How to promote your organizing business on TikTok
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Whether you like it or not, online video is becoming more and more popular, especially short-form videos like the ones shared on TikTok. You owe it to yourself to at least find out what the fuss is all about and whether TikTok might be a good marketing channel for your organizing business, so if you’ve been keeping your head in the sand like I have, you’ll learn a lot from Margo Ovsiienko’s latest post.
Have you always crossed off TikTok from the list of your marketing channels just because its core audience is a bit too young to use your services?
Here is the truth — a big chunk of TikTok users are way over 30 and can be looking for the professional services of organizers in their area.
But then you’d say — TikTok is all about funny videos and pranks. Will TikTok help my business? — is the question many brands are asking themselves.
Let’s debunk this myth as well — TikTok is not only about funny videos, but a channel to connect with your audience on a personal level.
So where should you start to test this social media channel out? We’ve got you covered with a few tips and examples.
1. Create educational videos
We have already mentioned that TikTok is not necessarily based on funny videos created by teenagers. This social media channel can also educate and get people interested in any subject, even the most boring ones.
Just take a look at how complex topics on physics can be explained in an engaging and approachable way with videos under 30 seconds. Physics dude is using a whiteboard to help explain complex topics that helps him deliver content in an interactive way.
When thinking about recording your video, you have to inspire people for change — organizing their possessions, tidying up their office, organizing documents — as well as showing some ways to do it.
For example, you can share some simple tips on organizing an attic or keeping work folders in order. Such videos are aimed at inspiring your audience and getting their interest. Once they realize that they don’t want to do everything on their own, they will seek help with you by dropping a message.
2. Record behind the scenes videos
Another way to get your potential clients’ attention is showing some interesting moments from your work — the reality of an organizer’s life.
Behind-the-scenes videos present an interesting format that can help you connect with your audience on a personal level. They can help your potential client get to know your style of work better and understand what they can expect from cooperation once they decide to connect with you.
So how does recording and editing such videos work? For starters — check out some popular behind-the-scenes videos on TikTok to get an idea of how editing tricks can be used.
For example, in this video below, the TikTok creator is sharing TikTok video creation tips and showing how they have managed to record a video using a mobile device. They walk their audience through the process and illustrate it with some footage they have recorded.
To record a behind-the-scenes video for an organizer business, think of what elements of your work you would like to show to people and remember to include a CTA in the end to drive people to your website.
3. Show your audience the results
Nothing sells better than the project’s outcome. That’s why before and after images and social media posts can drive leads for various businesses. While it’s not always easy for some businesses to demonstrate measurable results or some visual outcome, it shouldn’t be a problem for an organizer.
For example, to create a successful video showing the transformation of a cluttered room into a tidy and organized one, it’s enough to record some short footage before you start work and make a few captions after you are done with the project.
Remember to make these videos engaging — add some music, transitions, and special effects. You can also use voiceover to explain how the project evolved and what you have managed to achieve in the end.
You can also record your customer’s reaction after they walk in the room and check your work or let them share their impressions in front of the camera.
In the end of the video, you should add a clear CTA that would lead your users to register for a free consultation or any other lead magnet used to generate leads.
4. Make your videos engaging
Recording the right footage is one step to creating a successful TikTok video. Now — it’s time to make it a bit more engaging and that’s where TikTok’s editing options can help you out.
You can start editing by adding basic transitions. Some creators use jump cuts to simply connect two videos without any effects in between. Others have become more creative and are using finger snaps or jumps to make transitions more engaging.
If you are new to TikTok, it’s better to start with simple transitions and use more creative ones over time.
5. Optimize your videos
Once you are ready to post your video, it’s worth adding a description, relevant hashtags, and tag friends. These actions will ensure your video can be easily discovered by people who are looking for content through keywords or hashtags.
You will also give your video some boost by letting TikTok algorithms “understand” what your video contains.
The next step to making your videos more popular is responding to the comments of people who engage under your posts. You should also be active with the content of other creators to build relationships, so they reciprocate with some activity on your profile.
6. Advertise on Tiktok
You can run ads on TikTok similar to Facebook and Instagram. Predominantly apparel brands are using TikTok to reach their audiences through ads, but your organizer business can also benefit from it.
Targeting and audience set-up options on TikTok advertisement platform work the same way they are on Facebook and Instagram. If you have launched some ads before, the process of creating the first Tiktok ad is straightforward.
When considering TikTok advertisements, keep in mind the minimum campaign budget — $500 required to get started.
Once you make a decision to launch your first campaign, you have a wide range of formats and placements that will help you achieve the key goals for your organizer business such as raising awareness, website traffic, and lead generation.
Here are the format that you can choose from:
- TopView Ads — an in-feed post that appears after 3 seconds of user activity.
- InFeed Ads — a post that appears among users’ videos.
- Brand Takeover Ads — this post appears when you open an app; you can add a clickable link driving users to your page.
- Branded Effects — you can create your custom branded filters that other creators can use.
- Hashtag challenge — helps promote your online challenge; its cost is $150,000 a day.
Making your organizer brand stand out on TikTok
TikTok is a relatively new social media channel that can be used by any businesses as it attracts audiences of different age groups, not only Z Generation. To promote your brand on TikTok, you can choose among various strategies and tactics.
Before you start with your organic or paid TikTok initiatives, ask yourself a question — What do I want people to do after they watch my video?
To see the results from your campaigns, you have to focus on bridging educational content with the right actions — signing up for free consultations or downloading some free materials on your website. Put your goals first and design TikTok videos around them!
Photo by Aaron Weiss on Unsplash
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Well, I don’t think I’m ready for TikTok, although I can certainly admit that it could be a super promotional platform. Terrific tips for those who are comfortable on TikTok and want to make the most of it!
