How One Viral TikTok Generated Over $25,000 in Sales for My Business in a Month

How to Use TikTok for Business: A Beginners Guide

How to Make Money on TikTok in 2024

/viral-tiktok,/tiktok-for-business,/how-to-make-money-on-tiktok

TikTok Shop is an e-commerce feature that allows businesses and creators to create a storefront on TikTok, where they can sell products in TikTok videos and on their profile's product showcase tab (displayed with a shopping bag icon). 

It’s a great way for businesses to use TikTok to grow their sales and expand their reach to potential buyers, and for followers to discover and buy new products.

Currently, TikTok Shop is only available in certain markets: the United States, the United Kingdom, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. However, TikTok plans to expand to more markets in the future.

Within the TikTok app, TikTok Shop can be found while users browse through their For You feed or directly on a profile page of a TikTok account, displayed as a shopping bag.

Boost your online presence with TikTok video scheduling

With Buffer’s free TikTok scheduler, you can plan, create, and schedule your TikTok videos in advance to get more exposure and engagement on TikTok.

Get started with our free plan or try out our advanced features with our 14-day free trial!

TikTok Shop is an e-commerce feature that allows businesses and creators to create a storefront on TikTok and sell their products.

TikTok Shop is an e-commerce feature within the TikTok app. Learn about social media terms on Buffer's Social Media Glossary.

/google-business-profile-ultimate-guide,/optimize-google-business-profile,/google-business-profile-posts

Google Business Profile (GBP for short) is a free tool that allows you to create a listing for your business on Google Search and Google Maps and better manage and optimize your online presence. It typically includes essential company information, such as business location, contact details, website, opening hours, and more. 

Below are some examples of Google Business Profiles of popular businesses based in London.

GMB stands for Google My Business, which is what Google Business Profile used to be called, and it's an online tool used by business owners to create an online profile for their business and manage their online presence.

Creating a Google Business Profile is an essential part of how you can boost your business’ online presence. Here are a few reasons why you should create a Google Business Profile for your business:

It’s the easiest way to maintain and manage your online presence 

It’s the easiest way to keep people updated, either by keeping your information always up to date or posting updates to your profile (pro tip: you can use Buffer to manage, schedule, and publish posts to your Google Business Profile)

It can increase your visibility in local search results and help people find your business via Google Maps and Google Search results

It adds credibility to your business and creates trust with potential customers since you can add reviews, location, and a website to your profile

It provides a way for people to interact with your business through reviews, questions, and answers.

It provides valuable insights into how people find and interact with your business online.

Yes, creating and managing a Google Business Profile is completely free. It’s one of the main benefits of this tool, making it accessible for all types of users.

What should I put on my Google Business Profile?

You should put your business’ most essential information on your Google Business Profile, such as: 

Google makes creating a Google Business Profile really easy. Here’s how: 

Sign in to your Google Account. If you don’t have one, sign up for free.

Enter your business name, service area address, phone number, and website URL.

Verify that you are the rightful owner of the business.

Head to Google Business Profile’s help center for more step-by-step details on how to set up an account.

Grow Traffic with Google Business Profile Post Scheduling

Consistent posting on Google Business Profiles can grow traffic and boost conversions—putting you ahead of 79% of most brands. Use Buffer’s free scheduler to manage, schedule, and publish all your posts to your Google Business Profile (and all the other social media channels, too!)

Google Business Profile is a free tool used to help manage and optimize the online presence for your business. 

Google Business Profile is a free tool to manage a business' online presence. Learn about other social media terms on Buffer's Social Media Glossary.

/linkedin-marketing,/linkedin-carousels,/linkedin-for-business

A LinkedIn Showcase Page is a sub-page to your main LinkedIn Page, created by businesses to showcase their varying departments, campaigns, audiences, or sub-brands. It’s a great way for businesses to spotlight their individual brands, products, or even to market to a specific audience. You can find your Showcase Pages listed under ‘Affiliated Pages’ on your main LinkedIn Page.

As an example, Atlassian is a Saas company that has multiple products, such as Confluence, Trello, Jira, and many more. On LinkedIn, you’ll see that they’ve created a Showcase Page for each of those products.

