TikTok has become a force in marketing. The platform's popularity in generating leads and driving sales has skyrocketed. Not only has it given exposure to several brands, but it has also increased their market reach and earning potential across different channels. There are no limitations on who can benefit from TikTok.

And many celebrities have come to terms with the impact it has to offer on personal branding, as most of them have adopted it to grow their fanbase. The commercial power of this single app is something that brands need to use to leverage their successes.

You may ask yourself, what's so special about TikTok? Maybe these statistics will put things into perspective for you and your brand.

These numbers highlight the importance of TikTok and the impact it could have on a brand's overall success. However, to access the benefits of this platform, you would need to have a substantial audience first. Luckily, we're here to show you how to grow your audience on TikTok.

If a comedian tells a joke about the hoverboard to an audience of baby boomers, only a selected few of them might catch on and laugh. This is because a higher percentage of that audience hasn't used a hoverboard and doesn't know how easily one can fall off it. In essence, the comedian might be booed off the stage for not identifying his audience and tailoring his jokes to resonate with that demographic.

In the same way, as a brand owner, knowing your TikTok audience creates opportunities where you can anticipate and provide for their needs, or else you're shooting blanks. Now, with over a billion TikTok users from multiple locations, niches, and demographics, identifying your audience will enable you to design a targeted TikTok marketing strategy that'll resonate with that audience.

So, to find your target audience on TikTok, you must first know who they are. Your audience is those who find your products or services appealing. Now, via TikTok's Analytics tool, business owners are equipped with great resources to identify and learn more about their target audience on the platform.

However, the clause for using this tool is that your account must be a TikTok Business Account. This account allows you to access audience insights, performance metrics, and creative tools that help you humanize your brand. Or, in TikTok's words, "...tools that empower businesses to think like marketers but act like creators."

TikTok Business allows brands to check what type of content their followers are interested in and engage with. With this information, brands can leverage content that would appeal to their followers.

TikTok's freshness is one of its amazing qualities. There's always something new and trending on the platform. It could be a dance, challenge, song, sound bite, or hashtag. Trends could be anything, and jumping on them as soon as they emerge could drastically increase your brand's reach on the platform.

However, it's crucial to discern the trends you jump on. The trends should appeal to your target audience. For instance, here's an example of the well-known brand, Gymshark, joining the building a gym car trend.

Another famous brand, House of CB, uses a TikTok trending sound clip for their video.

Joining TikTok trends will not only put your brand's content in proximity to your target audience but also place you in front of many potential customers. However, be sure to research the source of a trend and establish whether it fits with your brand image and goals before jumping in.

Everyone loves a good come-up/brand story. Hollywood has created thousands of blockbuster movies based on this plot, so why not do the same for your business? As a brand owner, surely you have a story of how you started your company and the journey so far. Use it to your advantage. TikTok users love this type of content, and it often goes viral because it breaks the corporate persona of businesses, giving them a more personal feel. Here's an example of TheCrispyFantasyCereal's founding story that went viral on TikTok.

Here’s another popular TikTok about the journey of a Millennial who hired only GenZ staff in his company, Fox & Robin.

Telling your company's birth story or creating content about its journey is a great way to grow your audience on TikTok. Brand storytelling humanizes your brand and builds a real connection with your audience.

You can also use this strategy to educate your followers and potential clients on your products and services, which is a bonus. People will not only get entertained by your story, but they'll also learn what your company is about as well. Talk about Win-Win.

Looking at any of the previous samples, you should be able to identify several hashtags strategically applied to them. In the social media game, great content is the star player, but hashtags are the assist. Hashtags help in grouping similar collections of content, making them easier to find by your target audience.

So, if you were to search for TikToks about food, the #FoodTok would cover it. You would immediately have access to the millions of videos uploaded with this hashtag which has already raked in over 27.6 billion views. Here are other examples of popular hashtags.

