TikTok 101: A Guide for Non Gen Z Folks

If you’ve heard your young kids or niece talk incessantly about TikTok and you’re curious about it yourself, this class is in session. TikTok has become much easier to use since its time as Musical.ly. It’s so good and trendy that even your pops can learn how to Tiktok!

Learning how to TikTok is not hard at all. All it takes is a little willingness to learn and understand how to talk to a very impressionable audience. Here’s a TikTok 101 guide for Non-Gen Z folks that will help you get started on your influencer career.

What is TikTok?

TikTok is one of the newest and most popular social media platforms right now. The entire premise of TikTok revolves around building creative short videos that are easily shareable. These can be somewhere between 15 to 60 seconds but you can have longer videos if you upload instead of using the native app.

For those who have no idea about TikTok, think of it as a wider version of Instagram Stories, FB Stories, or even Snapchat. The entire platform embraces the mobile-first attitude, as well as letting you add AR/visual layers on the video. This gives users more creative options to express themselves, as well as thread videos together.

Much of the value of TikTok comes from shareable moments, filling the void left by another short video app, Vine. The topic can be almost anything but if you want to trend, you would want to do something unique, creative, and entertaining. The variety of topics are endless.

There are the Tiktok subcultures and trends, beauty hacks and makeup tutorials, that help others look good. Others start challenges that others can then redo, which can be everything from dance challenges to checking “what will your bf/gf do”.

Getting Started With TikTok

Before you start building your TikTok strategies for success, you need to know how to navigate the entire thing. Start with downloading the mobile app from the iOS or Android app store. You would want to sign up and follow the setup assistant throughout its prompts.

Once you’re done setting up, you would need to start uploading photos and even connect your Instagram. Once you go to your “For You” page, you’ll start getting suggestions on what to watch and what to create for content.

Much like any social media, the algorithm needs to start from somewhere, so you will likely see videos that are not to your liking just yet. You would need to train the algorithm and learn your preferences, mostly by searching around and watching things that appeal to you.

How To Browse, Like, and Comment On TikTok

Navigating Tiktok shouldn’t be too hard if you have any experience with social media. There are designated buttons for almost everything, but there are a few areas that can confuse the newbie Tiktok user. Here are a few quick tips that will make your first experience much easier.

You can move between the “For You” tab and the “Following” tab to see the content that you want. If you see a creator whose work you consistently like, you can follow them by clicking the plus (+) sign to follow their profile. Click on the person’s user profile if you want to see more of their videos.

If you want to like someone’s videos, all you need to do is double-tap on any part of the video. If you need to comment, there’s a speech bubble with an ellipsis (...) inside. If you want to share a video with your friends, the arrow icon should do the job on the right side of the screen.

Making Use of TikTok Hashtags

Tiktok is all about the hashtags and you can make the best out of it as both a user and a creator. Much like its use in Twitter and Instagram, you can use it to see what’s trending on Tiktok and what you can create as content.

For users, hashtags are a great way to find entertaining content. Most TikTok events like challenges live and breathe through the hashtag, so if you’re following entire challenges, you can find more videos and creators through hashtags.

For content creators, the hashtag is a way to get your name out there. Hashtags can spur the growth of your channel, especially if you can create unique content and challenges that everyone can emulate. This can also improve your brand’s engagement and increase your exposure.

If you’re looking for more views, add a few extra hashtags here and there, as well as picking the right keywords. If you’re serious about content creation, consider creating some branded keywords that people can associate with you. Mixing these with general use keywords can help you gain more followers in no time.

Creating Your First TikTok

Now that you know how to operate the app, how do you create your first TikTok? Press the plus (+) sign at the bottom center of your screen and either start filming something new or upload a video you already have. As we have mentioned before, you can make a 15 to 60-second video in-app. From here, you have several choices for add-ons.

You can add a song on top of your video, which you can pick from a playlist or through a stream of hashtags. You can use a mixer and trimmer tool to help you set up the song just how you want it.

As for visuals, you can add filters, animated stickers, and gifs to improve the looks of the video. Drag stickers in place and they should interact well with what you do. There are also visual effect options that allow you to split, multiply, and even add voiceovers on top of your video.

Final Thoughts

Learning the basics of TikTok for the first time isn’t that hard. The app is designed to be easy, simple to use, and intuitive in general. Even if you don’t have much experience with social media, TikTok should be a great way to start your TikTok career.

Follow our TikTok guide above and you can start your journey towards TikTok stardom in no time! You don’t have to be Gen Z to get something bussing on TikTok. All you need is to know how to use it and you’re good to go.

Clark Influence, an agency full of enthusiasts who will be there every step of the way to guide you through your strategies on TikTok.

Do you want to build a successful TikTok presence for your brand but don’t know where to start? Send us a message. We can help you navigate the ever-changing landscape of social media, craft the best strategy for your brand, and connect you to your target audience the #TeamClark way.