This is a guest post from Parichehr Parsi and Social Pros. Parichehr is a freelance copywriter in the fields of travel, fashion, and Instagram marketing.
If you’re an eCommerce merchant or marketer who wants to grow a social following, you should be looking at TikTok and Instagram. The TikTok app has been downloaded more than 2.6 billion times and there are 800 million active TikTok users worldwide, which means you can’t afford to ignore it in your eCommerce marketing strategy.
However, TikTok doesn’t have a clear path to sale — unlike platforms like Instagram, which can connect directly to your Shopify store. So, how can you leverage the virality of TikTok and grow your Instagram following, to make more sales?
How to Grow Instagram with TikTok?
Merchants can use videos to build consumer trust in their eCommerce businesses more easily than ever with TikTok. Considering the nature of TikTok and its algorithm, anyone can go viral based on the content they produce. Merchants can utilize the fame gained from TikTok to grow their Instagram following as well.
With a little bit of creativity, you can attract your TikTok audience to your Instagram account — here are 6 ways to do that.
1. Connect Your Instagram and TikTok Accounts
Connecting your two accounts can make it easier for your followers to find you on Instagram. You can connect your TikTok account to your Instagram account by clicking the “Edit Profile” button above your bio, next to the follow button. This will give your audience an easy way to discover you on other platforms.
2. Promote Your Instagram Account in Your TikTok Content
Cliffhanger videos can tempt your TikTok audience to finish watching the rest of the video on Instagram or any other platform. For example, you can show a box of your new products on TikTok but put a picture of what is inside the box on Instagram. You can cook a recipe on TikTok and post a picture of the dish on Instagram. Or, do an illustration on TikTok and post the final result on Instagram.
One other option is to promote your Instagram account on your TikTok video itself. So, it is all about referring to your Instagram account both in the caption of your TikTok videos and in the videos themselves.
3. Create a TikTok Video about Your Instagram
Tell your TikTok followers about what you do on Instagram. This can be interesting if what you do on Instagram varies from what you do on TikTok. Encourage your TikTok audience to follow you on Instagram so they don’t miss out.
For example, you may be more humorous on TikTok, but more practical on Instagram.
4. Use Uniform Branding on TikTok and Instagram
Keep your brand consistent on TikTok and Instagram to make it easy to find and recognize you on either platform.
Whether it’s your website, marketplace listings, or social media, it’s important that customers can identify you and your brand. You want to be able to be found, recognized, and remembered. You have to build up your brand reputation and trust in order to sell products and earn revenue online.
It is also important to keep an eye on your competitors when crafting your brand on social. Steer clear of any messaging or graphics that could cause your audience to confuse you with a competing brand.
5. Highlight Your Instagram in Your TikTok Bio
Use your TikTok bio to show followers where else they can find you (like on Instagram). Your bio should contain information about your eCommerce store, where people can buy from you, your biggest benefits, and other accounts like Instagram or YouTube.
You can also announce special promotions in your TikTok bio that require action on your Instagram account. This can help move followers over to Instagram if you say, for example, eligibility to win requires an Instagram follow. We’ll go into that more in the next point.
6. Promote Your Instagram Contests and Giveaways
You can organize competitions or give away prizes on Instagram, and promote these events on your TikTok account. You can include CTAs in your TikTok video captions, or talk about your contests and giveaways in your videos themselves. This encourages your TikTok audience to move over to Instagram for a chance to win.
Conclusion
When you have a large TikTok following and no clear way to monetize it, you should start thinking about how to move at least some of that audience to Instagram, which has Buy on Instagram and Instagram Shopping. You don’t have to do a perfect job, but implementing some of the tips above will help you expand your following and capture your audience on more platforms.
Be sure to monitor your Instagram activity for any change in your audience, and don’t forget to nurture your Instagram followers after you increase them. Finally, keep your Instagram goals in alignment with your overall customer acquisition strategy. Good luck!
