Social Media 315 - Blog 1 - Growing your TikTok

When looking at using social media to grow anything, TikTok is one of those new social media that can assist in the rapid growth of an account. It is imperative to grow and get your content to the broadest audience possible in the sports media industry. Sports reporters all over should use it to their advantage. If a significant, controversial, funny, or highlight play occurs, you will always see it on TikTok. Since sports reporters focus on getting their name and content out there, they should all use TikTok because it allows you to do so quickly.

My third video ever posted on TikTok was in January 2022. It got 556.6K views and 21.6K likes. It allowed me to grow my following on the app and direct viewers to my other social accounts. So, in conclusion, TikTok is imperative to a sports reporter. It assists in growth on all platforms.

Five Tips to Effectively Use TikTok for Growth:

1. Use Hashtags (as much as you possibly can)- It is the #1 way TikTok helps its users discover new content or accounts. Using the suggested hashtags at the time and #FYP and #ForYouPage will also assist with drawing in new viewers. Hashtags also allow communities on social media to find each other, enhancing your chance of getting new viewers.

2. Use Clever and Keyword Captions- It helps TikTok’s algorithm figure out how to show your video to a specific audience. It tells the algorithm more context about what your video is trying to inform people. No person is sitting in an office and pushing your content to others. You must be short, sweet, and to the point with these. Using specific keywords in the captions are a must. It will allow you to push the content out in the right hands.

3. Use Trending sounds- Sounds or songs are always coming and going on TikTok. TikTok’s algorithm will show your video to someone who has watched or liked a video with that same sound, regardless of what that content is. The most popular sounds during a particular time are always listed, and using them allows you to get the most out of that post, regardless of the song fitting well with the content.

4. Have Content Rules- Keep videos short, a lot of people have short attention spans. Next, try top ost multiple times a day if possible. The more you put yourself out there, the more you enable yourself to grow. Also, focus on the quality (proper framing, lighting, and best quality sounds). TikTok prioritizes videos of better quality on the for you page. Having a good quality video will allow you to be on more For You pages. Find your audience and figure out what they desire. Do duets, it's a great way to piggyback off of someone else's large following and help your content get seen by their fans.

5. Promote Your TikTok on Other Socials- Save the video and upload it to other socials. Never link a video. People are more inclined to click on a video if it's a video and not a hyperlink.

How to get more views on TikTok: 14 essential strategies. Social Media Marketing & Management Dashboard. (2021, October 19). Retrieved May 2, 2022, from https://blog.hootsuite.com/how-to-get-more-views-on-tiktok/

Martha, K., How to get more views on TikTok: 10 growth hacks for marketers: Vimeo. Vimeo Blog. (2022, February 24). Retrieved May 2, 2022, from https://vimeo.com/blog/post/how-to-get-more-views-on-tiktok/

Phungglan, J., writer, J. P. T., & Kozlovskyi, A. (2021, December 10). How to get more views on TikTok. Backlight. Retrieved May 2, 2022, from https://backlightblog.com/how-to-get-more-views-on-tiktok