How to Use TikTok: A Step-by-Step Guide

I was one of those Zillennials who avoided getting started on TikTok for as long as possible. It’s not that I don’t love social media — trust me, I do. It just took me a long time to accept that TikTok, unlike Vine, was here to stay.

A woman watches TikTok on her phone; How to Use TikTok

Unfortunately, my opinion has changed, and it has therefore taken me double the usual time to write this post because I’ve had to spend so much of it on TikTok, which inherently leads to distraction (don’t worry, I got there in the end).

TikTok had 1.5 billion monthly active users in 2023 and is anticipated to have 1.8 billion users by the end of 2024.

For comparison, according to data from a 2024 Kepios study, TikTok is the 4th largest social media platform by monthly active users. Facebook has more than 3 billion, YouTube has more than 2.5 billion, and Instagram has 2 billion.

To state the obvious, TikTok is dominating the social media landscape as a gold mine of short, snackable content. While that sounds exciting — how can you get started?

I’ve included a few steps, with photos, to walk you through setting up your profile, filming your first video, adding special effects, and using challenges or duets to engage with other users.

You’ll also get a crash course on growing your audience and tracking analytics to ensure you’re creating content that reaches and resonates with the right people.

Table of Contents

How to Use TikTok

The first thing that initially turned me off from TikTok was that I thought of it as a glorified Instagram, except that I couldn’t even post flattering photos of myself!

So, what was the point?

What I’ve learned over time is that TikTok has many use cases — whether you are an individual social media user or a business. Below are three examples of ways you can utilize TikTok for work or fun.

1. Search for advice or information on just about any topic.

Recently, I went to Los Angeles for a Nickelodeon business trip, and I was staying in Santa Monica. One morning, I desperately craved an infamous LA breakfast burrito.

I checked Google Maps and was met with an endless slew of options near me. How was I to decide?

I immediately opened TikTok and searched “breakfast burrito santa monica” and was met with dozens of local recommendations sharing their favorite tried-and-tested spots.

After watching four TikToks, I settled on Alfalfa, as it had the most positive reviews and was the closest to my hotel. Within 20 minutes, I had a delicious Ancho Potato breakfast burrito in hand and a smile on my face.

This is a perfect example of how you can use TikTok to quickly gain information about a niche topic. I could have searched “best breakfast burrito Santa Monica” on Google, but I’d probably have been met with several sponsored ads and conflicting professional opinions.

Sometimes, you just want advice from a regular, local person whom you can wholeheartedly trust.

2. Keep up with current trends.

As a 27-year-old woman, I’m told I should always be “in the know.” However, I still find myself, at times, behind on the latest trend.

Whether it be that viral overnight Korean face mask or U.S. women’s rugby player Ilona Maher’s hilarious Olympics content, social media allows for a constant turnover in content that can make it feel impossible to stay informed.

However, one of the best parts about TikTok is how easy it is to discover what’s trending. Your “For You Page” (also known as FYP) easily analyzes what you’re interested in and targets you with relevant content. While this may be worrisome for some people, it does make it a lot easier to curate the content you view.

You can also easily search for trends by name in TikTok if you hear or see something mentioned that you are unfamiliar with. This can help you discover videos featuring or describing the trend.

3. Create content to help grow your following.

While TikTok has many helpful uses simply as a user, you can gain even more opportunities as a creator. I will dive more deeply into this later, but one of the best ways to use TikTok is to create content that can reach your target audience and help grow your following.

Participating in trends and challenges is a great way to make engaging content, but there are other strategies you can employ, such as consistently posting and using the correct hashtags and collaborating with other creators or brands.

For instance, one of my favorite recipe developer creators, Justine Doironm, recently posted a greeny tahini egg salad sandwich recipe on TikTok that was a paid partnership with Vital Farms, a company that ethically sources eggs, butter, and ghee.

Now that you’ve read three ways you can use TikTok — beyond mindless scrolling — you may be ready to finally give the popular social media platform a shot. If so, read on for a step-by-step guide on setting up an account.

