Gemma Dunsmore (This Space Is Ours) on Promoting Your Music on TikTok

05 Jun

With a variety of artists such as Lil Nas X, Doja Cat, Ava Max and more becoming global sensations thanks to TikTok, it's a no brainer that TikTok needs to be a major part of anyones music marketing strategy. Noisehive's Gemma Dunsmore has been promoting her band This Space Is Ours for a few years now and details a few tips and tricks in this guide.

If you've been living under a rock TikTok is a mobile app (formerly known as Music.ly) that allows users to produce short-form videos using music from the app's library. Users express themselves on the app through a variety of ways including singing, dancing, comedy, lip-syncing and allowing other users to create and share the videos. Over the years the platform has accumulated over one billion active users globally and most the content posted is based around music. So it's no surprise that going viral on TikTok can do big things for your music career.

TikTok's algorithm creates a unique content feed for every user called the 'For You' page. The content on this page becomes more and more tailored to the individual user the more they interact with the platform. Different to other social media platforms, the algorithm also doesn't depend on follower count and ranks videos based on engagement level. Follow this guide for some useful tips to get your TikTok's trending.

Distribution

It goes without saying that your music won't be able to go viral on TikTok if it's not up on the platform. Fortunately, here at Noisehive we can distribute your tracks to TikTok as well as many other platforms such as Spotify, Apple Music, Deezer and more. All you have to do is sign up to Noisehive, upload your track with any details you need us to know and let us handle the rest.

TikTok videos can be from 15 seconds to a minute in length, so make sure to let us know the exact time you would like your song snippet to start; usually the catchiest part of the song. On the release date, your track will then be available for TikTok users across the globe to select from the platform's music library every time they create a new video.

Authenticity

At its core TikTok is real people creating makeshift content to entertain one another so theirs no need to stress about perfect lighting or framing. It is all about authenticity so just have fun and encourage people to follow your trend or challenge by creating their own video.

The TikTok community are known for having a high standard when it comes to authenticity and they will hold you to it. Once you begin to gain an audience, listen and engage with them. Make sure you are super clear about what you stand for and remain consistent and honest with those brand values. Lastly, always push creativity and community over pushing follows, likes, comments, ticket sales or streams.

Hashtags

Similar to many other social platforms, hashtags are probably the most important method of relating a type of content to a video and are usually at the center of TikTok's viral content. Always include a mixture of hashtags in any video you post. They can be specific to the content as well as being more general.

You could even piggyback on current trending hashtags to help reach more people. If a hashtag you choose is popular or highly searched, you can boost the chances of your video appearing in TikTok's 'Discover' tab. The 'Discover' tab can also give you insights on what hashtags are currently popular.

Community

Your TikTok strategy can't just be a single challenge or collaboration. Your focus should be on building a genuine presence on the platform and a community around your music. Luckily, users of TikTok are relentless and obsessive in their quest for community and want some type of fandom they can follow and be a part of. Make sure to co-create, be persistent and engage with your followers by creating a two-way dialogue with your community.

One popular strategy is to team up with another artist in your niche to cross-promote your content on each others channels. This is a quick and easy way of potentially gaining an already "qualified" following of your own. For the same reason, you could also collaborate with an influencer. It is critical to make sure there's a true connection between your song, the influencer and the video concept. Depending on the size of the influencer's community, you can either reach out to them directly or submit a proposal via an influencer marketing agency.

Challenges

Challenges and contests thrive on TikTok. When a new challenge appears on the platform, TikTok users will be more inclined to be interested in the content and the algorithm knows it. The challenges that tend to blow up are fun and can be interpreted many different ways by different people. You want to leave room for people to be creative and put their own unique twist on your existing trend. Dance routines, lip-syncing, costumes and comedy memes are a few examples of what some of the most popular TikTok challenges involve.

Encourage your community to take part in a challenge specific to your track using a specific hashtag. When creating your challenge, make sure that it's engaging and easy to understand, and that you acknowledge people for their effort. You won't be able to generate a viral sensation by simply posting the challenge and sitting back, you will need to be proactive. One idea is to make it a contest and offer a prize to the winner.

Analytics

Along with apps like Instagram and Twitter, TikTok have jumped on the in-app analytics bandwagon. Through the analytics dashboard any content creator can access important data and metrics about their content and engagement for free. To access this dashboard, simply head to the 'Creators Tools' tab from your account settings. Then select 'Analytics' and you'll be able to access stats about video views, likes, comments, shares and more.

With a TikTok Pro account you'll be given an even deeper view of your stats with more detail such as audience demographics and what content is working best for you. To switch to a Pro account, go to the 'Manage My Account' tab and click 'Switch to TikTok Pro'.