TikTok has become an essential tool for businesses aiming to reach younger audiences, drive engagement and ultimately increase ROI. However, many marketers unknowingly succumb to the pitfalls of the platform, undermining their efforts. In this post, we will cover five common TikTok marketing mistakes and provide actionable tips on how to avoid them. Whether you’re just getting started or looking to optimise your strategy, these insights will help you build a more effective TikTok presence.

5 Common TikTok Marketing Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Mistake 1: Not Posting Consistently

Why This is a Mistake: In the fast-paced world of TikTok, consistency is key. The platform’s algorithm rewards accounts that consistently upload content in a frequent manner. When businesses post sporadically, they risk being forgotten by the algorithm, which can lower their visibility in users’ feeds. This is especially true for new or growing accounts that haven’t yet built a strong following. Inconsistent posting tells the algorithm that your content isn’t a priority, meaning your videos are less likely to be shown to your target audience.

How to Avoid It: Consistency doesn’t necessarily mean you have to post several times a day. However, creating and adhering to a content schedule can significantly enhance your chances of success on TikTok. For businesses, it’s a good idea to aim for at least 3-5 posts each week, based on what you can manage. The key is to remain visible and keep engaging with your audience regularly.

Using the analytical tools within your TikTok for Business account can help you to determine the best times to post for your specific audience. Once you establish a rhythm, the algorithm will start to take notice and prioritise your content more often.

Mistake 2: Ignoring Trends and Challenges

Why This is a Mistake: TikTok thrives on trends. If your content feels out of touch with current trends or challenges, it will likely go unnoticed. Failing to leverage current trends on the platform can hinder your reach and engagement potential. However, it is essential to utilise trends wisely, ensuring consistency with your brand’s ethos and tone of voice is maintained. TikTok’s audience is drawn to creativity and relatability, and brands that don’t join the conversation may seem irrelevant or disconnected from the platform’s culture.

Two phones with the TikTok app displaying/ 5 Common TikTok Marketing Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

How to Avoid It: To help prevent this, it’s a great idea to pay attention to the “For You” page and stay informed about trending hashtags, songs, and challenges. The wonderful thing is that you don’t need to participate in every trend—just focus on the ones that resonate well with your brand and audience.

For example, if a particular narrative or song is trending, consider how you can incorporate it into your content in a way that aligns with your brand message. Putting your own spin on current trends is a great way to show your audience that you’re aware of what’s happening whilst maintaining a uniform brand voice and identity.

Mistake 3: Overly Promotional Content

Why This is a Mistake: TikTok’s audience is savvy; they quickly scroll past content that feels like a hard sell. Consequently, consider using ‘soft sell’ marketing ideas instead of overly promotional content, which focuses on initially building customer trust before highlighting products and services. If your videos are too focused on pushing products rather than entertaining, informing, or connecting with your audience, you risk disengagement. Worse, your content could even be flagged as an ad and deprioritized by the algorithm.

How to Avoid It: To connect with your audience, think about how you can entertain them or provide value, even while promoting your brand. You might enjoy exploring storytelling, sharing behind-the-scenes glimpses, or creating how-to videos that subtly showcase your product or service. This approach can really resonate with viewers!

For example, if you’re a skincare brand, instead of just posting a video about a product’s benefits, show how your product fits into a daily skincare routine. This provides value to the user while still showcasing your product in a natural way. Engaging content feels more authentic and less forced, which is exactly what TikTok’s user base expects.

Mistake 4: Failing to Engage with Your Audience

Why This is a Mistake: Unlike other platforms where content can feel one-sided, TikTok thrives on two-way communication. Engaging with your followers helps to foster loyalty and drive engagement, utilising the platform’s powerful interactive community. Failing to do this can make your brand seem unapproachable or disinterested in what your audience has to say.

How to Avoid It: To help prevent this, it’s important to prioritise audience engagement. Take the time to respond to comments on your videos, join in on challenges, and interact with user-generated content that features your brand. Additionally, TikTok’s duets and stitch features are wonderful tools for fostering connections with your followers.

You can also use Q&A-style videos to encourage users to ask questions, which gives you the opportunity to respond directly in a follow-up video. This not only increases engagement but also provides valuable feedback on what your audience cares about most.

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Mistake 5: Not Using Analytics to Guide Your Strategy

Why This is a Mistake: Analytics provide valuable insights about your audience and the performance of your content, which can help to optimise your digital strategy. You may think your videos are doing well based on views, but you could be missing deeper indicators like completion rates or follower growth. Neglecting these analytics can lead to ineffective content strategies and wasted time.

How to Avoid It: TikTok’s analytical tools offer a wonderful opportunity to gain insights into the performance of your videos. It’s a great idea to keep an eye on metrics such as watch time, follower growth, and the times of day when your videos shine the most. By paying attention to these insights, you can refine your content strategy and achieve even better results.

For example, if your videos have a high completion rate but low shares, it could mean that while people are watching the whole video, they don’t find it compelling enough to share. This kind of feedback allows you to tweak your content to improve engagement.

We recommend reviewing your analytics at least once a week to make informed adjustments regarding your posting schedule, video formats and choosing the best performing topics. Over time, this data-driven approach will help boost your visibility and engagement on the platform.

Conclusion

TikTok offers incredible potential for businesses to engage with audiences in new and creative ways, but only if you avoid the common pitfalls that can limit your success. By posting consistently, utilising current trends, creating value-driven content rather than just promotional, engaging with your audience and leveraging analytics, you’ll be well on your way to optimising your strategy.

Remember, success on TikTok doesn’t happen overnight, but by avoiding these common mistakes and following best practices, you’ll be able to grow your account, increase engagement, and ultimately see better returns on your investment.

Need more help developing your TikTok marketing strategy? Contact ProfileTree today to find out how social media marketing can elevate your business!

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