In this day and age, there are numerous social media platforms just waiting for your freelance business. From Facebook Marketplace to Pinterest Pins, the options are endless. This includes TikTok, the increasingly popular platform that has taken the world by storm! With over one billion users worldwide, TikTok is a highly powerful marketing tool for businesses and freelancers.
Do you want to promote your freelancing business on TikTok? You've come to the right place! Here at Indy, we aim to help freelancers with every aspect of the job. In this article, we will go through the basics of marketing on TikTok, the different internal and external marketing features, as well as tips on how to grow your TikTok audience and develop your brand as a freelancer.
Can You Make Money on TikTok as a Freelancer?
Although fairly new, TikTok is your traditional social media platform, and it offers several ways to earn money both internally and externally.
TikTok is the sixth most popular social media platform globally, and continues to grow its audience and popularity daily. With over one billion users, there's no denying there is an incredible potential audience there.
To generate money directly from TikTok, you must be 18 years old or older, have more than 10,000 followers, and have received at least 100,000 views in the past 30 days. Then, within the app, you may apply to the TikTok Creator Fund. We'll talk about this in greater detail further in the article.
However, there are many ways you can earn money, increase your business' awareness, and drive more traffic to your website with TikTok—without having a massive audience.
Whether you are a content writer, run your own eCommerce online store, or want to generate affiliate links to increase visitors to your blog, TikTok may be a valuable monetization tool.
TikTok Business vs Personal Account
You don't need a business account to make use of all of TikTok's features; however, if you wish to use ads, or even include your website link in video reels, you will need to sign up for one.
A TikTok business account is a public, professional account that has complete access to the app's promotional tools. This sort of account is great for businesses and brands wishing to make a big impression on the platform and develop an organized marketing plan.
Let's take a look at how a business vs personal account compares.
Pros of a business account:
- Access to TikTok's Business Suite is one of the most significant advantages of having a Business account. This includes access to:
- TikTok statistics for your profile, videos, content, and LIVE videos.
- TikTok advertisements and promoted videos which may help visitors find your videos, navigate to your website, and perhaps get more followers.
- Over one million commercially licensed tunes and sounds available in the Commercial Music Library. Through the tools and resources provided, brands may even develop their own TikTok trends and sounds.
- The Business Creative Hub to see current videos and get advice on best practices for content creation and planning.
- Another significant benefit, particularly for eCommerce businesses, is the opportunity to set up your own TikTok shop. Social shopping is the next phase of eCommerce, and with a TikTok store, you can showcase all of your items directly on the app, making it exceedingly simple for customers to buy. Followers may explore your items and then check out using Shopify.
It is free and just takes a few seconds to upgrade to a TikTok business account. Best of all, switching back to a creator account is simple if you change your mind.
Pros of a personal account:
- Access to the whole audio library. This is perhaps the most significant advantage of having a TikTok personal account. You'll have complete access to all of the app's popular songs, trending sound bytes, and other audio clips. Creators and influencers can use any existing sound clip as well as make their own.
- Capability to stitch and duet. Personal accounts may stitch or duet any video, allowing them to respond to or add to the stories of any other creator or brand video.
- Analytics and performance information are available to both types of TikTok accounts. To have access to analytics, personal accounts have to upload at least one public video. Because statistics aren't limited to company accounts, as they are on other applications, freelancers have an advantage in terms of reach and engagement.
Even with a personal account, freelancers can still work with businesses and brands, become verified, and acquire large followings.
How to Build Your Audience as a Freelancer
Most of TikTok's marketing tools are internal and designed to help build your profile and increase brand awareness—both of which are incredibly useful for developing more customers and finding clients.
Because of this, it's important to consider building some kind of audience before making full use of TikTok's marketing features.
Here are a few tips on how to build your TikTok audience as a freelancer.
Define your target audience
Ask yourself the following questions about the people you're attempting to reach:
- Where do they live?
- What do they do for a living?
- When and how do they engage with TikTok?
- What are their problems and obstacles?
The answers to these questions will help you create authentic content that will connect with the users who are most likely to follow you. They will also assist you in delivering consistent material that will keep your audience interested in the long term.
Make use of trending songs and sounds
These songs are popular for a reason! Because the algorithm will prefer content with popular sounds, they're an easy method to get your videos in front of more eyes. Trending sounds can be found under the explore tab, or you can utilize the tunes that the TikTok app suggests when you film a new video.
Of course, just because something is popular doesn't mean you are obligated to join in. Check that it is relevant to your audience and niche.
Use relevant hashtags
TikTok hashtags, like any other social media platform, are vital for sharing your content. Using popular hashtags (and making videos related to those topics) might increase the likelihood of your video showing on people's For You page.
If you're not sure what hashtags to use, look at other creators in your industry for inspiration. Alternatively, while creating your caption, simply type '#' to see what popular hashtags appear.
How to Make Money on TikTok as a Freelancer
Now that we have covered the basics, let's take a look at some of the different ways you can monetize your freelancing business through TikTok.
Partner with Brands
Businesses and brands are eager to participate in paid collaborations. On TikTok, sponsored content is defined as material in exchange for which you receive something of value.
For example, let's say you are a freelance beauty content creator—a brand may approach you to post a TikTok video about their latest skin care products in exchange for their product. Or, you're a freelance videographer, and a brand pays you to create and share a TikTok promotion video.
How to approach brands and write effective proposals
Before you begin, ensure that your sponsored content is consistent with your normal content. Only reach out to brands associated with your niche and audience.
Promoting brands and influencers is a great way to generate income on TikTok. However, most freelancing professions are very competitive, and a solid proposal might be the difference between closing the transaction and rejection.
Here are a few tips for writing an effective proposal.