Another example is by Spotify, where they have created a Showcase Page to market to different audiences, such as musicians, advertisers, and aspiring female artists.

Why should I create a LinkedIn Showcase Page?

If you are selling multiple products, have a few different sub-brands, or are trying to appeal to multiple markets or audiences, then creating a LinkedIn Showcase Page would be the best solution to simplify your messaging and be more specific with your content.

Some businesses also use LinkedIn Showcase Pages as a customized page to showcase a marketing campaign or event, as a help center, or as a medium for connecting with online communities.

How do I create a LinkedIn Showcase Page?

Here's a step-by-step guide on how to create a LinkedIn Showcase Page:

Log in to LinkedIn and navigate to your company's page. To create a Showcase Page, you must have admin rights to your company's LinkedIn Page. 

Click on "Admin Tools" in the dropdown menu at the top right of your company's page then select "Create a Showcase Page".

Fill in your company details by choosing a name for your Showcase Page, the page URL, and your company’s industry, size, and type.

Add a logo and cover image that accurately represent your brand.

Write a compelling description that describes the purpose of the Showcase Page. 

Tap the “Create” button when you’re ready to make your Page live.

Schedule your LinkedIn Showcase Page posts in advance with Buffer

LinkedIn has found that 20 posts per month can help you reach 60 percent of your unique audience. Schedule your posts in advance, reach your followers, and find new fans with Buffer’s free LinkedIn scheduler. 

A LinkedIn Showcase Page is a sub-page to your main LinkedIn Company Page.

A LinkedIn Showcase Page is a sub-page to your main LinkedIn Company Page. Learn about other social media terms on Buffer's Social Media Glossary.

A LinkedIn Company Page, also known as a LinkedIn Page, is your brand’s public profile on LinkedIn, designed to help your business establish and grow its presence on the platform.

LinkedIn Company Pages are a great platform for brands to give details about their businesses and the people that work there, post industry updates, announce new product launches, share new job opportunities, and much more. 

For example, at Buffer, we use our LinkedIn Company Page to share details about what our business is all about, showcase our teammates, share transparently what we’re working on, and announce new features and tools.

Creating a LinkedIn Company Page is an easy process. Here's how you can set up a LinkedIn Company Page:

Log into your personal LinkedIn account. 

Navigate to the 'Work' icon in the top right corner of your LinkedIn homepage and select 'Create a Company Page +', and then choose the appropriate category for your business.

Enter your company details, such as company name, website, industry, company size, and company type.

Upload your company’s logo and cover image. 

Add a company description (250-2,000 characters) that describes what your company does, its mission, and its values.

Once your page is ready to go, click the ‘Create page’ button. If your page meets LinkedIn’s requirements, it will be published immediately.

LinkedIn Company Pages are completely free for everyone. You can learn how to get started with your own LinkedIn Company Page here.

Why should I create a LinkedIn Company Page?

There are many reasons why you should create a LinkedIn Company Page, but one of the top ones is that it can help generate leads and create trust with your customers and communities. 

In fact, LinkedIn is 277 percent more effective at generating leads than Facebook and Twitter. Plus, 82 percent of consumers are more likely to trust a company whose leadership team engages on LinkedIn — and 77 percent are more likely to buy from them.

Schedule your LinkedIn Page posts in advance with Buffer

Get started with our free plan, or try out our advanced features with our 14-day free trial!

A LinkedIn Company Page is your brand’s public profile on LinkedIn, designed to help your business establish and grow its presence on the platform.

A LinkedIn Company Page is your brand’s public profile on LinkedIn. Learn about other social media terms on Buffer's Social Media Glossary.

/video-editing-software,/video-marketing-strategies,/grow-youtube-shorts

A vlog, short for "video blog," is a type of blog that consists of video content rather than written content. Vlogs vary significantly in content topics, ranging from travel itineraries, beauty routines, and cooking tutorials to tech reviews, gaming livestreams, and marketing tips. Compared to traditional blogs that rely on written content, vlogs are more visual and often more engaging, offering a more intimate connection with viewers. The most popular video-sharing platforms used for vlogs are YouTube and Vimeo. 

