how to get seen on tiktok

howdy y’all! happy thursday. we’re back again and still on a high after watching the new Love is Blind episodes. wooooowza. if you’re watching, who do we think is actually going to make it?

anywho, i’m currently heading to a photoshoot for a client and am writing this in the back of an uber so today’s is going to be short, sweet, and full of #value.

also, if you’re going to be at expo west in a few weeks, let me know! would love to try and meet as many folks as i can 🙂 

now, onto today’s topic: how to get seen on tiktok

no, it doesn’t involve you producing a million pieces of content per day

this a problem or a question i receive quite often on consulting calls around how to increase views, optimize content, or just even create content that you know might resonate out of the gate.

we’ll break down:

• tiktok seo and what it is

• how to use the tiktok search function to improve your content, inspire new ideas, and/or optimize your videos

• do hashtags work on tiktok?

• do you actually have to post approximately 14 million times a day for tiktok to be a platform for you to be on?

this newsletter is sponsored by the absurd amount of caffeine I have pumping through my veins. thank you couplet coffee for making one of my fave espresso blends.

What is heck is SEO? What does it mean when it comes to Tiktok?

SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. Tiktok SEO is the process of optimizing your content to rank higher in what people search, which is similar to how brands optimize their website, blog, and more to appear earlier at the top of a Google search.

Although Tiktok isn’t a true search engine like Google, it can definitely help give a visual eye into questions you have across various niches. The search bar on the app holds a lot of power and represents that SEO can be a factor for how to get seen.

Fun Fact (according to this old Techcrunch article): 40% of younger folks like to apps like Tiktok and Instagram for search. I am going to say I am a younger person because I personally enjoy using it to search up new spots to eat, how certain clothes from a specific brand fits, reviews on products I am thinking about purchasing, and more.

Also, Google never really took social media into consideration when it came to ranking, but you’ll see now that TikTok videos will show up when searching on Google.

But, what determines how you show up…

How Does Tiktok Rank Content On The Platform?

If you want words straight from Tiktok about how they recommend content, you can read here.

TLDR is that some factors Tiktok takes into consideration when it comes to ranking your content on the #FYP and more are:

• User Interactions: This could be videos you like, videos you have saved, videos you have engaged with in any capacity. This explains why my whole feed is literally mini dachshund puppies.

• The actual information within and on the content. Hashtags (yes, they still are a thing, fight me), captions, the sounds on the video, relevant keywords/trending topics.

Also, whether you have 10,000 followers or 0, the beauty is that you just have to create great content and optimize it accordingly and have a chance at growth.

How Do You Start Optimizing Your Content or Gain Inspo For New Content?

The following is a system that I love just reminding audit clients or strategic clients about. When content feels tough or you hit a creative block, go to that search bar and you’ll be shocked at how many concepts and ideas there still are to cover.

1. You have to understand your community. What videos are performing best? Why? Did you optimize for keywords across the video AND the caption AND it was properly supported by the tags on your video? Here’s an example of a video where I took a weird concept, wrote a caption with easy keywords that could be grouped together to rank, plus a trending sound.

If you know that specific types of videos keep performing better than the rest whether down to the hook or just the broader subject (example: skincare basics), making content that is simple and easy for them to find and content they want to see creates a simple system.

2. Know your Keywords. What are people searching for within your niche when it comes to keywords or phrases? Think about what you would search if you were your own consumer and allllll the ways that you could go about it.

Example: Different phrases to search for could be “how to”, “the best”, etc.

Now here’s my favorite tip for generating new video ideas and how to appeal easily to a client’s demo.

Step 1: Open Tiktok.

Step 2: Open the search bar.

Step 3: Enter any keywords you wrote down that pertain to your brand.

For this example, let’s say that I am a skincare company and make products that should be in routines for men or women with dry skin.

Step 4: Look at what Tiktok helps auto-populate your search with based on what you inquired. Look through that content, get inspired to test videos you didn’t think about, or keywords/hooks that you haven’t tested yet.

Step 5: Want more ideas? I love typing in a keyword like “skincare” then just writing a next part of a phrase or a simple letter like “for” to then get even more inspiration for how I can keep doubling down or optimizing. You can even pull these to help with your hashtags for videos. Think: #skincarefordryskin #dryskinskincare . This also goes to the idea of using phrases to help expand your search.

3. Start adding the keywords in and on your content. Add them to your captions, hashtags, and on the actual video via on-screen text. Bonus points if you speak them outloud in your content like this.

When it comes to your hashtags, use your main keyword, variations, and keywords that you wrote in your caption to dictate them. I won’t like that typing that out sounds confusing so you can see simple examples here and here from previous work of mine.

4. Pay attention to your data. When you are doing your social reporting (wink wink) note when you started implementing this to see truly how your accounts and content are being impacted for ideally the better.

But, Do I Have To Post 15 Times A Day To Have A Successful Tiktok Account?

NO.

You don’t need to post multiple videos a day.

You don’t need to even post every day.

You need to post what makes the most sense for the brand, consistently and then scale based on what you know it working.

I rather post 4x a week of content I love and is of quality that I know will relate to my audience and know that I can confidently keep that pace for 6 months vs. burning out within 30 days trying to produce 1-2 videos per day.

Consistency will always win, but that’s just my opinion.

Anyway, try it all out, let me know what you think, and if you’re a brand on tiktok and have questions, shoot them over!

Now, onto…

BRAND OF THE WEEK: CREATE GUMMIES

I pick a brand I love and that I use or have seen online.

Tell you why I like it and that’s literally it.

This week’s is: CREATE Creatine Gummies.

I have been eating 3 every morning for the last 2-3 weeks. As someone who has lifted since I was in high school and takes training pretty seriously as a almost 29 year old (eek) as well, I never took creatine because I knew I would forget to take it.

Create made a new way where now it’s the first thing I reach for in the morning. I feel stronger in my classes, but my recovery has been noticeably better. I know there are a ton of factors there, but I do think that these are a staple in my new morning routine and I am excited to see how my body keeps feeling and responding.

I am a sucker for Blue Raspberry so that’s my personal fave.

THAT’S A WRAP

That’s it y’all. I am off to be on set for Graza’s next cooklet aka mini cookbook. Then off to dinner at Emilio’s Ballato and am dreaming of chicken parm right now. If you have never gone, you MUST.

As always, thank you to the almost 700 of you who join me every week. I appreciate you more than you know and your questions, feedback, and replies, never fail to make my day.

If you know someone who you think would enjoy this newsletter, it would mean the world so that we can keep spreading the word. You can simply send them this link 🙂 https://kendalldickieson.beehiiv.com/subscribe

Here if you ever need me.

Peace, love, and KPIs

-KD