Write a cover letter
The cover letter is not required to be included with the proposal, but it’s a fantastic place to start once you've located a potential customer and they've encouraged you to make a proposal.
Cover letters are frequently the first thing a prospective customer reads. These letters are brief and concise, and they should provide clients with a thorough understanding of who you are and how you do business.
Keep the cover letter casual and include each of the following:
- Introduce yourself.
- Thank them for the opportunity.
- Briefly explain the proposal's overview.
Create a title page
The title page's content is straightforward. It includes your name, the name of your client, and the title of your proposal. The page should be professional and inform the client that they are about to read a document produced by an expert on the proposals topic.
Include a table of contents
Include a table of contents unless your proposal is only a page or two long (and some brilliant proposal designs adopt this simple approach).
Give a brief overview with an executive summary
An executive summary is simply a setting for the remainder of the proposal. Introduce yourself and provide a summary of what the reader may expect in the coming sections.
This part should provide the reader with just enough information to understand who you are and what you provide without having to read anything further.
Outline your proposal
After the executive summary has been completed, it is time to move on to the details. This is where you outline your proposal to the customer, including deliverables, dates, and specific duties. Consider this your job description—this is precisely what you'll be doing for the client.
After reading this part, the customer should have no uncertainties regarding what they're paying for and what to expect for the course of your project or contract.
Finishing off
To finish off your proposal, make sure to include:
- A detailed pricing list so your client knows how much your services cost and how much they pay you for various parts of the task.
- An "About Me" section—concentrate on what distinguishes you, and explain how you perceive a relationship between yourself and the client's project.
- Add any testimonials and reviews (if deemed necessary) to show proof of previous experience with similar projects.
How to write and send invoices to brands
An invoice is a statement that shows how much money your client owes you after you finish a project or provide a service. It explains what items and services your business provided, how much they cost, the payment due date, and how your client may pay you.
There are three important terms to consider.
When you are going to be paid:
Typically, most freelancers charge for their services 30 days after content is posted. However, you may wish to be paid immediately after work has been approved.
How you are going to collect payment:
Make sure to establish how you want to get paid by the client. Your agreement could include something like this: "freelancer will be paid per payment instructions on invoice".
When and who you should invoice:
Check that you are sending the invoice to the correct person and at the correct time.
An invoice should be issued after you have completed a client or customer’s order—this could be for products, services, or both. If your business provides physical products, typically an invoice will be generated shortly after delivery.
If your business provides services, for example, creating content articles or graphic design, the invoice is typically generated after the service has been approved by your clients.
TikTok Creator Fund
As of July 22, 2020, TikTok offers the Creator Fund—giving $200 million USD to "encourage those who dream of using their voices and creativity to spark inspirational careers."
TikTok Creator Fund users must:
- Be located in the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Spain, or Italy.
- Be at least 18 years old.
- Have a minimum of 10,000 followers.
- Have received at least 100,000 video views in the previous 30 days.
- Have a TikTok account that follows the TikTok Community Guidelines and Terms of Service.
You may apply for TikTok's Creator Fund via the app if you have TikTok Pro!
Use TikTok Ads
TikTok advertisements can be used to drive traffic to your website or eCommerce store. You could run in-feed picture advertisements marketing your items, or you could get creative with TopView commercials (fullscreen takeovers) to increase your TikTok following—either way, you can make money on the platform.
TikTok may also be used as a top-of-funnel resource to get consumers to join your email list or SMS marketing. This method can make your TikTok account look less salesy while still being a powerful cash generator.
How to set up TikTok ads
As noted above, in order to use TikTok ads, you must have a business account.
Here's how to create TikTok ads:
- Create your TikTok ad account. The first step is straightforward: create an account on TikTok Ads Manager. Select your billing country or area, followed by whether the account is for a company or an individual. Then press "Next."
- Fill in some basic information like your email address and password. Then input the verification code that was sent to your email address. If you opt to sign up with your phone number, you'll need the verification code that was texted to you.
- Agree to the terms and conditions and click sign up.
- Once your ad is approved, log in to your dashboard and complete the account setup as directed.
How Indy Can Help
Indy wants to help freelancers, and there are several ways we can help with TikTok marketing. When it comes to collaborating with brands, a solid proposal is essential. Make captivating, professional-looking proposals and estimates with Indy's easy-to-use proposal software. Indy takes the uncertainty out of writing a great proposal by providing you with a clear, easy-to-follow template that is ready to submit in minutes.
That's not all—here are some other ways Indy can help you with your business needs.
- Indy easily interacts with hundreds of your favorite apps to automate your workflow, allowing you to get more done in less time via Zapier, a no-code automation tool that users may use to connect Facebook to other apps they use. Zapier links Indy to the applications you currently use, allowing you to maintain all of your work in one location.
- Our online invoice software can take the hassle out of invoicing, with a generator that produces simple invoice templates in seconds. Our invoice tools also make it easy to send professional invoices at set intervals—perfect for freelancers with recurring clients.
- Our Time Tracker tracks your hours for you. If you are billing customers based on an hourly rate, Indy's time tracking widget shows you how many hours have been billed, or still need to be billed, and can be filtered to your projects for easy timekeeping.
No matter the industry, Indy is simple, effective, and can help you manage your projects and business all on one platform. Sign-up now and try it for yourself!
Conclusion
With over one billion users worldwide, TikTok is a highly powerful marketing tool for businesses and freelancers. From TikTok ads to brand partnerships, TikTok can increase your business' presence and exposure to potential clients and customers, increase website traffic, and offer opportunities uncommon with other social media platforms.
TikTok isn't the only social media channel you can use for making money to market your freelancing business. Check out our article How to Make Money on Instagram as a Freelancer!