Over the years, vlogs have gained even more popularity with the rise of short-form video platforms, like TikTok and Instagram, allowing anyone with a phone and a sprinkle of creativity an outlet to share their unique stories and insights with the world in an engaging and interactive way.

What is a vlogger, and what does a vlogger do?

A vlogger, short for "video blogger," is a content creator who creates and edits videos to share and connect with their online community. They usually create videos about their interests, expertise, or daily life. They use video-sharing social media platforms, like YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok, to market their videos, interact with their audience, and boost their brand's engagement.

Around 92% of Internet users watch some form of video content every day. So, there's no reason your business or brand shouldn't invest in vlogging as part of your social media strategy.

What is the difference between a blog and a vlog?

The difference between a blog and a vlog is that a blog is a collection of written content, while a vlog is a collection of video content. Generally, vlogs are more social and engaging as the audience can like, comment, and share the video, making vlogs more community-focused compared to a blog. 

Effortlessly schedule your videos with Buffer

Buffer's social media scheduler is an intuitive and powerful social media management tool to plan, schedule, and publish all your video content, like TikTok videos, YouTube Shorts, and Instagram Reels and videos. 

Start scheduling your video content with Buffer for free!

A vlog, short for video blog, is a type of blog that consists of video content rather than written content. 

A vlog, short for video blog, is a type of blog that consists of video content. Learn about other social media terms on Buffer's Social Media Glossary.

/best-time-to-post-on-tiktok,/tiktok-algorithm/,/tiktok-hashtags

A TikTok challenge is a community-driven TikTok growth tactic creators and brands use to engage their community via user-generated content campaigns. It's a way for TikTok creators to challenge their followers to create videos that perform some action, like completing a dance move, lip-syncing, using a specific filter, or doing a pushup, and publish them on TikTok with a specific hashtag to make the content more visible.

Some examples of brands using TikTok challenges include Chipotle's #GuacDance challenge and Guess' #InMyDenim challenge.

What are the main types of TikTok challenges?

TikTok challenges can be divided into a few categories. Here are some of the main types of TikTok challenges:

Dance challenges are likely the most popular type of challenge, and they include TikTok users performing a specific dance move or an entire choreography to the beat of a popular song. 

Lipsync challenges include TikTok users lip-syncing to popular dialogues or songs and showcasing their creativity.

Branded challenges are campaigns brands create to promote their products and boost brand awareness.

What are the most popular TikTok challenges?

TikTok is constantly evolving, and the popularity of challenges can change quickly. However, over the years, some have stood out more than others, such as:

The #Renegade challenge is a viral challenge where people dance to K Camp's song, "Lottery."

The #DontRushChallenge showcases users showing off their outfits and makeup transformations while passing a makeup brush.

The #SavageChallenge is a choreographed dance challenge to Megan Thee Stallion's new song, "Savage."

Plan, create, and schedule your content to get more exposure and engagement on TikTok

Buffer's TikTok scheduler is an intuitive and powerful social media management tool to plan, schedule, publish, and analyze your content on TikTok and other major social media platforms for free. 

Schedule your TikTok content with Buffer!

A TikTok challenge is a strategy for creators and brands to boost engagement by prompting followers to create videos that perform an action, like a dance move.

A TikTok challenge is a tactic where brands encourage followers to make action-based videos. Learn about social media terms on Buffer's Social Media Glossary.

/how-to-schedule-tweets,/schedule-twitter-threads,/twitter-threads

Twitter threads are a series of connected tweets that make it easier for users to tell a longer story, share more information, or develop an argument over multiple points. 

With a normal tweet only allowing 280 characters, many times, that’s not enough to get all of your thoughts across, making threads a great tool and alternative option. Each tweet in a thread is linked to the previous and next tweet, thus helping the user create a continuous, cohesive story. 

Below are a few examples of Twitter threads 👇

This Twitter thread covers how to build a brand strategy.

This Twitter thread covers Tami’s thoughts on the 4-day workweek.

Twitter threads have become a popular format for marketers because their longer format makes it possible to break down content in an easy, digestible way. Plus, they tend to get way more engagement than regular posts. 

