Can’t decide between a TikTok Creator or Business Account? Learn which is the best fit for your marketing strategy, from analytics tools to engagement boosts.
TikTok, the app known best for its sophisticated algorithm, diverse content, high engagement, and organic reach, is the place where brands can take their social media marketing strategy further. TikTok lets your brand tap into a generation of mobile-first consumers. However, brands need more than reach—they need tools to analyze performance, target specific audiences, and drive conversions. TikTok’s Business and Creator Accounts have different tool sets, and you need the right tools to manage your social media reach. If you are curious about what account you should set up for your brand, we can help.
Whether you aim to build brand awareness, engage with communities, or directly drive sales, understanding the nuances between these account types is important. In this guide, we’ll cover the specifics of each, exploring the features, analytics tools, and overall suitability for your brand’s marketing goals.
TikTok for Business vs. Creator Accounts
Though both cater to professional use, TikTok Creator and Business Accounts have a different focus: creators build communities and personal brands, while businesses promote products and services. As a result, each type of TikTok account has unique analytics, advantages, and ideal users.
TikTok Creator Account
Creator Accounts are the default option for new TikTok users – when you first open the app to make a profile, you’ll be set to a Creator Account unless you opt-in for a Business Account. A Creator Account is the same type of account as a TikTok personal account. Most TikTok users have Creator/personal accounts – they’re ideal for individuals, content creators, and influencers. Depending on the size of your business, it might even be a good choice for you.
Creator Account Pros:
- Access to developmental programs: Creator Accounts can access the TikTok Creator Fund and the Creator Next programs. These programs allow creators to monetize their accounts and collect money for high-performing content.
- Simple to use: Because they are the default option and must be accessible and useful for all types of users, the account features on creator accounts are the simplest to navigate.
- Built for engagement and community: Even without the primary focus on business or advertising, TikTok was designed to build a following, engage with audiences, and create content so you can reap the community engagement benefits of the app with just a personal account.
- Access to All Trending Sounds: Creator Accounts have full access to commercial and non-commercial sounds. Access to all commercial audio means you can participate in any trends, which is important considering TikTok sounds are one of the ways users explore new videos and a quick way to go viral.
Creator Account Cons:
- Limited advertising tools: Using a Creator Account gives you access to some TikTok ad tools but not the full suite. Most TikTok users don’t need the full suite, but it’s not ideal if TikTok plays a major role in your content strategy.
- Less in-depth analytics: Creator Account analytics provide limited metrics and analytics like followers and follower demographics, profile views (the number of times your TikTok profile has been viewed), video views (the total number of views on your TikTok videos), trending videos (an overview of which videos are currently trending or performing well), and followers and follower demographics.
TikTok Business Account
TikTok Business Accounts are designed for – you guessed it – businesses. However, some creators may also choose to use a TikTok Business Account. The reason is simple – with more analytics, tools, and features, Business Accounts give you greater control over your content’s performance and growth potential. Unlike personal accounts, Business Accounts unlock deeper insights into audience demographics, engagement metrics, and content performance. This data empowers creators to refine their strategy, understand their audience better, and tailor content for maximum impact. Features like video showcases, commercial music libraries, and third-party integrations streamline content creation and collaboration, saving creators valuable time and resources. So, while personal accounts offer a simpler experience, Business Accounts provide the data-driven edge that ambitious creators crave to take their content to the next level:
Business Account Pros:
- Insightful Performance Metrics and Audience Data: TikTok analytics are important to measure your brand’s success on the platform. Brands have access to more thorough analytics and have the ability to download reports, making it easy for social media managers to keep the marketing team in the loop.
- Intuitive Business Suite: The Business Suite is an easy-to-use, all-in-one hub for analytics, content creation inspiration, and more. This is an excellent resource for brands to ensure they take advantage of everything the app offers.
- Linking: Business TikTok Accounts are designed to help support your overall business goals. Accounts with over 1,000 followers can optimize their TikTok Bio with important information like website links, phone numbers, addresses, and more to boost conversions.
- Creative Guidance: The Business Creative Hub contains a wealth of information for brands to learn how to use TikTok marketing to its fullest potential. The hub offers content creation inspiration and advice on best practices for planning and shooting TikTok video content.