I know of a few organizers who are using it quite successfully, but other than to help a client embed videos on her website, I’ve never even visited the site.
I started watching TikTok about 8 weeks ago, and it can be quite the entertaining time-sink, though that dopamine hit of new videos every ten or 20 seconds has to be terrible for our brains. I have some favorite channels/pages, and on very rare occasions, I’ll leave a comment, but I can’t see myself making (organizing) content.
I think this is a superb post, Margo, and I appreciate how you broke down your advice for approaching the embrace of TT, but other than Leslie Hatch Gail’s TT (which feels very much like watching Real Simple as TV), organizing videos on TikTok make me snooze, and the rare people doing productivity videos are either doing pure comedy or are, frankly, dry as toast. (Well, aside from Tiff’s restock-o’clock videos.) Also, given that most POs are hyper-local, it doesn’t seem like there’s a way to organically reach your target audience. (Do most TikTok users actually use search rather than letting the algorithm flow over them? I know I’ve never been served a video from anyone in my city/region.)
I’ve seen the organizers who do TikToks, and they are very cute in a “house proud mommy” way as though they were interstitials on HGTV, but my practice focuses on cognitive/emotional aspects of organizing and productivity; I’ve never taken a before-and-after video, because I’ve yet to figure out how to photograph or video a client’s brain! I guess I’m better suited for long-form blogging or podcasting than video. 😉 And if I had $150,000/day to spend, I wouldn’t have to work as an organizer in the first place! I think I’ll leave this adventure to the purely residential organizers.
It sounds like you’ve spent a fair bit of time on TikTok, Julie! I appreciate you sharing your thoughts, as always.
I’ve been a professional organizer since 2010.
I began on TikTok at the beginning of the pandemic, along with many other people.
I was taken aback by the character of the content, which struck me as assertive, confident and often intentionally challenging the viewer.
Indeed, there is an enormous volume and variety of educational, intelligent and valuable content there.
I began building my own TT platform 2 years ago, focusing on creating a safe space for people affected by chronic disorganization.
I’ve been grateful to join the expansive community of voices advocating for a personalized and down-to-earth approach to decluttering and organizing.
I’ve experimented a lot with how I create and post my videos, and I’ve developed a following of over 100K.
For over 18 months, TT led most of my new virtual organizing clients to me: It was a good marketing tool for a time.
This remains, like all social media, a platform where we are at the mercy of the algorithm.
I am glad I went through TikTok boot camp.
I now have about 400 videos which I am using as building blocks for my new online courses.
On a private, paid platform.
No algorithm.
Thanks so much for your comment, Alison! When we last spoke, I was very impressed with what you’d achieved using TikTok which was (and still is) foreign territory to me. I’m equally impressed that you’re going to repurpose the content you created into paid courses. I have no doubt you’ll continue to be successful.
Wow, Alison, I hadn’t seen your TikTok page. (I’ve just been on TT since this summer, and I mostly follow pages with funny babies.) I just followed you and am really impressed at your huge following and excellent videos. You’re definitely making me rethink my initial dubiousness.
This is a fascinating article and also love the comments. I know TicToc is a real thing and massive platform to grow quickly, but I’ve stayed away. It felt like one more thing to do, which I didn’t feel like I had the time or energy for. I’m so impressed with the success Alison has had and how she’s taken the body of work she developed on TicToc to develop it into an online learning platform. It’s exciting!
However, I also know that it’s important to be open to other ideas and avenues. I hear what Julie is saying about how the types of organizers that are best suited to benefitting from TicToc could be in-person residential organizers. But I definitely agree with Alison, the especially if you are offering virtual organizing (like I do, ) that location of the organizer and client is not a factor. Lots to consider.
Another challenge I always consider is whether a platform will stick around long enough to make it worthwhile. I recently deleted a guest post about Periscope that someone wrote a few years ago, as the site was taken down last year. I used to have accounts on Delicious, Google+, StumbleUpon, MSN Messenger, Yahoo Messenger, and many other sites that no longer exist.
I’m not saying TikTok doesn’t have what it takes to succeed, just food for thought.
Great tips for TikTok. I have been sharing videos, and the audience differs from my other platforms. Some do well on other platforms but not on TikTok. Though I did find that some of my videos posted last year still get views and likes way after I posted them.
That’s always good! It seems that so many of our social media posts don’t get seen after the first few days, even though they stay online forever unless we delete them.
I love TikTok! Well, mostly for personal entertainment and learning. I haven’t posted a thing. (And I’m only there, currently, as @MenendezJuror.) If I weren’t mostly-retired I don’t know if I’d be trying to promote my business there or not. I love all the points being made in this discussion. (Thanks, Margo and Janet, for the opportunity!) Organizing-wise I am most familiar with Leslie Hatch Gail’s (@declareorder) and Alison Lush’s accounts. I love how Alison’s (@alisonlush_enough) dovetails with KC Davis’ psychological “struggle care” platform (@domesticblisters).
But I mostly chimed in to say that TikTok is like the world. There is a corner of it for everyone under the sun. You can directly search for topics, but also if you just click the heart on things you actually like it is the most “trainable” social media platform I’ve seen. Things you think are silly are easily swiped away (or you can press, not tap, anywhere on the video for a pop-up menu and click “Not interested”) and pretty soon you’ll see mostly things you actually like!
That’s so interesting! I find it really frustrating when other platforms insist on showing me certain types of posts, even after I’ve indicated I don’t want to see them anymore.
I think, like all these platforms, TikTok is evolving and changing with the people that use it. I am on there to help a few clients with their social media and it is overwhelming, but there does seem to be a niche for everyone. It’s another tool in the toolbox for sure! Thank you for this!