8 TikTok Ideas for Engagement

In “11 TikTok Video Ideas for Merchants,” I offered options to promote products. But there are other ways to attract and engage prospects on TikTok.

Here are eight TikTok engagement ideas for all types of businesses.

TikTok Ideas for Engagement

Reenact dialogue. Lip-syncing videos are often on top of the trending and “For You” pages (TikTok’s version of a tailored “discover” page).

To do this, grab an Original Sound, which can be dialogue from movies or television shows but are often made by independent creators. Anything you record on TikTok can be used as an Original Sound by someone else on the platform.

Once you’ve found an Original Sound to use, simply lip-sync to it, applying your own unique spin.

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Record a voiceover. A voiceover is a narration from, typically, an external speaker who was not involved with the original production, although it could also come from the original creator. Voiceovers allow the audio to be clear and concise. Write a script for the video you want to post and then record your voice quickly. This is a trend because it allows creators to fit a lot of detail into what they want to share.

Again, recording a voiceover in TikTok results in an Original Sound.

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Create a time-lapse. A time-lapse video can show the entire process of creating your product or service. This works well with smaller items that can be filmed in one sitting, such as cooking, painting, or crafting. Record yourself making the item, increase the speed, and post!

In the video below, we see a sped-up recording of the artist @artofpoints painting a mandala on a heart-shaped stone.

This time-lapse video by @artofpoints demonstrates painting on a stone.

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Show a before and after. Show your audience how far you’ve come. Exposing your vulnerable side helps connect with prospects and demonstrates how much effort you’ve put into yourself and your business. Before-and-after videos on TikTok range from personal, such as a “glow up” of what you used to look like, to a setting of what your house or office used to look like, to a product, as in the first iteration compared to what you sell today.

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Make a calming video. Good news: calming videos on TikTok are in. Most have satisfying, crisp sounds rather than grabbing attention or selling.

This video from @jessicalong2312 focuses on sounds and visual colors.

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Or a satisfaction video. Similar to the calming videos, satisfaction videos focus on how “satisfying” the imagery is. The example below from @softcookiessarona has more than 14 million views and shows the soft cookie maker creating a perfect crepe.

TikTok user @softcookiessarona demonstrates a satisfying way of making a perfect crepe.

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React to a video. While browsing TikTok, save videos you find interesting or even controversial and then react to them. In the example below, a dermatologist reacts to a video by Hank Green, a popular YouTube vlogger, on sunscreen. The dermatologist is using the opportunity to demonstrate her professional authority while also creating engagement.

Dermatologist @skinbydrazi reacts to a video on sunscreen from a popular YouTuber.

Similarly, try “duetting,” named after the TikTok feature “Duet.” It’s when the audience sees two TikTok videos side-by-side and watches them both as one. In the example below, a TikTok user is duetting a video — playing along with the original creator.

“Duetting” is when the audience sees two TikTok videos side-by-side and watches them as one. This example is from @atlantavoiceoverstudio (at right).

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Cover news in your industry. Has a celebrity used your product or a similar one? Have you introduced a new feature or technology in your products? If it can be written about, you can create a short video on the same topic.