How to Use TikTok as a Writer
A beginner’s guide to increasing book sales and engagement on TikTok
It has already been more than two years since I started using TikTok to promote my books. I was hesitant to jump into a new platform at first (starting with 0 followers and being clueless is scary!), but since 2020, because of TikTok, I sold thousands more books in one year than I had in my previous three years of being an author.
Today, my audience is over 400k on TikTok alone!
If you’re skeptical about this popular video platform, and how it can help your writing career, keep reading. In this article, you’ll learn about book and author marketing on TikTok, TikTok’s user demographics, how to make a video on TikTok, and a handful of video ideas to get you started.
TikTok platform & demographics
As with any marketing platform, you should always spend some time determining if the platform has the right audience for your work.
TikTok recently announced they have now reached more than 1 billion active users! So, it’s likely that you can find some readers on this social platform.
Unsurprisingly, TikTok has a younger demographic, but more and more people over 30 are joining TikTok, too! About 60% of U.S. users are aged 16–24, and 26% are between the ages of 25–44.
How to use TikTok
Starting from scratch is scary, and honestly, TikTok isn’t the easiest platform in the world to use. But once you try it out and make a few videos, you’ll see it’s not so hard!
First, make sure your profile is set up with a profile picture and short bio. Your bio should speak to your target reader and what they’re looking for, not just list things about you.
Next, it’s time to record your first TikTok! Recording a video is easy — either record from the camera on your phone and upload it to TikTok — or record straight from the app. To do this, you’ll hit the “+” sign in the bottom middle of your screen. Hold down the middle button to record, or tap the bottom left button to upload a previously-recorded video. You can also select images if you want to make a slideshow of photos.
If you’re recording in TikTok, you can pause and continue easily, which is great if you want to move locations or take a break from recording. Once you’re done recording, hit the checkmark in the bottom right corner.
Then, you’ll be able to edit and adjust the timing of your clips, add filters, or record a voiceover.
Follow these easy steps to make your videos pop:
Add background music with their built-in music library. Bonus points if you use a trending sound!
Add a text box with a hook at the beginning of your video so people know what the video is going to be about, and to grab attention.
Add closed captioning if you’re talking in the video. This is easy with just the click of a button on TikTok!
Add a filter if you need to brighten up the video.
Once your video is ready to go, you’ll be able to add a short caption and a couple relevant hashtags.
When you’re about to publish, you can also pick the thumbnail image by clicking “Select Cover”. It’s small and can be hard to miss! Choose what thumbnail you want and add text if needed. This is what viewers will see when they go to your page and look at your video, so make sure it entices people to watch!
Don’t just post and run! Like any social media platform, you’ll get the best engagement when you engage, as well. Follow other accounts that you like (don’t just follow to unfollow), like & comment on other people’s posts, and build connections.
How often you should post on TikTok
There’s no magic number of times you should post on TikTok, and every marketer will tell you a different number. I’ve seen people who post 3+ times a day and do well, and people who post once a week and do well. I’ve also seen people who post 3+ times a day and get very low engagement and views.
Play around with what works for you and your schedule. I post once a day because I don’t want to make multiple videos a day. If making multiple videos a day works for you, do that. At minimum, when you’re just starting and trying to grow, try to post at least a few times a week.
Are you still not convinced?
It is a lot easier to reach people on TikTok than other social media platforms. You don’t need a single follower on TikTok for your videos to be seen by others. In fact, my very first video (when I had 2 followers) got over 400 views and 30 likes.
This differs from some other platforms where you’re unlikely to reach many people beyond your followers. (In some cases, *cough* Facebook *cough* it can be hard to reach your own followers, let alone a new audience!)
Video ideas for writers
If you clicked on this article, you probably were looking for some ideas on what to post on TikTok, right?
If you’re a writer, here are a handful of video ideas to get you started!
Introduce yourself and what you write.
Talk about your favorite books and show us your bookshelf (bookshelf tours are popular!)
Read a page from your book or latest piece you’ve written
Explain the inspiration behind your book or writing project
Share a slideshow of quotes from your book, or summarizing a scene from your book, leaving your audience on a cliffhanger so they’re eager to go read the rest.
Remember, TikTok users are looking for valuable content that impacts them — whether it makes them laugh, think, or learn something new.
With every video, aim to make an impact.
Looking to get started on TikTok?
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