There is a new influencer on the block, and it is growing by leaps and bounds. It is called TikTok. TikTok is a social media platform that allows users to share short-form video content, lasting from 15 sec to 3 minutes. You can also upload longer 10-minute videos. They built the platform for short and to-the-point videos. It also offers a ton of options for customizing.
TikTok has taken the world by storm. Starting as a platform for teens to create music videos, it has now morphed into a platform for everything, with over a billion users. It is very easy to create and upload video content of any subject to the platform. More and more people are using it to share their content and market their products. Over the past couple of months, I have been experimenting with it a lot. I am creating different kinds of content and testing different types of videos. I have been learning the platform. I have focused on three areas with my video content. One, promoting my books, two, talking about self-publishing, including creating a multi-part series on how to create and publish a poetry book. Both print and eBook. See the picture above. And third, highlighting my watercolor painting and drawings.
I have found videos that instruct or show you how to do something, that seems to work better for me. But that is just me. There are tons of videos of people dancing, comedy, or giving dating advice that reached millions of viewers. TikTok has lots of different options and features to customize your videos. Most social media platforms, Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter, allow you to connect your account to your web properties. TikTok is a little different, you need to gather 1,000 followers to have that YRL link be live. So it is a bit of a challenge. I am getting there; I am about halfway. TikTok can be a lot of fun, entertaining, and at times, a bit addictive.
I would recommend getting involved in TikTok. Open a free account and start creating some video content. Start learning about it and see if it can work for promoting your books, products, and yourself. It could become the next big social networking and marketing platform, if it is not already.
You can find me on TikTok at https://www.tiktok.com/@jbrucejones
J. Bruce Jones is an author and creator of over 50 books. Bruce teaches self-publishing authors how to publish and sell their books. To learn more about Bruce’s latest book, How to Market and Sell Your Book click here.