Creating your own Twitter thread is really simple. Here’s how:

Start by composing a tweet by clicking the blue “post” button

Once you’ve finished writing your first tweet, click the “+” icon located on the bottom right of the composer next to the “post” button.

Doing so will create another tweet that is connected to your previous one. You can continue clicking the “+” each time you want to include another tweet.

Once you’ve finished writing out your thread, hit the blue “post” button on the bottom right.

You can use many social media management tools to schedule a Twitter thread, including Buffer. Scheduling a thread is super simple with Buffer. Follow these steps:

Open up the Buffer composer and select your Twitter account

Add some content and then select Start Thread

Save your thread as a draft or schedule it for the time of your choice

And if you need more details, head to this link to see step-by-step how to schedule Twitter threads.

What's the ideal number of Tweets in a thread?

While you can add as many tweets to a thread as you’d like, we recommend keeping your thread concise. It should be long enough to convey your message, story, or argument but short enough to keep your followers engaged. 

A misconception of Twitter threads may be that they must be long, detailed, or highly informative to be valuable. But threads can come in all shapes and sizes.

There is no limit to how many tweets you can add to a thread. As long as your followers are engaging and reacting to your content, you can continue to add as many tweets to your thread as you see fit. 

Twitter threads are a series of connected tweets that make it easier for users to tell a longer story.

Twitter threads are a series of connected tweets. Learn about other social media terms on Buffer's Social Media Glossary.

/facebook-messenger-marketing,/social-media-security,/how-to-avoid-getting-your-instagram-account-hacked-and-what-to-do-if-it-happens

Vanish mode on Instagram is a feature that lets users send each other disappearing direct messages on Instagram. While vanish mode is turned on, users can rest assured that the messages they send in an Instagram chat will disappear once both users have left the chat. This feature offers users additional privacy and security, especially when users prefer not to have read the messages and left the chat.

Similarly, on Messenger, vanish mode is a feature that lets users send each other disappearing direct messages through Messenger. While vanish mode is turned on, users can rest assured that the messages they send in Messenger will "vanish" once both users have read the messages and left the chat.

Vanish mode automatically deletes a message once it's been viewed and once the recipient leaves the Instagram or Messenger chat, leaving no record of those messages in the chat history. Vanish mode works with text, photo, video, and voice messages shared within the chat. 

Why would someone turn on vanish mode on Instagram?

There are many different reasons for why a user would turn on vanish mode on Instagram:

Privacy and security: Vanish mode is primarily used for privacy and security purposes. The disappearing element of this feature ensures that there is no trail left behind, thus helping in situations where you might fear that someone is snooping through your messages or that you might have been exposed to a data breach. 

Confidential information: If you're messaging sensitive or confidential details, such as a home address, credit card details, or even something private about your emotions, then using vanish mode can ensure nothing will be leaked.

Avoiding message clutter: Some users like a clean chat interface; vanish mode helps prevent messaging clutter of non-essential chats.

How do I turn on and turn off vanish mode on Instagram?

Turning on vanish mode on Instagram is easy. All you need to do is:

Open the Instagram app and tap the arrow in the top right corner.

Go to the chat you'd like to use vanish mode on.

Once you're in the chat, swipe up on the screen to enable vanish mode. You'll know it's active when the background changes, and you see a message at the top of the screen that tells you it's on.

If you'd like to turn it off, swipe up again on the screen until the screen is back to normal and the vanish mode message disappears at the top.

Now, you can send any messages knowing they will disappear after being seen by the other user.

Both users in the chat will be notified when vanish mode is activated or deactivated.

Vanish mode is a feature that lets users send each other disappearing direct messages on Instagram and Messenger.

Vanish mode is a feature that lets users send each other disappearing direct messages. Learn about other social media terms on Buffer's Social Media Glossary.

/twitter-small-business,/twitter-advanced-search,/how-to-schedule-tweets

“X” is Twitter’s rebranded identity, envisioned by Elon Musk, who acquired Twitter in 2022 for $44 billion, as the new “everything app.” On July 23, Twitter replaced the iconic blue bird logo with a stylized“X” logo and removed the Twitter name from its websites, apps, and headquarters. Now, even X.com redirects to twitter.com.

