PLATFORM: Tiktok

• Best Use: Mass discovery, culture-shaping short-form video, and algorithm-driven demand creation. TikTok is elite for top-of-funnel reach, “interest graph” targeting, and pushing cold audiences straight to product pages, TikTok Shop, or long-form ecosystems.

• WHO (Demographic): TikTok’s audience is overwhelmingly young, with roughly 70–80% of global users falling between ages 18–34, and the strongest concentration in the 18–24 bracket, followed closely by 25–34. In the U.S., about 37% of adults use TikTok, and nearly one in four uses it daily, signaling unusually high platform stickiness. Among teens, usage is even more intense: approximately 67% of U.S. teens (13–17) are active on the platform, and 16% report being on it “almost constantly.” The gender distribution skews slightly female, generally hovering around 55–60% women depending on region. Notably, TikTok also over-indexes in higher-income brackets—U.S. weekly users include a disproportionately large share of households earning above ~$2.5k/month, indicating that the platform reaches not only young users, but young users with increasing purchasing power.

• HOW MANY (Market Share): TikTok reaches ~1.6 billion monthly users, putting it firmly in the top five platforms globally. In the U.S., it has lower adult penetration than YouTube or Facebook, but it dominates where attention actually converts—time spent per session and Gen Z share of mind. Users, especially younger ones, spend more continuous minutes on TikTok than almost any other platform, making it one of the most powerful drivers of trends, culture, and purchase behavior worldwide.

• GROWTH: TikTok users spend ~45–60 minutes per day on the platform, consistently ranking it among the top two apps for time spent per user. Its rapid commerce expansion—via TikTok Shop, in-feed shopping, and Spark Ads—has transformed it into a major DTC and creator-led sales engine. At the same time, TikTok has become a dominant Gen Z search platform, with young users increasingly turning to it for product discovery, food recommendations, and “how-to” answers—chipping away at Google’s top-of-funnel searches.

  Overall: Growth = Very High, especially across discovery, search behavior, and social commerce.

• DEPTH (Relationship Dev): TikTok functions as interest-driven media, not social-graph media—the For You Page (FYP) delivers content based on user behavior, not who they follow. Strong videos typically hold 5–15 seconds of average view duration on sub-60-second posts, with completion rate and replays acting as the strongest depth signals in the algorithm. Longer formats—1–3 minute explainers, storytelling, and live streams—build deeper parasocial connection, especially when viewers binge multiple videos or join recurring Lives.

• CONVERSION: TikTok converts exceptionally well: 92% of users take action after watching a video, one-third have purchased something they discovered on the app, and features like TikTok Shop compress discovery → consideration → purchase into a single feed, making it a high-impact platform for visual, impulse-friendly, and creator-driven products.

• RESULTS: TikTok drives some of the strongest product discovery in categories like beauty, fashion, food, fitness, and “TikTok Made Me Buy It,” sending fewer sessions than Google or Meta but with higher purchase intent, making it ideal as a demand-creation engine that fuels later Google/Amazon searches, email sign-ups, and long-form consumption.

1. METRICS TO TRACK (and Why They Matter)

• Views & Reach: How many total plays and unique accounts see your videos (FYP + Following + profile).

  • Why it matters: Measures discovery. TikTok’s interest graph will only keep pushing you if early watch time + engagement are strong.

  • How to improve: Nail first 1–2 seconds, strong topic/thumbnail frame, and align with specific interests (not broad “everyone” hooks).

  Average Watch Time & Completion Rate: How long people watch on average and what % finish the video.

  • Why it matters: These are core quality signals for the FYP. Longer relative watch time vs. video length = more distribution.

  • How to improve: Cut dead air, fast-pace edits, keep a single promise per video, front-load value and curiosity.

  3s / 6s / 100% View Rates: % of viewers who pass the first 3s, 6s, and/or finish.

  • Why it matters: 3s/6s filter out bad hooks; 100% signals binge-worthy depth.

  • How to improve: Strong cold open, pattern interrupt (movement, text, sound), and tight narrative arc.

  Engagement Rate: (Likes + Comments + Shares + Favorites) / Views

  • Why it matters: Tells the algorithm your content is worth spreading to similar interest clusters.

  • How to improve: Ask specific questions, invite stitches/duets, present “teach + take” value (frameworks, lists, contrarian takes).

  Shares:

  • Why it matters: One of the strongest virality signals. Shared videos get pushed into new audience clusters.

  • How to improve: Relatable POVs, memes, controversial but defensible opinions, “send this to a friend who…” prompts.

  Favorites (Saves):

  • Why it matters: High intent; users plan to rewatch or act later. Often correlated with search-driven, how-to, and recipe/tutorial content.

  • How to improve: Make playbook content: checklists, step-by-steps, workouts, frameworks, scripts.

  Profile Visits & Follower Growth:

  • Why it matters: Shows that content is convincing enough to move users from FYP → profile → follow.

  • How to improve: Clear niche in bio, pinned “who I am / what you get” videos, themed playlists.

