TikTok has shaken up the digital world, and its phenomenal rise over the last year implies that it’s here to stay.
TikTok is more than simply Gen Z dance challenges, while being primarily an entertainment site.
We’re witnessing an increase in the number of social impact and non-profit customers using TikTok to inform, educate, engage, market, and raise funds and awareness.
Let’s look at some examples and best practices for nonprofits using TikTok to grow.
Is TikTok appropriate for your nonprofit?
Creating a presence on a new social media site may be a daunting task. As with any platform, it’s critical to determine whether it’s a suitable fit for your company. On the other hand, whether it will assist you in meeting your goals.
Before you dive in, be sure that your efforts are directed at spaces and platforms that your target audience already uses.
First, ensure that TikTok assists in reaching your company’s target audience. Remember, according to Qgiv, more than half of the apps’ users are under 32 years old, and more than 41 percent of TikTok users are between the ages of 16 and 24.
You should also consider whether your firm is capable of managing a TikTok channel. If you’re wondering if your company has the capacity to establish a TikTok presence, the first step is to ask — and trust — the person or team in charge of your social media.
Another factor to consider is TikTok’s preference for raw, authentic, unedited, and people-first videos. Link articles or polished images and copy will not suffice on this site. Consider whether you have staff who are eager to create videos for the account, or whether you have the budget to pay creators and influencers to help you expand your profile..
Having an employee build your TikTok account is a good place to start, but it’s not the only method. TikTok’s creator marketplace serves as the platform’s official cooperation hub, connecting companies and creators to run paid and reward-based campaigns. Tiktok is an excellent place to start for nonprofits that are newcomers.
8 TikTok Tips + Best Practices for Nonprofits [+ Examples]
Once you’ve determined that TikTok will help you achieve your goals and reach your target audience, and you’ve confirmed that you have the resources to administer the platform. Now, it’s time to dive into some suggestions that can help Nonprofits move missions ahead with great TikTok content.
1. Creative is the primary factor for success.
On this platform, your content is everything. As previously said, polished photos and videos will not suffice. You need a genuine person (either an employee or a creative from TikTok’s Creator Marketplace) to commit to generating high-performing elements.
2. Use the principle of “entertainment-first”.
Remember that TikTok is first and foremost an entertainment platform.
The American Kennel Club (AKC) utilizes Facebook to share dog care advice and articles, such as this one about the finest dog raincoats, in order to position itself as an authority in canine welfare.
The AKC’s TikTok, on the other hand, has a different goal: to engage viewers with adorable dog videos. This TikTok post was successful not because it educated viewers about dog care, but because it showcased the exceptionally attractive Pekingese breed at a dog show.
3. Leverage talent to bring your videos to life.
According to a recent SemRush analysis of over 600 viral TikTok videos, more than one in three contained a human speaking inside the first three seconds. Including real individuals in your video material is important. Because of the fact that it allows your organization to highlight and elevate a wide collection of viewpoints.
Consider encouraging people from other departments inside your company to develop or star in content, or tap into the platform’s large supply of creators.
The It Gets Better Project taps into a network of producers that they have formed ties with — like this video with Zoe Stoller — to generate enjoyable, useful material for their website.
4. Stay ahead of trends and find inspiring creations from the Discover page.
Trends are continually flowing on TikTok. The easiest way to find out trending videos, musics, hashtags, or topics is to interact with the Discover page. Consider this page to be the app’s center for the most popular content. This section also contains sponsored media placement.
You’ll find a list of popular hashtags on the Discover tab that you can click through. The videos that display beneath each hashtag are either the original videos that began the trend or popular videos to which the current topics connect.
It’s a good idea to draw inspiration from previous instances when creating new videos, but a TikTok strategy should not be based simply on reacting to viral trends.
5. Approach TikTok like a regular human — not a brand.
When developing a content strategy, it is vital to establish your organization’s identity or persona because this is the first step in drawing an engaged audience.
As previously said, Gen Z — the app’s major target — values authenticity more than millennials. Instead of attempting to reach a large audience, capitalize on your organization’s unique knowledge base and instructive storytelling.
If you’re unsure how to create a TikTok persona for your company, start with your goal statement! From there, you can narrow down the content categories you want to focus on, as well as the style of films you want to create.
The AKC shared this video of a dog competing in an agility tournament, and despite being shot on a smartphone, it received over 2 million views on TikTok. Expensive technology isn’t required to create extremely engaging content.
6. Use a story arc.
The beginning, middle, and end of a video should be brief. Before performing a TikTok, consider mapping out important story principles such as a hook, introduction, fascinating turn, and ultimate pay-off. Storyboarding can help to speed up the filming process and give guidance for individuals who are new to producing this type of content.
The Media Cause team created a narrative framework and sample script to correlate with the campaign’s branded hashtag in preparation for It Gets Better Project’s organic TikTok campaign advertising the “50 States. 50 Grants. 5000 Voices.” grant program.
Media Cause collaborated with the TikTok team to gain feedback on the narrative arc and branded hashtag. Then, the It Gets Better Project’s campaign was highlighted on the TikTok Explore page as a consequence.
7. Keep it concise (15-30 seconds), and get to the point.
Make sure to show your viewers the video’s lesson or objective inside the first three seconds… That’s all you have before the average user swipes.
A fascinating start may be readily achieved by putting text on the screen, narration, or front-loading the video with the most important information.
Consider this TikTok video from the Natural Resource Defense Council (NRDC). This page educates viewers about the infrastructure package in only 30 seconds:
8. Inspire co-creation.
You don’t have to start from zero when developing a content strategy. Use in-app capabilities to promote conversation and engagement with current audiences that overlap with yours. For example, you can use TikTok’s duet, react, reply with video, and stitch features.
Using polls or Q&As, you may encourage your audience to engage in a discussion with your organization. Also, community management is important on TikTok. Be sure to respond to any queries in your comments (or in the comment section of other viral TikToks).
Finally, TikTok is here to stay, and it allows you to interact with an audience you would not otherwise reach. As with any platform, you must determine whether it is a suitable fit for your company and goals.
I belive that with above effective case studies and examples can help you – nonprofits to grow and reach more customers by using TikTok.