How to Set Up Your TikTok Account

1. Download the app and sign up.

First, I went to the App Store to download TikTok (non-Apple users can go to Google Play). While I already have a personal TikTok, I walked through the motions of setting up a new test one for this post.

While I was given the option to instantly sign up with Facebook, Gmail, or Twitter, I decided to sign up by adding a username and password so that my other accounts would not be connected.

After confirming my account login information, I was brought to a screen that instructed me to select my interests. This is how TikTok can begin curating videos.

2. Set up your profile.

Once logged in, I was immediately shown a feed of videos that were curated by my selected interests, I’ll explain more about how this works in step three.

To edit my profile, I tapped the icon in the lower right corner of the screen that looks like a person’s outline,

There, I then tapped the “Edit profile” button, to select a profile photo or video. This is also where I could add username and bio information.

If I so chose, I could link to my Youtube and Instagram pages to show off my other social media profiles.

If you’re a business, this could be a helpful way to advertise your other visual platforms. Upgrade your profile to a business account if you want to market your business on TikTok.

This is a smart idea since 61% of marketers use TikTok for influencer marketing initiatives.

To do this, go to your profile and tap the horizontal lines at the top right corner of the screen. Then tap Setting and Privacy, tap Account, and tap Switch to Business Account.

You‘ll have access to TikTok’s full range of downloadable analytics with a business account. With a personal profile, you’ll only have in-app access.

You cannot set your business profile to private. However, I have the option to set my personal account to private. After tapping Settings and Privacy, I would tap Privacy and toggle the Private account tab.

: TikTok Privacy settings, where you can make your account private, choose who can direct message you, and more.

Finding Videos and Engaging with Users

How to Post on TikTok

9. Set up your shot and pick out special effects.

It’s time for me to create my first video! To do this, I can tap the plus sign tab at the bottom center of my screen to enter the camera.

The app automatically brings me to the Photo setting, but since I want to make a video, I can toggle between the 15s, 60s, and 10m options directly above the shutter button.

Once I’ve chosen my preferred length, I can look to the top right side of the screen to see icons for the following:

Flip: Flip between the front and back cameras.
Flash: Select if I want to use the flash during your shot.
Timer: I can set an auto-record countdown to film hands-free.
Retouch: A filter that can hide blemishes and smooth out my skin.
Filters: This lets me change the color and aesthetic filters of the camera.
Speed: I can record my video in slow motion or speed it up (which is a great option for longer videos).
Voice: I can add a voice effect to the video.

At the bottom of the screen, I can see the Camera and Template tabs. The camera allows me to record a video or take a photo, and templates offer premade combinations of music and effects to make my video pop.

Sounds and Effects

On the top center of the camera screen, there is a music note icon with “Add Sound” next to it. I can tap this to choose the song or sound effect I want to overlay on my video.

On the bottom of the camera, there is an Effects icon to the left and an Upload button to the right if I would rather use videos I’ve already recorded outside of the app.

Pro tip: If you have a business account, you’ll only have access to sounds that are pre-cleared for commercial use.

When I tap the Effects button, I can see a massive lineup of AR filters and other special effects that can augment my face or surroundings.

This is also where I can pick out a video overlay-styled filter here, like the Pink Love Pink butterfly effect I added below.

10. Record the video.

Now that I’ve added all my necessary effects and filters, I’m ready to record. To begin, I will press and hold the red record button.

I can record my video all at once, which I like to do when I’m telling one cohesive story, or in pieces, which is great when I’m traveling and want to compile several shots into a compilation video.

If I wanted to fit different shots in each video or record it in pieces, I can hold the record button for each segment, then let go, and press and hold it again when I’m ready for my next shot.

If I’d rather not hold down the record button the entire time, I can set up a timer before entering record mode. The timer would give me time to prop up my phone and pose in front of it before it starts automatically recording.

11. Make final edits and add a caption to the video.

After recording the video, I can still add a musical overlay, filters, and other primary special effects. This is also when I can add stickers and text overlays on top of the video.