- Exclusive Video Showcases: The Business Creative Hub also offers a video showcase tool- a resource native to the TikTok app that helps you stay updated on what’s trending so you can get in on the fun. This tool shows you three feeds of trending content over the past 30 days in your country: Trending Business, Engaging Business, and Trending Community.
- Extensive Commercial Music Library: Business Accounts can access over 500,000 royalty-free commercial sound clips to create content with. The video showcases are a great way to find trending sounds.
- TikTok Shop Feature: Business Accounts have access to TikTok’s social shopping platform, allowing e-commerce brands to link to a Shopify site and promote and sell products directly from the TikTok app. This can be a great way for small businesses to reach their target audience and boost conversions.
- Third-Party Social Media Management Integration: Business Accounts can connect the account to third-party platforms, making it easier for social media managers to share content with the marketing team and schedule content for the brand.
Business Account Cons:
- Finite Audio Library: A Business Account cannot access non-commercial use sounds. Though you get access to tons of commercial sounds, you still might not be able to hop on every trend you see.
- Limited Dueting Options: The restricted audio library also means that business accounts can’t duet with just any video. When you duet a video, you combine your content with theirs. If the original video uses non-commercial music, your business account might be unable to use it in the duet, limiting engagement and reach.
- More Complex: Business Accounts are designed with more management tools, analytics, and options, making them a bit more complicated to navigate than Creator Accounts. This might be an issue if you’re unfamiliar with TikTok monetization overall. Still, it’s easy to resolve with a few lessons on how to use TikTok in your digital marketing strategy.
How to Set Up a TikTok Business Account
If you want to set up a TikTok Business Account, we are here to help! It is easy to create or switch to a Business Account:
- Head to the menu in the top right corner of your TikTok profile and click Settings and Privacy
- Tap Manage Account
- Tap ‘Switch to Business Account’
- From here, the app will lead you through the necessary steps to set up your Business Account.
Posting Your First TikTok Video on Your Business Account
After exploring your TikTok Business Account features, optimizing your TikTok profile, learning about target audience demographics, and setting clear marketing campaign objectives, it’s time to post your first video. Here are a few things to keep in mind:
- It’s All About Engaging Content: Your goals and knowledge about your target audience should help you develop content that aligns with your brand and resonates with that audience. Leverage trends, TikTok’s unique visual and audio features, and your brand voice to make the most engaging and high-quality content.
- Don’t Forget the CTA: It can be easy to neglect a CTA when you expect your content to do all the talking, but make sure you encourage users to engage by adding a clear call to action, such as liking, commenting, sharing, or visiting a website.
- Strategic Hashtags are Your Friend: Research and include relevant and trending hashtags in your caption to increase discoverability. You can also create a branded hashtag for your campaign if appropriate.
- Optimize Video Length and Format: Keep videos short, as TikTok’s audience prefers concise content. Utilize TikTok’s features like text, stickers, and effects to enhance engagement.
- Leverage Music and Sounds: Choose popular or trending music that fits your content and enhances appeal. Use popular sounds or create your own to stand out.
- Influencers Rule TikTok: Collaborations with influencers on TikTok can help you extend reach and credibility. Find and connect with influencers in your industry through the TikTok Creator Marketplace, which lets creators monetize their content while you get to connect with relevant creators and run campaigns.
- Monitor Analytics: If you have a TikTok Business Account, you have access to all the ad and marketing tools – so you better use them. Check your analytics to assess the performance of your content and adjust your strategy based on engagement metrics and audience feedback.
TikTok is a powerful platform brands can use to reach and engage target audiences in new and exciting ways. The first step in tapping into the platform’s benefits is choosing the right account and setting your strategy.
TikTok for Business with First Media
First Media’s goal as a digital media and performance marketing company is to help our brand partners take advantage of everything social media can offer them. From content creation to audience targeting and influencer marketing strategies, we have the expertise and resources to get the most out of TikTok. Learn how First Media can help you generate more revenue with Social Commerce, and let us help you get the most out of TikTok and other social media platforms.
