With more than 1 billion active monthly users, TikTok has moved beyond a service limited to viral content for young audiences to a booming business-friendly platform that can help you reach audiences across all demographics.

We sat down with Maayan Gordon, TikTok Expert and Co-Founder of Champion Empire, to discuss the platform and why it’s a smart place for startups and new businesses, even in the B2B space, to begin creating content. She highlights where to get started, how to encourage your audience, and why the sea shanty trend could’ve made sense for you.

Jump in Quickly

The best way to start promoting a business on TikTok is to create something. Your first video doesn’t have to be perfect, and getting started makes the next one easier.

“TikTok isn’t a platform with a lot of mistakes to worry about,” says “You really have to jump right in and start experimenting to see what works. When you find something that works, start going in that direction more often.”

Focus on where you and your business have experience, and be helpful with short, informative content. “Educational content something that the platform really values,” says Gordon. “The algorithm looks for this and wants to promote it.”

Inform your strategy with content from your same niche. Take time to browse what’s there and discover relevant and popular hashtags or content types. Be sure to take notes while you do, because TikTok is designed to be a rabbit hole that users tumble down. Having those notes makes it easy to go back and see your ideas and thoughts instead of trying to remember what you wanted to do after being mesmerized for 20 minutes.

Use your network

For businesses that are part of networking groups, incubators, and other collaboration areas, lean on this network as you start creating. It’s an effective way to generate ideas and interest. Find at least one other employee or business to partner with and use the platform’s native tools to create content that features you both.

“The TikTok algorithm mirrors how people already operate,” says Gordon. “People love dynamic and relationship content. It’s why reality TV is such a big deal. We love to watch how other people interact. So, in general, TikTok accounts that have two or more people are easier to grow, and the audience forms deeper connections with those brands and profiles.”

Collaborations are an effective way to start building content, too. You not only get benefits from the algorithm and platform liking this content type, but you can find partners for creativity and the accountability needed to post consistently enough to gain your audience.

Shopify offers a consistent blend of educational content, viral, and collaborative content. Not only is it engaging, but the brand promotes itself by highlight the successes of others. It also doesn’t hurt that a Google search for Shopify’s TikTok content also brings up their platform’s partnership with the app.

Capitalize on relevant trends

As you create, use the platform and browse trends in your niche and the broader TikTok community. Jumping in on a trend can give you a boost because the platform likes to promote content and hashtags that are trending.

“If you can figure out a clever way to work your business or content category into a trend, create that content,” says Gordon. “Typically, people will see it as clever. I know many businesses are worried that doing ‘goofy’ content will make them look unprofessional. But if you’re able to adapt a silly thing into your serious niche, most people will think ‘clearly this person knows things I don’t,’ instead of looking down on what you create.”

That said, she suggests keeping your trendy content in line with best practices:

• 20 seconds or less

• Full-screen, vertical videos

• Content created natively on the platform

• Consistent with your overall brand personality

Realize this is a long-term investment

Perhaps the most significant piece of advice that startups may not realize is that TikTok serves as a long-term play, not a quick way to generate hype. Gordon says it can take six months to a year for companies to build a large following and generate significant income from TikTok. However, the platform serves as a smart investment for creating marketing and sales strategies built to last.

“Video is not going away,” says Gordon. “It and social media are only going to become more important parts of operations. You can see that as a trend over the past 20 years, rising from nothing to huge parts of a business. If you want to exist as a business over the coming decades, start thinking about how you’re going to make that content pivot, and get ahead of the coming technology and video demands now. Otherwise, you risk becoming irrelevant.”