What is the biggest challenge you face when it comes to using TikTok?

We feel a bit held back by the inability to use trending audio due to copyright

Adapting our fairly traditional brand voice to a more casual setting is a big challenge, plus our review/approval process is too cumbersome.

One-person social team! 

So many challenges, so little time! I am a one-person social team, and I oversee both organic and paid content. What’s more, I’m working at an international law firm. While I have quite a bit of autonomy, I admittedly am not convinced of how our firm’s voice would fit on the platform -- let alone how I would keep up with content creation.

All that said, it pains me to not be on TikTok, because it is an incredible platform that has so much to offer for both creators and consumers.

We’re struggling to agree on what type of content to post on TikTok. Company culture, recruitment, financial education, etc. We want to post content users want to see, without coming off ‘goofy’ or ‘silly’ - which could in turn lose trust among our customers being a ‘serious’ industry. 

TikTok is definitely a more time-consuming/intensive platform. So it requires a lot more prep and creation work than X/Twitter might

Being unsure of where to start, deciding on an approach or if this is a platform that makes sense for our organization.

Our social media team does not currently have the time required to create and publish video-heavy content. We also face scheduling software limitations. We find it effective, so far, to remain on Meta and publish occasional Reels for clients using trending audio. To keep on pace with TikTok, its strategies and post frequency, is also time-consuming. Not to mention, our paid team would need to devote additional time to master this platform.

Have you seen any successful brands create TikTok content without a person as the face of the org? Is it possible to be successful on the platform without specific people narrating or featured in your content?

Unfortunately, in my industry, early childhood care and education (ages 6wks to 12 years old), our customers will either be our biggest supporters or our biggest “haters.” Because we have many locations who offer different quality of care, it is hard to post content that can all our customers can relate to since the care we provide can vary so much from location to location. Overall, we try to keep the content as universal as possible, but acknowledge the one-off events that a specific will host just in case a perspective customer who wants to attend a particular center wants to see content about that center (so basically keeping the content varied).

One person social media team here! TikTok content is so unique that I don’t have the bandwidth to create or manage influencers/creators. 

I think the biggest challenge for us is that I’m afraid of certain trends because we are a municipal government agency. While our brand is promoting events and hospitality and we do already create humorous videos, I sometimes fear trying to join in on trends. Certain trends are tied to songs that would not be deemed appropriate, but I love the trend itself. So I have been trying to come up with a way to still engage in a trend without following certain aspects that could be flagged as inappropriate for a government agency to post. 

Finding and training our internal staff to help with the content creation.

Definitely echo the subject of trending audio and copyright limitations but from an agency perspective, not having a “face” for a brand means we have to get more creative when creating content for a brand that feels authentic, meets brand guidelines and is engaging. 

This is something we struggle with as an agency for multiple brands. We create a lot of videos without faces, just hands or stop motion for inanimate objects. It’s definitely a challenge and a whole different ball game for brands without a “face.”

Creating a consistent rotating content calendar. We have audiences from every demographic, so it some times feels like we are leaving certain people out to appeal to another group. And having content when you aren’t based in the location you are promoting is hard to stay consistent.

I think it depends on the type of content you are creating? Personally, we are a public library so because we have so many branches with different types of staff and patrons, featuring a wide array of people on our TikTok helps to make sure everyone feels seen. But if you are a small business, I can see how it would be hard to thrive without having a “face.” I think then it would become more of a product-centric/voiceover moment.

Getting video content is a big hurdle for us and the fact that we have 12k followers but our videos are getting 200 views, so we don’t think we are getting on our follower’s feeds either. 

Currently being a one man social team and trying to get others to be on camera with me is probably the hardest part! I am fine with being on camera, but sometimes I need people for certain videos. Another challenge I face is approval from our legal team :)   

I work for a brand that has been around for over 120 years, and our marketing approach focuses on legacy, heritage, and authenticity. Due to the nature of our products (cutlery/pocket knives), we’re severely limited on paid promotion and rely almost entirely on organic.

Creating and posting content that abides by the community guidelines, fits our traditional voice, and appeals to younger audiences (18-35) has been an interesting challenge. 🤔

@Chelsea.McCarty That is quite the challenge! Are there other similar brands that you’re following? I know a few folks here work in government so any inspiration is welcome!

@alyssar One thing we found super helpful was creating “how-tos” for video and tapping in folks from around the organization. Have you thought of a similar approach? That way you don’t need to be on camera always!

@hannah.cobb That is frustrating! Do you have a link to your profile? Would love to see some of the content!

Leveraging how to respond to potential comments without using TikTok as another customer service line! 

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