10 Things You Don’t Need to Do to Grow on TikTok
Have you been trying to grow on TikTok but haven’t seen the results you want? Well, you might be doing things all wrong. It’s okay though, many people come to TikTok with outdated strategies or misconceptions about what it takes to succeed.
Today we’re talking about, 10 things you can stop doing right now to start seeing real growth on TikTok.
1. Stop Focusing Only on Short Content
Remember when TikTok was all about those 15-second clips? Yeah, those days are gone! Now, TikTok lets you upload videos up to 10 minutes long. And guess what? People are loving longer content these days! It’s not just about short, snappy clips anymore. So, don’t be afraid to post longer videos that bring value.TikTok is rewarding creators who keep people engaged.
2. Don’t Rely 100% on Trends
While trends can be fun and boost visibility, they won’t sell your products or services. If you’re a coach, consultant, or business owner, you need to show up and sell your expertise, not just follow trends. Use trends occasionally, but focus on providing value and promoting your offers consistently. Remember, You’ve got to sell what, your products are. While it is perfectly okay to utilize trends, especially as a coach, you could use trends 20 percent of the time, but you’ve got to show up 80 percent of the time.
3. Stop Using a Business Account (If You’re Not Using TikTok Shop)
If you’re not planning to use TikTok Shop, switch to a personal or creator account. Business accounts don’t perform as well organically, and you’ll miss out on trending audio and copyrighted music that can make your content more engaging. If growth is your goal, personal and creator accounts are the way to go.
4. Ditch Slideshow Images
Uploading a bunch of images with music won’t cut it on TikTok. Now, I am not referring to carousels.TikTok has where you can upload images as carousels, and you can tell stories on your images as carousels. If you’re using image slideshows, it’s time to stop. TikTok is all about video content. People want to see real, dynamic content, not static images set to music. Focus on creating engaging video stories instead.
5. Don’t Overdo Hashtags
Hashtags aren’t as important as they used to be. These days, people search TikTok using keywords, just like Google. Instead of focusing solely on hashtags, focus on using relevant SEO keywords in your captions. Think about what people would search for, like “best Indian food in Houston,” and make sure those keywords appear in your content. Remember, to get the most eyeballs on your content for your target audience, in your particular city, then you need to use phrases, that way they can find your content, your product, or your service.
6. Stop Saying ‘Link in Bio’
Constantly telling your audience to click the “link in bio” will get your content suppressed. Platforms don’t like it when you direct traffic off-site, so be creative. Ask people to comment a keyword, send you a DM, or swipe to your profile instead. This keeps your engagement up without the algorithm punishing you.
7. Don’t Forget to Use Captions
With 80% of users watching videos on mute, captions are a must! If your videos start playing silently, captions can capture attention and encourage viewers to turn on the sound. Always add captions to ensure your message gets across, even when people aren’t listening.
8. Don’t Post Sporadically
Consistency is key. Whether you post once a day or once a week, stick to a schedule. If you disappear for weeks or months, people will lose interest, and TikTok’s algorithm won’t push your content as much. Like with a favorite restaurant, people expect you to show up regularly and stick to your opening or closing times. If as a customer you go there and it’s not open for days, You stop going because you don’t want to have that experience again.
9. Don’t Be Overly Promotional
No one likes constant hard sales. Instead of being overly promotional, take a softer approach. Show your products naturally within your daily activities. For example, if you’re selling jewelry, you can casually showcase a necklace while getting dressed. Let the product be part of your story, not the whole story.
10. Stop Spamming the Comments
Spamming other people’s comment sections is a big no-no. If you’re adding value, that’s fine, but copy-pasting the same message over and over will only annoy people and get you blocked. Build relationships with authentic engagement instead of spamming.
Now, If you’re serious about growing on TikTok, it’s time to forget these outdated practices. Focus on creating valuable, engaging content, consistently, and avoiding common mistakes that hold many creators back. And if you want to learn more about TikTok, I’m offering a free TikTok and Instagram Reels challenge where I’ll coach you daily for three days. Just click here to sign up absolutely for free!