• Clicks & Shop Metrics:

  • What to watch: Link-in-bio CTR, product clicks, TikTok Shop add-to-cart and purchase ROAS if running ads.

  • Why it matters: Connects viral views to actual revenue.

2. CONTENT STRUCTURE & FORMATS

Formats:

• Vertical short videos (TikTok posts)

• Live streams (LIVE & Live Shopping)

• Photo posts / carousels (multi-image)

• TikTok Shop videos & live selling

• Playlists (organized series: “Start Here,” “SEO 101,” etc.)

• Stitch/Duet content (reaction & collaboration)

• Series (longer structured episodes broken into parts)

Structure for High Performance: Hook – Retain – Reward – CTA

Hook (0–2 seconds)

• Visual pattern interrupt: quick movement, hard zoom, text slam.

• Clear “why watch”:

  • “Most people still do SEO like it’s 2015.”

  • “3 TikTok hooks we used to drive 100k leads.”

Build (Retain)

• Cut every 1–3 seconds: jump cuts, B-roll, screen recordings, over-the-shoulder demos.

• Stack “micro-hooks” every few beats: stats, “here’s the catch,” “most people miss this…”

Payoff (Reward)

• Deliver the promised tip, micro-framework, or aha.

• Use numbers and specifics where possible—TikTok’s audience responds to concrete gains and clear steps.

CTA

• In-video + caption:

  • Soft: “Save this for when you write your next sales page.”

  • Direct: “Comment ‘SEO’ and I’ll send the checklist,” “Tap the link in bio for the full playbook.”

Caption, Hashtags & Design

• Caption length: Often short (30–150 chars), but search-optimized TikToks can use 1–3 keyword phrases: “seo for small business,” “tiktok seo checklist,” etc.

• Hashtags: 3–6: 1–2 broad (#tiktokseo), 2–4 niche/long-tail (#localhvacmarketing, #seoagencytips).

• Design details:

  • Clean on-screen text, high contrast.

  • Face or clear subject visible in first frame.

  • Native text and sounds over heavy graphics; TikTok favors “authentically native” content.

3. POSTING FREQUENCY & TIMES

(These are starting points—optimize using TikTok Analytics.)

Frequency

• Aggressive growth: 1–3 posts per day.

• Steady presence: Minimum 3–5 posts per week.

• Use batching: record 10–20 videos in a single session, schedule or drip them.

Suggested Time Windows (local time)

Different studies vary, but most cluster around:

• Mon–Thurs: 10am–12pm, 2pm–5pm

• Fri–Sun: 9am–11am, 7pm–10pm

Use these as test anchors, then pivot to the exact hours your analytics show highest follower activity.

4. NAVIGATION & PLATFORM FEATURES

Profile Setup

• Clear niche statement in bio: “Helping [who] get [result] with [method].”

• Link-in-bio to hub page (lead magnet, offers, or content hub).

• Use Profile photo + banner that match brand elsewhere (YouTube, IG, site).

Key Features to Leverage

• For You Page: Your primary “distribution engine.” Optimize first frame + hook for cold audiences.

• Search: Treat titles, on-screen text, and captions like mini SEO—TikTok surfaces videos for specific searches.

• Playlists: Group your best content (e.g., “Start Here,” “Beginner SEO,” “Case Studies”).

• LIVE: Do regular Q&A, audits, or breakdowns; LIVE sessions supercharge relationship depth and can drive TikTok Shop sales.

• Stitch & Duet: Piggyback on existing viral videos, trends, and questions in your niche.

• TikTok Shop & Product Tags: Tag products directly in videos and live streams to compress funnel.

• Promote & Spark Ads: Boost organic winners to new audiences while keeping social proof on the original post.

5. IMPROVING OLD CONTENT

• Retitle + Re-caption: Add clearer hooks and SEO keywords to captions.

• New covers: Change first frame to a more compelling visual or headline.

• Re-edit & repost: Trim intros, tighten pacing, or split into a 2-part series.

• Cross-pollinate: Turn strong TikToks into IG Reels, YT Shorts, and vice versa.

• Playlist & pinning: Add top performers to playlists and pin 3 key videos at the top of your profile (offer explainer, manifesto, flagship case study).

• Live follow-ups: Take historic winners and do Lives where you expand on them or answer questions pulled from comments.

6. CHECKLIST (BEFORE POSTING ON TIKTOK)

✅ First 1–2 seconds are visually disruptive and clearly hook the topic

✅ Single, specific promise per video (no vague “motivation only”)

✅ Clean vertical framing; subject or key visual clear in first frame

✅ On-screen text supports the hook and is readable at a glance

✅ Pacing is tight: cuts or visual changes every 1–3 seconds

✅ Caption includes 1 clear CTA + 3–6 targeted hashtags

✅ Keywords for TikTok search are present in spoken audio + text

✅ Sound: either trending audio or clean original audio with good levels

✅ Cover frame communicates topic (and would make sense in your grid)

✅ Comments primed with a pinned comment (“Drop ‘SEO’ for the checklist”)