It’s no secret that TikTok has taken the world by storm — especially throughout the pandemic — and there are no signs of it slowing down anytime soon. In fact, TikTok users grew 75% from January to September 2020. Because of this success, almost every other social media platform has realized the need to incorporate short-form video into their offerings in order to survive and remain relevant to today’s consumers.
TikTok’s growth has been exciting to follow ever since it launched in the U.S. a few years ago, and there have been many developments that have come into play on the app over the past year. TikTok is not only a popular app for high schoolers and those who like dancing to top hits, but it’s actually proven to become a valuable source of information around a wide variety of educational and human interest topics. And while the app continues to grow in popularity among people of all ages, as of now, roughly 50% of TikTok’s global audience is under the age of 34 with 26% between 18 and 24. Since TikTok users are still primarily Gen-Z and millennials, it’s that much more important for the platform to facilitate legitimate, valuable information.
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Something interesting to emerge lately in the social media space is how mental health experts have begun to utilize the popular short-form video app to normalize mental health treatment, along with the acceptance and understanding of mental triggers and illness, especially as we continue to navigate the Covid-19 pandemic and political unrest. We’ve entered a new year and as we continue to spend time away from our loved ones and avoid in-person social interaction for the immediate future, our mental and emotional health also continues to be at stake.
In such a critical time, it’s important for mental health experts to ensure they’re reaching the broadest audience possible — especially with financial or time barriers restricting people from seeking medical treatment. TikTok has helped to solve some pretty significant issues for the mental health community, and it’s encouraged for all experts to get their feet wet and explore the platform.
The thought of acclimating to social media can be daunting for some, and there are a few key things to keep in mind if you’re considering dipping a toe into the complex world of TikTok. Below are some helpful resources that can make the process easy-to-navigate, and most importantly, get you in front of the millions of people who need your help today.
The secret behind TikTok and its fast-fame algorithm
One of the most valuable aspects of TikTok’s technology is its ability to take a video from a user with zero followers and somehow place it in front of a plethora of people. This genius algorithm embedded into its “#ForYou” feature has helped bring awareness to people who never would’ve been noticed on Instagram or YouTube, as those platforms primarily rely on follower count in order to gain visibility.
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In a press statement from TikTok, the social media giant runs through how the #ForYou function works, which is essentially a curated collection of content that’s unique to each user. Content recommendations are based on user interactions, video information and account settings, so it’s important to follow TikTok’s guidelines in order to ensure your content has a fair shot of going viral. In addition, it’s important to ensure that you’ve curated your channel to hone in on a specific content strategy. Ask yourself, what topics should I post about to differentiate myself as a creator and effectively connect with potential fans?
TikTok hacks that will get you noticed in the mental health category
Community building and growth are essential functions of TikTok, and there’s a “micro-community” for everything. On February 5th, TikTok published their rising trends report which highlights meticulous details about the nature of some of these micro-communities. Recently, TikTok shared examples of key mental health-based subject matters on the platform, along with their corresponding user handles. Featured topics include PTSD, depression, eating disorder recovery, body confidence and more.
When uploading your content onto TikTok, be sure to utilize key hashtags like #MentalHealthAwareness. This will help funnel your videos into the most relevant category, give you an opportunity to grow your business and give non-patients an understanding of your style of care and demeanor.
It goes without saying that for the medical community, it’s incredibly important to be vigilant about ensuring that advice provided on social media platforms remains credible and compliant with medical regulations. Be sure to thoroughly work to assess risk, which will ensure that misinformation is not being shared across the platform, or through the methods that fans are engaging with your content.
How easy-to-use video editing tools can speed up the process
If you’re wondering how to get started — it’s more simple than you’d think. It’s recommended tapping a third-party easy-to-use video editing tool to help ensure that the content you’re sharing is reflective of your personal brand and that it appears as polished as possible on the feeds of your target audience. Through these tools, you can access professional templates, stock footage, music tracks, photos and more. It helps you through every step of the video creation process, by reducing time and complexity, so you can bring your creative vision to life with the click of a button.
Video today is an extremely powerful driver of channel and revenue growth, and can even generate opportunities to grow your clientele. While it’s perceived as expensive and inaccessible, it’s actually the opposite; editing tools can allow you to bring your vision to life quickly and easily without working with an expensive production company or videographer.
From sharing stories about mental health, to coping mechanisms and tactics to weather through the Covid-19 storm, TikTok is filled with opportunities to provide extra support to people who need it. It can allow users and professionals to not only connect and discuss important issues on a surface level, but can ultimately facilitate more meaningful, legitimate relationships during these unprecedented times and generate business. With the help of an easy-to-use editing tool — and of course, an open mind — mental health experts can dive in and experience all that the unique community has to offer in no time.
Photo: TikTok
TJ Leonard is the CEO of Storyblocks, a different kind of content company delivering a fresh approach to meet the creative needs of a new generation of storytellers. Built on the belief that all stories deserve a chance to be told, Storyblocks provides video, audio and images through its unique subscription model. By offering unlimited downloads and continually adding fresh content, Storyblocks challenges the paradigm that your ambitious creative vision requires deep pockets. Headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, Storyblocks has been recognized by the Inc 5000 list seven consecutive years and was recently named as one of Washington D.C.’s Top Workplaces by The Washington Post, and among the Best Places to Work by the Washington Business Journal. TJ is a New Hampshire native, who graduated from the University of Virginia and MIT’s Sloan School of Management, and lives in Washington DC with his wife and two kids.
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