TikTok is taking the world by storm. The short-form video app has over 1 billion monthly active users hooked on its endless scroll of entertaining short-form videos. But TikTok isn’t only about viral dances and comedy sketches. Behind the scenes, it’s becoming a powerful tool for lead generation.
In this article, we’ll share 8t tips for effective TikTok lead generation.
Benefits of Using TikTok Lead Generation
TikTok has traditionally appealed more to younger demographics, given the lighthearted content. However, recruiters, educators, B2B service providers, and all sorts of professionals have jumped onto the platform too. Why? For starters, it’s growing fast, and the demographics are diversifying.
TikTok’s algorithm favors engagement. So, if you create valuable and entertaining content, you can gain a large following and the all-important visibility. This allows you to reach niche audiences you may have never discovered otherwise.
Additionally, you’ll likely face far less competition than LinkedIn and Instagram. As everyone battles it out there, you could be building an audience on an up-and-coming platform.
When done right, the platform allows you to showcase your brand’s personality in a fun way while remaining professional. If you can master these aspects, you can get the most out of TikTok’s lead generation capabilities.
Tips for Effective TikTok Lead Generation
Now, let’s explore some actionable techniques to generate more TikTok leads.
Build a Trustworthy and Appealing Business Profile
Your TikTok profile is the anchor for all your efforts, so optimize it to attract your target customers. For B2B lead generation, that means optimizing it to portray professionalism and build trust.
Start with choosing a relevant handle or username that tells people exactly what they can expect to see. But don’t just stop there – your profile picture equally matters. A simple headshot may work well on LinkedIn. For TikTok, consider featuring a unique logo that pops and resonates with your brand image.
You only get 80 characters for the bio, so make them count. Show off that brand personality and what you’re all about – whether that be silly, serious, or informative. And most importantly, include a clickable link to your site. Direct visitors to targeted landing pages that speak to their interests and intent.
Finally, verify your account. The blue checkmark badge adds further legitimacy so people know you are an actual business and not a parody account or fan page. You can do this by submitting a form directly to TikTok.
Use Call to Actions
Calls to action (CTAs) urge people to take a specific action, like clicking a link or downloading something. CTAs are crucial because they help guide your TikTok viewers through the next step of their B2B customer buying journey once you have their interest.
Make sure these CTA stand out with unique language. To ensure you strike the right tone, it will be necessary to identify your B2B buyer persona. Then, point them back to your profile link or website, where visitors can complete the lead capture or purchase process.
Strategically placing CTAs is key for effective TikTok lead generation- such as at the end of an informative video or intriguing statistic. Time them when desire or curiosity is peaked so you’re more likely to get clicks and conversions.
Create Content That Drives TikTok’s Audience
Now, onto the meat of any successful TikTok strategy: the content itself! Here is what will capture people’s attention and draw them into your brand in the first place.
First and foremost, you need to intimately understand your audience. What do they want to see? What problems can you help solve? What stage of the sales funnel are they in?
For example, someone entering the awareness stage may benefit more from educational explainers. Someone further down and comparing options would prefer a hands-on demo. Adapt your content. Note that these pieces of content don’t always need to advertise your product blatantly.
For example, an accounting firm could create a series explaining key concepts business owners must know. An IT company could share cyber security tips to establish expertise. Pay attention to the latest trends in captions, sounds, or effects you could incorporate. When brands nail trends, they take their content to the next level.
Team Up With Influencers
As a new account with no following, it can feel impossible to gain any traction. However, you can shortcut growth by partnering with TikTok creators with large pre-built audiences.
TikTok has influencers of all types, but focus on ones that align with your niche, brand, and target personas. The categories range from mega influencers with over 1 million followers to micro and nano influencers with smaller but highly targeted audiences.
You can pay influencers or offer free products/services in exchange for them featuring your business in a post. Make sure to establish rules around content topics, messaging, and captions beforehand, so they align with your goals.
Reaching out can feel intimidating, but a simple yet personalized DM explaining why you’d be a great collaboration partner is often best. Some influencers also have email contact information in their bios for collaborations.
Focus Efforts on Interaction
This is an effective step for TikTik lead gen. The platform centers around participation more than any other platform. New features and trends pop up every day that let you interact with others’ content in creative ways.
One popular example is the duet feature. This allows you to film a video alongside someone else’s existing one. You can collaborate with fellow creators, brands, or even strangers. It leads to some pretty funny and clever combos.
Other ways to get involved include participating in hashtag challenges or campaigns. These center around a specific theme or task for which users submit videos. Take time to respond to caption questions posed to viewers. Provide your take on viral sounds or effects.
The key is to interact as much as possible. TikTok’s algorithm picks up on this activity and recommends your account, fueling organic growth.
Invest in TikTok Lead Generation Ads
While organic content should be the priority, you can accelerate results by running paid TikTok lead ads.
Options range from in-feed video ads to branded effects in user videos. When going the more traditional route, you can target users by interests, behaviors, and more. Getting started requires a TikTok Ads Manager account.
As always, effective CTAs are key. But remember to match the overall fun and creative vibe people expect on TikTok.
Create Branded TikTok Challenges
Earlier, we touched on participating in existing trends. But for maximum brand exposure, you can also create your own TikTok challenge. Come up with a unique hashtag and ask users to film themselves following a specific prompt or task. To incentivize it, offer prizes or guarantees you’ll repost the best submissions.
For example, Chipotle saw insane success with its #GuacDance challenge, which amassed millions of video views.
Some tips for creating challenges that convert:
- Use a catchy hashtag that’s easy to remember and search. Include your brand name if possible.
- Incentivize participation by offering prizes, guarantees to repost entries, or discounts for those who enter.
- Share examples first of what you’re looking for to spark inspiration.
- Set a timeframe for when the contest starts and ends to drive urgency.
- Leverage influencers by having them post challenge teaser videos or submissions.
If your challenge catches on, you’ll see branded exposure and UGC skyrocket.
Track Your Results
While it’s important to experiment, you also need to analyze what content resonates to refine your approach.
TikTok’s creator analytics dashboard offers great insights into views, likes, comments, follows, and more. For effective TikTik lead generation, continue A/B testing different videos, captions calls to action, and advertising to determine the right mix for your goals. Pay attention to when you see spikes so you can recreate that success.
Stay committed to posting, even if growth feels slow at first. And engage with others through likes, comments, and challenges. This activity signals to the algorithm that you’re a legitimate player in the space.
Final Thoughts
And there you have it – 8 strategies to tap into lead generation on TikTok. It may feel out of your comfort zone or industry norm. But the reality is younger generations now expect to engage with brands on the platforms they use. TikTok offers a new avenue to reach audiences you haven’t accessed before.
The key is staying true to your brand voice and goals while embracing TikTok’s creative atmosphere. If you can master that balance, you may just discover your next big client lead.
