Evergreen
City Recommendations
TikTok has become everyone’s go-to guide for where to go and what to do. It started as a tool for travelers but has evolved into a hub for local discovery– people now use it to find recommendations in their own city. Business owners and social media managers are using this moment to position their spaces as the next cool place to visit or shop from.
Show off your brick-and-mortar, share fun clips from events, or whatever makes sense for your biz. Treat your content like a recommendation because that’s what people are searching for. You can do this yourself or team up with creators for UGC or paid partnerships within your budget.
A Peek Inside the Life
“Get ready with me…,” “a day inside the life of…,” and “come with me to…” videos are so evergreen on TikTok that they’re directly associated with the app. While you don’t have to follow the typical script for these videos, it’s essential to understand that these videos work because people like to take a peek behind the curtain (if it’s interesting). Consider what the most interesting aspect of your work is, and share that with others.
Tutorials
So many people turn to TikTok for tutorials and how-tos, from cooking and cleaning hacks to lessons on how to bleach your eyebrows. You don’t have to give step-by-step tutorials on how to run your business (no need to give any secrets away, and that may not get the best reach either way), but you can leverage your expertise to create hook-y, helpful content.
Try posting Dos and Don’ts or sharing the benefits. Finding the balance between trendy formats, what’s relevant to people scrolling, and your area of expertise is key. Use this to find your community of people who need your service!
Get It While It’s Hot
Girl Whatever
Creators are posting first-person POV videos showcasing their carefree, creative, or abundant experiences. I’ve mostly seen this done for scenic vacation moments, but the clips have ranged from the POV of a horseback ride to a celebrity spotting.
By posting a video with “girl whatever” as the on-screen text and Charli XCX’s ‘You (Ha Ha Ha)’ as the background music, people are creating a sense of defiance amidst political chaos, personal life drama– whatever. It’s supposed to symbolize being unbothered or winning. As a small business, you can hop on this trend by clipping a video of your brick-and-mortar, you locking in (or “girlbossing” for my millennials), or anything that shows you thriving as a business and owner.
A Lion Does Not Concern Herself…
It’s become a meme to post about “the lion” or “lioness” (aka yourself) and list what does or doesn’t concern you. On TikTok, the trend has taken a funny turn– instead of serious, motivational content, people use it to talk about things that would otherwise be shameful, concerning, or chaotic. For example, lately the lions have not been concerned with how he smelled his first year on T, or with what happened last night.
Join in by posting a video using this sound with text about something you, as a business owner, are not concerning yourself with. It can be serious (“that one bad review”) or unserious (“my 27 open Chrome tabs”). Bonus points if it’s funny, humor plays best here.
Watch-Outs
AI
AI has been a controversial topic in the social landscape due to its negative environmental impact. Given that Gen Z is considered the climate change generation and TikTok is their primary platform, I advise against using it, especially on TikTok.
While certain brain-rotted AI-generated content has captured the short attention spans of my generational peers, the everyday use of AI-generated content is frowned upon. That means that unless you’re going to generate something that is scroll-stopping and so good that it slips through the cracks of critique, the environmental damage done just to hop on trends just isn’t worth it. In fact, it may do more harm to your business’s perception than anything.
Celebrity Beef
TikTok is thriving on celebrity drama right now (Taylor vs. Charli, Nicki vs. Cardi… the list goes on). But unless it directly ties to your audience or industry, it’s best to sit it out. Picking sides, even as a joke, can invite unwanted chaos from stans. Keep your business content focused and unproblematic.
Happy posting! Don’t forget to trim out pauses and filler words from your videos!