Elon Musk tweeted a photo of the X logo projected on Twitter’s headquarters in San Francisco.

Elon Musk said that he hopes to turn Twitter into an “everything app” called X, which would offer everything from social networking and broadcasting to banking and shopping. 

Twitter became X because Elon Musk, Twitter’s owner, bought the social network “as an accelerant for X, the everything app” and wants to evolve the social networking site into a super app encompassing much more than simple messaging and tweeting. 

As Elon Musk announced in a tweet, “The Twitter name made sense when it was just 140 character messages going back and forth… but now you can post almost anything, including several hours of video.” But now that they plan to include banking, shopping, video, messaging, and much more, the Twitter name and logo don’t make sense to the company anymore. 

X is different from Twitter in that X will become much more than a social media networking platform; they plan on making it into a super app for messaging, banking, shopping, and much more. On the other hand, Twitter has always been just a free social media networking site mainly used to tweet and stay updated on current news and events. 

Twitter’s CEO, Linda Yaccarino, said, “X will be the platform that can deliver… everything.” Twitter plans to make X into a super app, an AI-powered platform “centered in audio, video, messaging, payments/banking — creating a global marketplace for ideas, goods, services, and opportunities.”

Use a social media management tool to schedule your tweets (or shall we say Xeets?) in advance

And while Twitter is slowly rebranding into X, you can use Buffer to start adding in all the tweets you want to schedule. 

X is Twitter’s rebranded identity, envisioned by Elon Musk as the new “everything app”

X is Twitter’s rebranded identity, envisioned by Elon Musk as the new “everything app.” Learn about other social media terms on Buffer's Social Media Glossary.

/organic-marketing,/growing-business-organically-on-instagram,/facebook-reach-strategies

Organic marketing is a long-term marketing approach that prioritizes natural, non-paid tactics, such as social media, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), community-building, and email newsletters, over promotional content and paid advertising. The main goal of organic marketing is to increase brand awareness and build a connection with your audience in an organic, natural way.

If you post on your Instagram account, send a weekly email newsletter, or run a blog – you’re practicing organic marketing. 

Organic marketing is about providing maximum value to your customers through quality marketing, but you can use many different types of organic tactics. Here are the most important types of organic marketing tactics you can use for your own business:

Search Engine Optimization (SEO): SEO is the practice of optimizing your written content to rank higher in search engine results by using keywords and analytics. 

Content marketing: Content marketing is the practice of creating and sharing valuable and helpful content to attract and engage an audience. That content can take many forms, from blog posts and white papers to podcasts and videos.

Social media marketing: Social media marketing is the practice of sharing content, engaging with your community, and building your online presence on social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Twitter.

Email marketing: Email marketing is the practice of sending targeted emails to a subscriber list to provide value and foster loyalty.

Organic social media marketing is the practice of using social media platforms, like Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter, to connect with your audience. This involves publishing valuable content on your social media profiles, listening to and engaging your followers, and analyzing your results without paid advertising.

There is also a range of social media management tools that help businesses get the most out of social media platforms. For example, Buffer is a social media management tool that can help support your organic content creation efforts, from post scheduling, engagement, analytics, simple link in bio pages, and team collaboration. Get started here.

Organic traffic in marketing is the traffic that comes to your website from unpaid sources, such as a Google search query, a referral from another website, or a social media post. It’s different from paid traffic, as paid traffic comes from paid ads or promoted/sponsored content.

What are the primary differences between paid marketing and organic content?

The primary difference between paid marketing and organic content is that paid marketing involves advertising spend to reach a targeted audience, while organic content does not. Paid marketing also yields results much quicker, and the results will stop once you stop feeding money into it. On the other hand, organic traffic requires more time and effort to reach results and will keep giving results for an extended period. 

Both strategies are good to use for different reasons; it’s essential to understand the pros and cons of each and see when it makes sense to apply each.

Organic marketing is important because it encourages an emotional connection between your customers and your brand, a significant driver of a positive brand experience. Through content that is focused on helping, educating, or entertaining your customers, organic marketing allows you to connect to them without the barrier of needing to sell in your way.

Organic marketing is a long-term approach that prioritizes non-paid marketing tactics.

