you want to focus on relatable content and trending sounds. And that relatability is going to be heavily focused on your client or customer. NOT necessarily your business.

What do they find self deprecating about themselves? What struggles do they have that they can also laugh at?

Fill out the FREE guide Be Found By Your Dream Customers On TikTok to find out!!

7) You're probably making relatable content WRONG.

When I say relatable content, SO many people immediately go for things that ARE kiiiinda relatable, but not TikTok-worthy relatable.

Aka. They don't make anyone FEEL anything.

Good relatable content is gut-punchy. It's viscerally relatable. ✨It's giving existential crisis realness.✨ It's triggering.

So instead of this:

*The ADHD urge to start a new hobby every week until it becomes boring.*

It's this:

*The ADHD urge to start a new hobby with SO MUCH enthusiasm, watch hours of videos about it, buy $200+ worth of supplies for it, and then just abandon it like it meant absolutely nothing to you.*

And instead of this:

*Me, chugging alcohol every night because running a business is stressful.*

It's this:

“Not tonight, guys. But soon, I promise!” - I say yet again to the non-alcoholic wines I bought to stop stress drinking after running a business and keeping two kids alive all day as I open the vodka.

8) Take advantage of trending sounds!

Using a trending sound will give your video an IMMEDIATE boost from the algorithm.

Aka. It'll be pushed to more people even if it sucks and gets no engagement at first. (Consider this TikTok's way of cutting you a fucking break.)

So if you're going to use a trending sound, don't fuck up that advantage you have! MAKE IT GOOD CONTENT.

And feel free to join my weekly newsletter where I tell you the EXACT sounds that are trending on TikTok every single week!

9) WATCH TIME. WATCH TIME. WATCH TIME.

Watch time is the most important factor of Tiktok virality.

So here's a tip: If you're using a trending sound, make sure you take the sound length into consideration when you're writing your on-screen caption. If you get to the point too soon or if you get the joke across before the viewer gets even half way through, they're gonna keep on scrolling. So even if they LIKE the video, they're still scrolling on without watching the whole thing. Think about how to ensure those viewers get to the end of the video. 

10) Trigger at least TWO of my senses.

We live in a world where we want CONSTANT stimulation, right!?

How many of you sit in front of a big screen while scrolling on your little screen? Or clean the house while listening to a podcast? Or walk the dog while talking on the phone?

Similarly, we typically need to be triggered by at least two different senses on TikTok

I want to be watching something while hearing something while reading something.

So don't JUST post a video of part of your packaging process over a trending song... Write text with it that's telling a story or making a joke.

11) Keep your clips as tight as possible.

Remember... Watch time.Watch time. Watch time. 

So think about this:

• Are all the clips as tight as possible?

• Is it told in as little time as possible

• Are there parts of it that you can take out or condense?

12) Your entire video needs to be a giant "hook".

We've all heard about how important your "hook" is, right?

So allow me to blow your mind for a minute...Your initial hook is NOT the most important thing in your video.

In the world of short form video marketing, you need MULTIPLE hooks to continuously keep your viewers watching. Your first hook is really only as important as your last hook.

13) Make your audience WANT to engage.

Before you post, ask yourself these questions:

• Why would someone comment?

• Or share?

• What would make someone relate to something SO much that they just HAD to write "lol me".

• How can you trigger nostalgia in someone SO deeply that they'd send it to their friend group from high school? 

14) Try to reply to the first few comments of your video.

And better yet, reply to each comment with an engaging and thought-provoking question (so they come back to answer!).

This gives the algorithm the kick that it needs when your video is in the initial review period. 

15) There's no need to delete videos that don't preform well.

Honestly, I would only delete the videos you absolutely don't want your dream customers or clients to see. (So if you started your account as a personal one and then transform it into professional, are there things that you wouldn't want on there??)

16) People won't want to LEAVE the app while they're scrolling on the FYP.

So stop constantly trying to lead people to your offer or service or to go BUY something.

If you're genuinely trying to get someone OFF of the platform, you want to lead them to something equally as exciting as the FYP. (And that shit is HARD to do...)

So think buzzfeed style quizzes or something else that can keep your audience entertained. 

17) Watch what Call To Actions you use!!

We haven't normalized marketing and selling on TikTok (yet). So people don't want to be sold to. 

Be cautious of what CTAs you use in your posts. Words or phrases like the ones below will probably lead to shadow-banning or a community guideline violation:

• "Free Masterclass"

• "Discount Code"

• "Head To My Website"

• "50% Off Sale"

• "You Can Make $50,000 A Month By Doing This"

18) Transformations still SELL.

I know I've focused a lot on relatability here and talked a lot about not selling so much on TikTok BUT... That doesn't mean you can't sell at allll there!!

And when you DO sell, think transformations!

Transformations show results. 

Transformations make people take action.

So include what your product or service will do for your viewer!

• How is it going to save someone money in the long run?

• How is it going to change someone's life for the better?

• How is going to solve someone's problems?

19) Be careful what you go viral for!

Going viral is GOOD.

BUT... It can also be bad.

So make sure all of your TikTok pillars can somehow fit into your long-term TikTok Content Strategy (you can take my signature TikTok course Be Seen On TikTok where I'll walk you through exactly how to create TikTok pillars to do JUST THAT!!!)! 

20) Stop listening to these TikTok myths!

• You have to post 3-5 times every single day.

• Immediately log out of TikTok after posting.

• Make sure you end each video with: "Follow me for more ______!"

• Getting on the FYP is complete luck.

• Your views are low because you're shadow-banned.

• Being Shadow-banned doesn't exist.

• You can't take any days off.

• Consistency is key. 

21) Stop trying to make every single video so g*d-damn perfect.

Your videos will never be perfect. And, in fact, TikTok LIKES it that way.

So just give yourself permission to show up as your truest self! 

Want to take all these tips and create a TikTok strategy to scale the shit out of your business!?

Take My Signature Course: Be Seen On TikTok

This is the ONLY course for businesses, brands, and budding creators to learn the exact strategies to build an audience, get more leads, and make more sales on the fastest growing social media platform *WITHOUT posting 5-7x a day*!