Grow your business by tapping into an engaged audience

Social media is a ubiquitous part of our lives. From staying in touch with friends and family to keeping up with current events to sharing photos of adventures (or just a really good meal), most of us are connected via outlets like Facebook, Twitter/X, Instagram, and TikTok.

For those in the self-care industry, social media plays an even greater role — particularly when it comes to TikTok. The video-focused medium gives self-care professionals a smart way to build their brands and find their audiences. Here’s why your business should be on TikTok — and some tips to get you started.

3 reasons to make TikTok part of your marketing strategy

It’s got a massive (and young) user base

As of 2023, TikTok had 1.5 billion monthly active users. That’s nearly a fifth of the entire population of the planet — not bad for a social media outlet that’s only been around since 2016. It still has a while to go before catching up to the 20-year-old Facebook, but TikTok’s audience skews significantly younger. In fact, it’s so popular among the Generation Z crowd that they use it as a search engine.

Why is this important? As Zoomers come of age, this demographic holds massive buying power. They’re also the driving force behind many of the self-care industry’s trends; just consider Billie Eilish’s “roots era” or Jenna Ortega’s wolf cut. Appealing to the Gen Z crowd is a smart growth strategy, and to do that, you’ll have to turn to TikTok.

It’s visually engaging

Have you heard the expression “Show, don’t tell”? In the self-care industry, showing your work is an essential part of building your brand. TikTok’s short video format is the ideal medium for giving your audience a peek behind the curtain and showing how you make your clients feel good about themselves. 

Additionally, videos are often far more impactful than text or images. According to data compiled by Insivia, social media posts with videos attract twice as much engagement as those with images alone. In fact, viewers tend to retain 95% of a message when they watch it in a video, compared with 10% retained when reading the message in text form.

TikTok is a trend machine

Curtain bangs. Half-and-half hair colors. Latte makeup. There’s no doubt about it: TikTokers are trendsetters. All you have to do is explore hashtags like #beauty and #skincare to see the products, techniques, and styles redefining the way we think about self-care. Inevitably, someone is going to walk into your shop and ask for something they’ve seen on the social media site — will you be ready?

Aside from keeping up with the trends your clients are demanding, having a presence on TikTok also puts you in a unique position to put your own spin on the latest fads — or, in some cases, explain what’s wrong with them. For example, if you notice that the latest viral beauty “hack” is actually damaging to the skin or hair, you can leverage your expertise to set the record straight and offer alternatives. This helps establish your brand as a leading voice in the field.

3 tips for slaying on TikTok

Determine your goals

The first question you need to ask yourself is this: What are you hoping to achieve? Greater brand recognition? Establishing yourself as a subject matter expert? Bringing more clients through your doors? Appealing to a particular demographic? Once you know what you want, it’s easier to move on to the next steps.

Many businesses use a combination of organic and paid marketing efforts on TikTok, so start by creating your own profile. Be sure to keep your business goals in mind as you post content like before-and-afters or tutorial videos. From there, scope out TikTok for Business — this ad platform makes it easy to create campaigns aimed at driving sales, generating leads, attracting new clients, and boosting conversions.

Be authentic

TikTok is not a place to fake it until you make it. Modern clients, particularly Millennials and Zoomers, deeply value authenticity in marketing — which means you should, too.

This can actually work out in your favor. Instead of posting perfectly polished, over-edited videos, you and your team can truly just be themselves. That’s why it’s important to establish a presence on TikTok before turning to paid efforts; users want to know they’re interacting with real people, not a faceless brand representative.

Stay on brand

What’s your brand vibe? Is it upscale and luxurious? Casual and whimsical? There’s no wrong answer — as long as your social media profile matches your brand identity. Keep that vision top of mind as you build up your TikTok presence. After all, if you present a youthful brand identity in your videos and users find a completely different type of atmosphere on your website, that’s going to be jarring.

If you’re not sure what your brand identity is, it’s time to take a step back and look at the bigger picture. Think about the image you want to present to clients when they walk into your business — and how you want them to feel after an appointment. Once you have a strong brand voice, you’ll find it easier to use that voice on TikTok and other social media outlets.

Social media is a critical component of any business owner’s toolbox, and TikTok has quickly cemented itself as a leader in the self-care space. By establishing a genuine, knowledgeable presence on TikTok, you’ll be able to tap into an engaged audience of trendsetters and beauty enthusiasts.