Master TikTok LIVE With These Engagement And Growth Tips

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Going live on TikTok is exciting and, at the same time, a little stressful. TikTok LIVE, as the name implies, is the livestream feature on TikTok. You can attract a mass audience to your videos about car maintenance, gaming or just about any subject under the sun. How to go live on TikTok can be a simple act of clicking the plus sign at the bottom of the screen and selecting the live option, but engaging with others and growing your audience is not so easy. That’s where these tips on how to go live on TikTok can help.

What Is TikTok LIVE?

Before we cover the tips on how to go live on TikTok, here’s a basic rundown on TikTok LIVE. The service allows you to livestream to your audience. You can share cooking tips, explain how to get ready for school, or even do a deep dive on artificial intelligence. The basic idea is to talk live to anyone who wants to watch.

There’s a little more to it than that, of course. TikTok lets you add effects to the livestream, enable multi-guest hosting and moderation and even use a gifts feature. TikTok launched the LIVE feature in August of 2020, although some sources mention an earlier soft launch in 2019. As you can guess, that launch date corresponded to the pandemic and was likely designed to encourage more connection between users.

There’s no official minimum time period for a TikTok LIVE in terms of length, although one restriction is that you do need to have at least 1,000 followers. As long as you have a TikTok account and meet the follower count, anyone can go live using their phone. A TikTok LIVE can only go for 60 minutes.

Requirements To Go Live On TikTok

As mentioned, not everyone can use TikTok LIVE right away. You need at least 1,000 followers. You also need to be at least 18 years of age, and TikTok says you also have to follow the community guidelines. Beyond that, you can livestream just about anything — from seafood recipes to rugby rules.

There are no restrictions on the account type. TikTok LIVE is really meant for anyone and everyone, so as long as you follow the basic restrictions for followers and age, you should be good to go.

Steps To Go Live On TikTok

When you are ready to use TikTok LIVE, follow these basic steps. First, click the plus sign at the bottom of the screen. This is normally used for posting a video and writing your caption. Instead of posting a video, select the LIVE option. You may need to scroll over to it. Add a title and configure the settings, then click GO LIVE.

Keep in mind that, as you may have guessed, going live is a bit daunting. Be ready to start talking and explain what your livestream is all about. Later, I’ll cover some tips to increase engagement and grow your audience, but for now, just know that the best way to get started with TikTok LIVE is to be ready.

That can mean creating some scripted notes, having a product to demonstrate or even stepping outside first in the bright sun so that your video will look more appealing.

How To Start A TikTok LIVE On A Mac Or PC

There are two ways to stream live from a PC or Mac. The easiest method for PC users is to download the TikTok app for Windows, which supports livestreaming with your own webcam. Mac users should not feel left out, though. You can configure a streaming Restream to support TikTok for live streams.

Going live on a computer makes the entire process easier (although it is not as flexible as a phone). When you use a webcam, you can control the camera angle a little easier. You can also configure lights, your background and other variables to make sure the livestream looks crystal clear.

The steps to use TikTok LIVE with a computer are a little different from the mobile app. You will start a livestream using the TikTok LIVE Studio features in the app.

TikTok LIVE Tips

Mastering TikTok LIVE is important because it can help you grow an audience even further and increase engagement. A livestream gives your followers a window into your world, which helps with authenticity. When your followers see you are engaging in a livestream, they are more likely to engage with you.

Another important reason to go live on TikTok is related to notifications. Unless a TikTok user has this feature turned off, your followers will see a notification when you go live, so it’s an extra ping for them to engage with your content. This in turn helps with brand awareness. (As a TikTok user going live, you do have a personal brand and it’s critical to hone it and master that part of being an influencer.)

Engaging with an audience over a livestream helps you reach a new audience as well. Some users prefer to check-in on livestreams, and the button to do this is easy to find. It’s located in the upper left corner of the app. Of course, be prepared to engage live with your followers. Plan ahead so you can engage with them effectively and not stall or rabbit trail too much. Keep it lively, since this is all about real-time engagement.

1. Develop Your Audience First

A basic guideline for growth on social media and hosting a livestream is to develop your audience first. This means establishing yourself in a category, such as gaming or apparel, and then building your following one post at a time. (Be sure to use trending hashtags as a way to build up your following.)

Developing an audience starts with profiling your typical follower. Who are you targeting with your content? If it is teens playing Minecraft that’s one thing, but if it’s office workers looking for productivity tips, your content should be adjusted accordingly. Often, the biggest mistake TikTokkers make in going live is they have not determined exactly who they intend to reach and they have not posted enough relevant content.

2. Prepare For Your Livestream

Preparation is key when it comes to going live on TikTok. You don’t want to flip the switch and start a livestream and then sit idle with nothing to say. Instead, it’s a good idea to create a script and have a specific plan on what you will do and what you will say. Think of giving live as a news broadcast to your followers.

Related to that, long before you actually go live, make sure you have a plan on what you will do on TikTok LIVE for the coming weeks and months. This might remind you of a Netflix TV show series. Be sure you know what the first “episode” will entail and every livestream after that. It won’t help with growth and engagement if you only do one livestream and then keep posting recorded videos. Have a strategy for what you will talk about in each livestream as a way to be intentional with your audience and sustain their interest.

Nothing quite helps with growth and engagement on TikTok like having a plan. It shows intentionality and professionalism, and it helps followers to know that you are serious about TikTok as a platform.

3. Promote When You Will Go Live

All of the tips so far are related to preparing for your livestream, and that is by design. One reason livestreams sometimes fail is that the content is not fully planned out. Another critical step is to promote going live with normal recorded videos, hinting at things to come and when to tune in.