The #makeup hashtag has over 283.1 billion views. Here's an example of a viral TikTok by Plouise Makeup Academy that used a handful of hashtags, including #makeup, #cutcrease, #euphoriamakeup, #euphoria, etc. In addition to the popular #makeup hashtag used in this video, the brand leveraged the #euphoriamakeup trend, including a popular song from the series. Also, with the uniqueness of the content, it's not surprising that it went viral.

Remember, the hashtags your brand applies to its content should reflect your business' niche and demographic. You can use different, multiple hashtags even though they seem synonymous because doing so will position your videos in different content collections.

Thus, increasing its visibility and engagement potential in various content collections. For instance, in the sample above, the brand used #creativemakeup and #makeup hashtags, which may seem synonymous. However, this places the video in separate content collections. One that has 283.1 billion views and another with 2.4 billion views.

Bonus Tip: If you are just starting on TikTok, try mixing low-traffic hashtags with popular ones for the best results. Using only very popular hashtags can get your content buried under millions of better-performing videos.

Uploading content is one thing, but if you want to grow your TikTok audience, engaging with them is non-negotiable. You cannot get the best out of TikTok without socializing or engaging with other types of content.

So, get on the app and start engaging. Reply comments with videos, like videos that mention your brand, duet user-generated content, repost them, and find ways to educate your audience in a fun and engaging way. Here's an example of Rare Beauty replying to a TikTok comment with a video.

Here’s a duet video the brand’s founder made in response to user-generated content by a makeup influencer.

By engaging with your audience and potential clients, you make them feel seen and heard while your audience grows through the increased visibility your brand earns from their content.

'Consistency is key.' We've heard this mantra applied to various goals, and it's as simple as it sounds. To grow your audience on TikTok, you will need to be consistent. This means regular content uploads and engagement. Statistically, posting three to five videos per week on TikTok has proven successful for steady growth.

Give your audience something to look forward to or feed their eyes on as soon as they log on, and according to statistics, they'll be more likely to make purchases from your brand and then create videos about it. Thus, creating a growth ripple effect. Some TikTok brands often upload a succession of videos as a series. For example, this fashion designer showcases her design process in parts.

TikTok is a community of creators. As a brand owner creating content on the platform, collaborating with other creators will position your company in front of a wider audience. Successful companies like Kylie Cosmetics, Fenty Beauty, or Savage X Fenty do not joke with social media collaborations. This is where you hear tags like 'brand ambassadors' or 'sponsored posts.' Here's an example of a Fenty Beauty collab with a beauty influencer.

There's no limit to the creators you can collaborate with. However, it's crucial to source for influencers and collaborators within your niche. For instance, if you're a fashion brand, you'll need to source for fashion influencers or individuals open to creating content in the fashion niche. This is because the collaborators in your community have access to the audience you need. For instance, here is Pretty Little Thing's collaboration with influencer Nella Rose which already has 8.5 million views with its hashtag.

Influencer marketing and collaborations might not be an option for small businesses. However, you can still explore the popular micro-influencers in your niche to identify the type of content that drives the most engagement. You can apply this knowledge to your future marketing strategy and brand content.

Through cross-promotions, you can grow your TikTok audience outside TikTok. With the inclusive features of diverse social media platforms, it's easy to pull users from other platforms to your TikTok account, thus increasing your audience. For instance, assuming you create a TikTok and upload it to the platform, you can upload the same TikTok as a YouTube Shorts, Instagram story, Instagram Reel, Facebook story, etc.

TikTok doesn't exist in a vacuum, nor is it mutually exclusive from other social media platforms. This is why as a brand owner, having a robust digital marketing strategy that is inclusive of other social media platforms will generate endless leads for your brand.

Here is popular TikToker Maddie White, cross-promoting the same TikTok on YouTube Shorts.

TikTok puts marketing in your hands. You just have to be authentic and your desired audience will appreciate you for it. Growing your audience on TikTok takes time but it is possible. With the right tips and tricks, your brand can gain online traction organically and seamlessly.