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With the rise of TikTok as a powerful marketing platform, many companies are jumping on the bandwagon to leverage its viral potential. However, creating a TikTok account and posting content occasionally isn’t enough. To truly harness the power of this platform and see results, businesses need a solid content strategy that resonates with their audience and converts views into loyal customers.
I’m so excited to have my friend, Austin Armstrong, for this episode of Lights, Camera, Live. He is the CEO of SocialtyPro and Syllaby. They used TikTok to triple their company's growth. Named one of the Top 15 Social Media Influencers to Watch Out for, Austin knows his stuff about TikTok, and he's happy to spread the love.
Watch the full live stream to learn more about TikTok tools and other social media platforms to watch out for.
Read on to get the main highlights, so you can learn to grow your TikTok’s engagement organically without spending a single cent.
Is it too late to join TikTok?
Austin said that it’s never too late to get started. When he started, no one was on TikTok, but Gary V was the one who convinced him to get started.
At first, he was on TikTok to talk about SEO. He had a lot of traction around this. So, businesses started to reach out and ask him for help. They wanted to get leads for their business using TikTok.
Over the last couple of years, he built a team around helping businesses leverage the power of TikTok. Everything they do is entirely organic. They’ve never spent a dollar on advertising! It’s all about creating really good content consistently.
How do you post consistently on TikTok?
According to Austin, the secret to posting consistently is to double down on what works. For him, sharing useful website videos on TikTok has worked extremely well, and that’s 70 to 80% of his content. People love this format!
Here’s his process:
He uses a website where that aggregates many new tools by category.
He picks the tools he wants to feature based on what his audience likes.
Then, he does a little bit of a demo of the tool.
Another popular type of content is motivational business and marketing quotes that are almost polarizing. He usually uses his life as an inspiration when he’s at a conference or walking down the street with his dog.
What psychological triggers do you do to attract internet trolls and increase engagement?
Austin explained that he discovered the power of leaning into negative engagement to boost overall engagement in his content. He intentionally mispronounces words, misspells, or hides strange phrases or URLs in his content, knowing it will make trolls go wild in the comments.
This has two effects:
It prompts people who want to assert their egos to comment and correct him.
It creates an inside joke for his true fans, who are familiar with this running gag.
Incorporating insider language into the content strengthens the bond with his core audience, as they feel part of an exclusive group. Austin emphasized that this has been an incredible engagement strategy for him.
But remember to use this strategy wisely. Make sure it fits your personal brand and feels natural to you and your community.
How do you help your clients get over the fear of judgment?
Austin believes that overcoming the fear of judgment requires a mindset shift. He pointed out that most people who judge you are not individuals you want to work with. Many of them were faceless trolls dealing with their insecurities, and they chose to deflect their negative energy onto others.
He added that by creating content, you are doing something many people don’t dare to do.
He advised that if you have specific insecurities, like a physical appearance or speech issue, you could set up comment filters on various platforms (TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook) to automatically hide comments containing certain words. This could help keep your focus on your message and the value you provided.
Lastly, Austin emphasized that it is essential to maintain a healthy mindset and remember that you’ll be okay despite people's judgments. Your message and information have the power to help others, and you should not let internet trolls hinder your progress.
How much time do you spend engaging with other people’s content?
Austin shared that he does engage with other people's content, particularly those created by friends, fellow content creators, entrepreneurs, and business owners. He spends time scrolling and interacting with their content to show support.
However, this engagement isn’t a strategic move to drive more people to his profile; instead, it is simply because he appreciated their content and wanted to show support. His behavior when engaging with others' content is mostly like that of a normal consumer.
Main Takeaways for Growing Your TikTok
Even if TikTok is mainstream now, it’s not too late to start, especially if your ideal clients are there.
Here are the 5 main takeaways from Austin’s advice on TikTok:
It’s not too late to join TikTok. Start today.
Experiment with the content that works for you.
Double down on what works.
If it matches your brand, create inside jokes and easter eggs.
Engage with other people’s content.
If you want to learn more about Austin, you can follow him on TikTok @socialtypro.
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