This is critical in the digital age of short attention spans. There are millions of other influencers out there, many of whom are going live on TikTok on a routine basis. By promoting your upcoming livestream, you are cutting through the noise and helping followers plan for when you will be broadcasting. This is particularly true for influencers who are trying to carve out a small business and promote a brand. It is possible to use TikTok live as a way to make more money, but one key is to make sure you alert followers about when you will go live.

When you follow the advice to promote the livestream a few times before you ever go live, it helps with engagement and growth because your followers will want to watch live. They will likely even promote your schedule to others, which is something they can’t do it if you don’t reveal when you will be going live.

4. Engage With Your Followers

Once you click Go Live and start a livestream on TikTok, remember to engage with your followers. This is a key part of a growth strategy and is the main difference between a successful livestream and one that is poorly attended. Followers want to be heard, so make sure you respond to comments.

Not only should you respond to comments as they come in, but it’s a good idea to be proactive as well. Mention some of your followers by name, especially the ones who have a large following. That way you are creating a relationship with your followers and acknowledging they took the time to watch.

This growth strategy works and promotes more engagement because your followers will come back for more when they know they can be part of the discussion. Leaving them out negates the whole reason for going live in the first place, which is to engage in real-time with your followers.

5. Make It Professional

There’s a key difference between being authentic and having a professional livestream. It’s okay to be personal, honest and real with your audience. However, make sure you have a professional, high-quality livestream. Followers need to be able to see the video clearly with good lighting and hear everything you say.

We all know what a bad livestream is like. The sound is a bit sketchy, you can’t quite see what is happening — it all seems poorly planned and poorly orchestrated. The best TikTok LIVE videos have a remarkable clarity to them with color, light and even sunshine to highlight what is happening.

This works as a growth strategy because we’re all drawn to something that is well-planned, looks good and sounds professional. When a livestream feels haphazard or poorly planned, your followers won’t mention it to anyone else or promote it on their own social media.

6. Remind People About The Next One

When you end up going live on TikTok and start engaging with your followers, one last tip is to make sure you keep the momentum going. During the livestream, mention the next time you will be on TikTok LIVE. This has a tremendous impact because it means your followers can tune in the next time.

That’s all part of having a good schedule and a plan for a series of TikTok livestreams. Let your followers know when you will be live again not only the next time but according to your schedule. Having these details ready will help them plan when to catch you on a TikTok LIVE the next time.

As a growth strategy, this tactic is incredibly important because the best time to secure an audience and grow your presence on TikTok is when you have a captive audience of people who will want to view your feed the next time you’re live. They will not just engage with you on a routine basis but will even promote your brand.

Bottom Line

TikTok LIVE is a powerful feature that can help you grow your audience and engage with them. By going live on TikTok, you are essentially letting the world know you have more to say, more content to share, are active on the platform and want to keep the momentum going with your social media presence.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

As mentioned previously, you do need at least 1,000 followers in order to go live on TikTok. However, as with anything in life, there are workarounds. TikTok allows other influencers to add hosts as a guest. So one great way to develop an audience and engage with more users is to join another TikToker on their livestream,

This has a snowball effect. When you join as a guest, you are able to speak to a wide audience. They will likely follow you once they see you have joined a TikTok LIVE, and that means you can increase your followers enough that you can then host your own livestream next time.

Even if you only have a few hundred followers, joining as a host means you are putting yourself out there to the masses. You can hone your skills, engage with users in real-time, promote your own channels and connect in a way that leads to more growth and engagement for your own feed.

One of the best TikTok LIVE features has to do with Gifts. These Gifts are small, monetary token appreciation that followers send to you during the livestream. It’s their way of saying thank you for hosting a livestream in the first place. When the LIVE ends, TikTok then awards diamonds that show popularity.

As you can guess, the Gifts actually do have a monetary value. There are about 100 different Gifts available and the pricing starts at about .01 per Gift. When followers decide to send you Gifts, it means they are rewarding your professionalism and great content. The only way to receive the Gifts is to go live.

Creators can make money when they go LIVE, depending on how many Gifts you receive and their cost. Whether we’re talking about being able to buy yourself a mocha latte or pay your house payment depends on whether you have a few thousand or millions of followers, and also whether the followers send you Gifts.

The best time to go live on TikTok really depends on your topic, follower interest and several other factors, The best times to go live mirror the best times to post in general, which tends to be in the mid morning or late afternoon. Again, it can depend on your audience.

For example, gamers typically will tune in later in the afternoon or evening, but they are less likely to watch a livestream in the morning. Business professionals might be more likely to tune-in when they are at work, especially if your livestream provides some helpful professional advice.

As mentioned, you can still go live on TikTok if you do not meet the 1,000 follower threshold. You do need to be invited to join the TikTok LIVE, so it helps to nurture those relationships and offer to speak on a subject where you have expertise (or at least something to bring to the table).

Joining another TikTok LIVE provides a few benefits. One is that you can practice being live on the platform before you are the actual host. You can help moderate the livestream and interact with other users.

TikTok LIVE is a great place to carve out a new category and to join those who have already developed an audience. That means you do need to find your niche and not just start another livestream that talks about gaming. You might jump on the gaming bandwagon, but with your own specific angle.

For example, maybe it’s Minecraft hacks or how to find used apparel in a specific city. Note that this is a two-step process. First, find a broad enough category that will attract a larger audience. Then, find your own spin in that category. A good place to look for trends is Google Trends, which tells you what people are searching for either in a given week or even the entire year. Capitalize on those trends.

Forbes