Getting Started on TikTok (and Accounts to Follow!)

TikTok is not a fad. It’s not going away. And it’s emerging as the next social network where memes and internet culture originate – much like Snapchat and Tumblr were and still are.

Yes, there are a lot of teenagers on it. And they are increasingly preferring to spend their time on TikTok over Facebook, Insta and Snap…. which is why you should be curious and excited to jump in and check it out.

Okay, let’s do it!

It can be hard to get started on any new platform, so here are some tips to get you started…

1. Download the app (Apple/Android)
2. Register your username. If your go-to username is taken, try a variation.
3. Follow a handful of users. Here are some recommendations:
   • @arroncrascall loves to prank people
   • @rosssmith makes videos with his grandma
   • @brendanxa has a duck named Jerry
   • @nickelodeon uses stars and show content
   • @fentybeauty shows product demos
   • @redbull gives you wings
   • @bbcr1 is highlights from BBC Radio 1
   • @washingtonpost jumps on challenges from the newsroom
4. Save a handful of Hashtags. Here are some recommendations:
   • #mariokart
   • #unpocoloco
   • #techgonewrong
   • #summerhacks
   • #alakazam
   • #rememberwhen
5. Watch a bunch of TikTok videos! Toggle between “Following” and “For You” at the top.
6. Swipe up vertically to see new content. Favorite content you like to start teaching the algorithm what to show you. Swipe left horizontally to see a user’s entire feed of content. Click the “Follow” or “+”to follow accounts you like.
7. Spend at least 10 minutes watching content and teaching the algorithm what to keep showing you. Unlike other social networks, TikTok will start showing you fresh content immediately upon registering an account. It takes about 10 minutes for you to start getting a feel for the platform, starting to see some recurring memes, and get a sense how addictive and fun this platform can be.
8. Make content! Just as lurking on Twitter can be really valuable and still give you a sense of how Twitter works, lurking on TikTok is just fine. However, you’re missing out on a lot of the engagement potential and joy that comes from remixing content and fully joining the community. But you can work up to that!

TikTok may not be around forever, but right now the platform is emerging as highly influential and fun for young audiences. That’s enough of a reason to test it out and see what all the buzz is about!

Should My Brand be on TikTok?

From a brand reputation and equity perspective, your brand should register its username on TikTok immediately. Even if your company never uses TikTok for creating content or engaging with users, it’s smart to register your @handle on every major social network.

As for proactive content on the channel, that will depend on your brand, content pillars and experimentation resources. Just like any channel, organic content sharing is rarely valuable from an immediate ROI perspective. It can also be tough to sustain content and engagement on new channels when they don’t have measurable objectives or paid support. With that said, if your brand has aspirations of modernity and driving brand relevance through early adoption, TikTok is the next place to start to experiment and test-and-learn.

A Cheat

The Atlantic’s Taylor Lorenz has curated some of the best and most unique TikToks into an Instagram account called @gradeatiktoks that is a great way to ingest TikTok content into your daily Instagram habit. Follow it here.