How To Use TikTok For Business: The Ultimate Guide

Ever heard of DBL Jewelry? What about Brownie God?
   
 
 

With Love, Imoni?
 
 

Even if you HAVEN’T, these small businesses are blowing up on TikTok. Not to mention other big-name TikTok favorites like Chipotle, Guess, and the NFL.
 
Small brands and big brands alike find TikTok success every day and we want YOU to get results. That’s why we put together this ultimate guide to TikTok for business and here’s what’s inside:
 

1. Create a TikTok business account
2. THREE ways to develop your TikTok business account
3. Can any business run ads on TikTok?
4. Benefits of TikTok for business
    

Create a TikTok business account

TikTok business accounts unlock app features that aren’t available otherwise like:

• Performance metrics
• Audience insights
• Creative tools
• Ability to run paid ads

Already have a TikTok account but want to switch it to business?

1. Open TikTok on mobile
2. Click Profile in the lower right
3. Click the hamburger menu in the top right (also called Settings and privacy)
4. Tap Manage account
5. Tap Switch to Business Account
6. Tap Next and follow the prompts

If you DON’T already have a TikTok account, download the TikTok app and follow the instructions above.
 
 

THREE ways to develop your TikTok business account

There are three ways for businesses to grow TikTok accounts. Each one has unique strengths which is why we recommend using a combination of all three methods.
 

Organic

When you make your own content and post it to your own TikTok business account, that’s what we call “organic.”
 
Organic growth takes time for most brands so be patient with this one.
 
The MOST important thing for organic growth is understanding your audience … and the content they consume. This means dipping into things like:
 

Hashtags and hashtag challenges

Participate in TikTok challenges or create your own to get audiences engaged. And no matter what, ALWAYS make sure to use relevant and trending hashtags with every post.
 

Go live

TikTok lets creators and businesses stream live content on the app. It’s a great way to let fans interact with you in real-time.
 
Quick disclaimer though! You have to have at least 1k followers to go live on TikTok.
 

Share user-generated content (UGC)

Encourage audiences to connect with your brand in new and exciting ways. Think branded hashtag challenges, stitches, duets, and other fun TikTok features.
 

Make quality TikTok videos

Find out what your competitors post, explore related hashtags, and spend time on the app. This helps you develop a “language” that feels natural to your audience.
 
For example, product demos and how-to videos resonate well with most customers.
 

Influencer marketing

When you partner with creators to post about your brand, that’s influencer marketing.
 
Tons of brands like Zara, Unilever, and McDonald’s use influencer marketing to:

• Build connections with audiences
• Earn more brand awareness
• Increase sales
• And more
  

Learn more about how to find relevant TikTok influencers and how Humanz can help you with each and every campaign.
 
Humanz offers a robust influencer discovery feature that lets brands and marketers search for relevant creators. Easily filter by location, gender, age, content, and more.
 
Plus, Humanz shows you whether creators have suspicious followers. This protects against wasted marketing budgets and ensures real people receive your message.
 

Paid platform ads

TikTok has an Ads Manager that’s packed with tons of tools to create effective ads like:
 

In-Feed Ads

• Ideally last between 9 and 15 seconds
• Full-screen and skippable
• Display in the TikTok For You feed

Brand Takeover Ads

• Display right as users open the app AND on For You pages for about 5 seconds
• One of the most effective TikTok ad models (not skippable)
• Clickable links to landing pages or hashtag challenges

TopView Ads

• Last up to 60 seconds
• Display within seconds of opening the app
• Full-screen with auto-play and sound

Sponsored Hashtag Challenge

• Encourage user-generated content
• Mix of sponsored and organic models
• Tap branded hashtags to view an in-app landing page

Branded Effects

• Branded shareable stickers and filters
• Design a custom filter in-app
• Last for up to 10 days at a time
   

Can any business run ads on TikTok?

Yes! Any business can run ads on TikTok as long as they have a:

1. Business account
2. TikTok Ads Manager account

You can register for a TikTok Ads Manager account here using an email address, a phone number, or an existing TikTok account.
 
TikTok also has ad policies that restrict what brands can post like:

• Misleading, false, or exaggerated claims
• Videos, images, or audio with poor quality
• “Bait and switch” practices
• Links to broken or suspicious landing pages
• Suggestive, graphic, or provocative content

Remember to check all ad creative before uploading to TikTok for review. Even small things like typos or obscured logos can prevent your ad from running.

 

Benefits of TikTok for business

Still not sure if TikTok can give your brand a boost? Check out these benefits you can enjoy if you join the club:
 

Audience reach is high

According to our own data, the average number of impressions per influencer marketing campaign on TikTok was 1.7M 🤯
 
So if you want to reach A LOT of people at once, TikTok can help you get there.
 

Audience engagement is high

We pulled data from our own platform again for this one and were totally blown away. According to Humanz metrics, the average engagement rate per influencer marketing campaign on TikTok was 7% 🚀
 
We count engagement as likes, shares, comments — anything that a TikTok user does to interact with content. And the higher the engagement, the better.
 

TikTok ads appear more authentic

We LOVE Instagram, especially Reels — and when we bump them up side-by-side a TikTok ad …
 

   
  
Eerily similar, right?
 
Except you’ll notice that with a second glance, the TikTok ad (on the left) feels wayyyy less polished. And believe it or not, that’s on purpose.
 
The reason people love TikTok is that it feels casual and less curated than other platforms. In which case, TikTok ads have to match those ~vibes~
 

Creative opportunities

Businesses can make a KILLING on TikTok because it’s such a creative ecosystem. This is true even for brands that aren’t part of the more popular categories like beauty, fitness, and gaming.
 
Take Bergerson Tile and Stone in Astoria, Oregon for example.
 

 
Their TikTok account has over 113k followers and 3M likes. That’s because Bergerson Tile and Stone posts content that is:

• Creative
• Valuable
• Educational

Think how-to videos, pro tile tips, and Q&As. Bergerson Tile and Stone also participates in TikTok trends and challenges to engage with viewers.
 
So even if you don’t fall into a traditionally “popular” niche, that 100% does NOT mean that TikTok isn’t for your business. In fact, in most cases it means the opposite.

 

Final thoughts on TikTok for business

TikTok has the power to sell out inventory overnight. It’s a valuable asset for all brands, no matter the size. That’s why it’s important to understand how to use TikTok to your advantage. Check out this recap:

• Use a mix of organic, paid, and influencer marketing to grow your TikTok presence
• TikTok earns high reach and engagement
• Plus, TikTok ads appear more authentic to audiences
• Don’t be afraid to get creative with your content!
  

Bookmark the Humanz blog for more valuable info. It’s constantly updated with resources, guides, and tips.