TikTok is no longer only for teenagers and dance trends. Businesses of all sizes use it to be found and the platform rewards a different kind of content than Instagram or LinkedIn. This guide summarizes what Buffer recommends for brands starting out, with our notes on how to keep it realistic for a small team.
Why bother?
Buffer cites about 1.69 billion monthly active users worldwide, and growth in older age groups: weekly US usage among 35 to 44 year olds has risen since 2022, according to YouGov. It also cites that 45% of users look for more information about a product after discovering it on TikTok. Treat these third-party figures as context, and check that your audience is actually there. Check whether your customers actually use the platform before committing.
What works for brands
| Principle | What it means in practice |
|---|---|
| Authenticity over polish | Unpolished, real content often beats slick advertising on TikTok |
| Talk about the customer’s problem | Answer questions and pain points as well as product features |
| Mix evergreen and trending | Some videos stay useful for months, others ride a moment |
| Use keywords naturally | Put the words people search for in captions and on-screen text |
| Create natively | Film and edit in the app or in the same vertical style |
| Stay consistent in voice | Same tone and look across videos so you are recognizable |
How often to post
Buffer says TikTok rewards consistency more than any other platform. It suggests daily if possible, and three to four times a week if not. For a small team, we would start at two or three videos a week that you can keep up for months and increase only if the workload allows.
A starter plan
- Week one: watch your niche for a few days and note what formats repeat.
- Pick three content ideas: answer a common question, show behind the scenes, show a before and after.
- Batch-film a week of videos in one session on a phone.
- Hook the viewer in the first seconds, and put the point early.
- Review after a month: which videos earned watch time, shares and comments?
Buffer’s analysis of 7.1 million posts points to mid-week afternoons, around 4 to 5 p.m., as a strong window, but test your own audience.
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