5 TikTok Features to Help Your Business Thrive

With approximately 1 billion active monthly users worldwide, TikTok is one of the most influential apps in the marketing world right now. In just a few short years the app has become a globally diverse ecosystem of culture and people looking to digest all types of entertaining content. While some people may look at TikTok and only see Gen Z dancing to choreographed routines or light comedy skits, many businesses are taking advantage of its wide range of audience to grow and promote their own company. 

As I'm sure any good business owner would tell you, success in any format doesn't come easily. It takes hard work and knowledge to figure out how to connect with customers and create something that they authentically want (and keep coming back for).

Here are 5 TikTok features to help your business thrive:

Filter your comments!

This TikTok feature can be accessed through the Settings and Privacy tab. Go to Privacy and click on Comments to add any beneficial filters. The menu brings up an option to enter keywords and phrases that you wish to be automatically blocked from your content. 

While feedback is important, we all know that the internet is full of trolls so this feature can be helpful for avoiding triggers or dangerous language. Another cool thing is that this feature has multiple language options besides English. A similar feature can filter commenters themselves. To go one step farther, the menu even has a Who Can Comment On My Videos tab that has the option to restrict comments on your content to friends or family.

You can Dislike videos!

A lot of people agree that the TikTok formula does an awesome job at figuring out what kinds of videos you enjoy and customizing your For You page, but did you know that you can take matters into your own hands?

To start, you can dislike any videos that appear on the app's For You page by holding your finger down on the video and selecting the option titled Not interested on the menu. Disliking a video tells the app that you don't want to see similar videos and can help customize your feed better to the content that you want to see. 

Another tool for further control is Restricted Mode, which helps to prevent your feed from recommending videos that might be risque or inappropriate. In order to activate this mode just tap your Profile at the bottom right and click on the three-line menu at the top right. This should bring up a menu where you can then click the Settings and privacy. From there go to Content preferences, tap Restricted Mode, and Turn on Restricted Mode. (Note that you will need to enter your passcode in order to enable this feature.)

Go Live!

TikTok LIVE is a feature that allows you to stream live broadcasts to your followers and others on the app who may be interested in your content. Live streaming tends to improve engagement rates and gives you the opportunity to engage with your followers on the platform in real-time. You can answer questions, read out your viewers' comments, and even play games together. This feature can help you to create a much stronger connection with your audience all while building a community.

Here are some features that can help to boost engagement during your next live stream:

You need Stitches!

Instead of there being a split-screen like the duet feature, Stitches play a few seconds of another creator's video (usually as a reference point) and allow you to connect your own video to it. Stitching is commonly used to respond to a video or add a follow-up to a thought or idea. 

For example, you might post a video on how to grow an audience on social media, and you find that another creator has a great video on talking about the same subject. With Stitches, you can take a short clip of that creator's video, add it to your own post and say This creator has made good points, and here are some things I want to add. Tell me your thoughts in the comments.

TikTok Stories

Similar to Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat, TikTok has jumped on the trend of allowing users to create ˜Stories.' TikTok Stories are great for sharing quick thoughts that you don't want to make a regular video for, or content you only want to last for a short period of time. 

A blue ring will also appear around your profile picture, indicating to your audience that they can tap to view your Stories. TikTok stories allow you to see who has viewed your stories and who has reacted and commented. 

To create a Story, click on the Post button at the bottom of the navigation bar and swipe to the Story option. From there you can either record a video on the spot or upload one from your camera roll. Similar to regular TikTok videos, you can edit your stories, then tap the Post to story to upload.

There is no doubt that TikTok is the app to be on. Whether you're building a brand or making a community, taking advantage of all the amazing features is going to help you get to where you strive to be. Check out these examples from five brands that are killing it on TikTok.

Looking for a way to help your business's TikTok thrive? Connect with us by sending a message below!