Organic marketing is a long-term approach that prioritizes non-paid marketing tactics. Learn about other social media terms on Buffer's Social Media Glossary.

/big-list-zapier-hacks-marketers,/buffer-zapier-integration,/content-repurposing-automation

Zapier is a web automation tool described as the "glue" that connects hundreds of other web apps and services, allowing them to work together seamlessly. 

With Zapier, you can create automated workflows known as Zaps. These workflows start with a trigger, an event in the first app that kicks off the workflow, and end with an action, which is an event completed automatically in a second app.

Zapier is a web automation tool used to connect web apps and services. It's used to automate and streamline your online workflows without coding, whether automating things like social media, project management, note-taking, email, or meetings.

In social media marketing, Zapier is often used to streamline social media and content creation processes. For example, Zapier can be used with Buffer, a social media management tool, to send new WordPress blog posts to your Buffer queue or schedule posts created in your Google Sheets spreadsheet to be shared on social media via Buffer. By automating your workflows, you can save time on the manual stuff and open up time for the more important (and fun) creative work.

Which apps and services can be integrated with Zapier?

Zapier offers integrations with over 5,000 different apps, making it likely that you can connect with most of the tools you're using to automate your existing workflow processes. 

Check all of the apps that Zapier integrates with here. 

Zapier does offer a free plan, which includes 5 single-step Zaps, a 15-minute update time, and up to 100 tasks per month. The free plan is mainly built for users who need the basics of automation.

Zapier also offers a free 14-day trial of their Professional plan, which users are automatically enrolled into when creating a new Zapier account.

Can I use Zapier to automate my social media posts?

Yes, Zapier is a great tool to automate your social media posts. For example, with Zapier, you could automate things like sending tagged articles from your RSS feed directly to your Facebook Page, sending new WordPress blog posts to your social media scheduling tool of choice, automatically sharing your Instagram posts to every social network, or market new products as social media posts as soon as you add them to your online store.

Zapier is an official Buffer partner that lets you connect Buffer with other apps, enabling you to automate your work without coding and share your content from anywhere to everywhere. With Buffer's Zapier integration, you can send content from over 400 apps to Buffer, including:

Use an RSS feed to automatically send your new content to Buffer for social media sharing

Add content to your Pinterest social channels in Buffer

Update Buffer's content calendar and schedule posts to be shared on social media from Google Sheets rows

Share new Tumblr posts from the dashboard via Buffer

Add WordPress blog posts automatically to Buffer

Here's a step-by-step guide to getting started with Buffer and Zapier:

Sign up for Zapier and Buffer: The first step is to sign up for Zapier and Buffer. They offer free plans, or you can try a paid plan for 14 days. Once you've signed up, you can connect your social media accounts to Buffer.

Create a Zap in Zapier: Next, create a Zap in Zapier. A Zap is an automated workflow that connects two or more apps. For example, you might want a Zap that automatically publishes new blog posts to Buffer. Click the "Make a Zap" button in your Zapier dashboard to create a Zap. Then, select the app that triggers the Zap, such as your blogging platform, a spreadsheet app, or a note-taking app. Next, choose the action that triggers the Zap. In the case of a blog, it might be a "New Post." This means that every time you publish a new blog post, the Zap will be triggered.

Connect Zapier and Buffer: Once you've set up the trigger, you must connect Zapier and Buffer. To do this, select Buffer as the action app and sign in to your Buffer account. Then, select the social media profiles to which you want to share the blog post.

Map the data: After connecting Zapier and Buffer, you'll need to map the data from your source to the social media profiles you want to publish it to. For example, you might map the blog post title to the social media post text and the blog post URL to the social media post URL.

Test and activate your Zap: Once you've mapped the data, test your Zap to ensure it works correctly. If everything looks good, activate your Zap.

And that's it. You're on your way to becoming an automation and productivity hero!

Zapier is a web automation tool used to connect web apps and services.

Tools

Channels

TikTok Shop

TikTok Shop is an e-commerce feature that allows businesses and creators to create a storefront on TikTok and sell their products.

What is TikTok Shop?

Where is TikTok Shop available?

Where can I find TikTok Shop?

Boost your online presence with TikTok video scheduling

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