When I’m done, I can press Next, which directs me to a page similar to Instagram’s post page, where I can add a caption, relevant hashtags, location, links, and more.

This is also where I would set the video’s privacy, turn comments on or off, edit the cover photo, and allow duets or reactions.

: Final screen before posting my video.

If I’m not ready to post yet, I can press the Drafts button at the bottom left to save it for later.

12. Duet with other users.

Sometimes, I’ll see a musical post that I love so much, I want to join in with the person who made it. After all, I’ve been a trained singer since age 7!

Luckily, TikTok allows users to reply with a Duet video. Many users nowadays even create videos that are specifically meant to be duetted.

Duets aren’t just for songs anymore, though. I can duet any type of video I like if I want to comment on it or infuse my own humor and personality into it.

To use this former Musical.ly feature, I would find a video I want to duet with, press the Share button to see sharing options, then press the “Duet” option on the bottom row in the center.

: Click the Share button on a video to access the “Duet” feature.

My camera screen will then appear next to the video. I can change the positioning of my camera in the duet by clicking different templates. From there, I would press record and sing along, dance, comment on, or mimic the video I’m duetting.

: Vertical layout for a Duet.

To show you what a finished product looks like, here’s a great example from Gordon Ramsay.

If I post a video and don’t want anyone to duet with me, I can tap the “Duet/React Off” button on the Post page before publishing.

Best for: The Duet feature is an excellent way to participate in viral challenges, encourage audiences to interact with your brand, partner with influencers, or answer questions about your product or service.

13. Participate in a challenge.

Like other social media platforms, I occasionally see videos with hashtags for “challenges.”

A challenge is when a video post, company, or person encourages users to film themselves doing something oddly specific — like the 12345678 challenge.

Participants then film themselves doing the action and hashtag the challenge name in their post captions.

There usually are no winners in a TikTok challenge, but hashtagging it could help me get more followers or views as people might find my video when searching the hashtag.

I also think it’s an easy way for brands to show they’re culturally relevant and have a playful side, which can be refreshing for consumers to see.

Using TikTok Analytics

14. Track post insights.

TikTok provides analytics for creators that can help me understand how my content is performing on the platform with insights such as video views, follower demographics, likes, and comments.

This information can help me understand who my audience is and accordingly create content that will target that audience and improve my analytics.

To access this feature on TikTok, I can go to my profile and tap the horizontal lines at the top right corner of the screen.

There, I click “TikTok Studio” to access all the creator tools, including Analytics, Creator Rewards Program, TikTok Shop for Sellers, Artist Hub, and more.

Under Analytics, I can click the “Get Started” button. Then, tap “Turn On” to allow TikTok to begin tracking my insights.

Since I haven’t yet posted a video on my new test TikTok account, it informs me that I need to post at least one video before accessing analytics.

Pro tip: You can consult the TikTok for Business Starter Guide, which is a personalized guide that can help your brand produce the strongest custom content for your goals and audience.

15. Use an external analytics tool.

If I want to double-check my numbers on a second platform, I could also use a tool outside of TikTok to track analytics.

I personally prefer Sprout Social, which is a powerful social media management tool that allows users to automate engagement tactics, plan social publishing, track analytics, perform social listening, expand reach, and manage influencer marketing campaigns.

Other popular tools include Socialinsider, Pentos, and Exolyt.

I would recommend these tools more for businesses who want to manage their TikTok posts, campaigns, and influencer strategies, rather than for individual creators wanting to track their own insights.

For creators, TikTok Analytics will likely be the easiest and best option.

How to Grow Your TikTok Audience

16. Understand who your audience is.

If your business does any form of marketing, you already know that one of the most important parts of marketing your brand is marketing it to the right people.

The same goes for TikTok.

In such a crowded marketplace, it’s vital you’re posting content that resonates with your audience and leads to higher engagement from them. Which is already more possible on TikTok, since it’s the social platform with the highest engagement at a rate of 2.65% per follower count.

For instance, one of the main types of brands I follow on TikTok are skincare brands, including Laneige.

Back in 2020, Laneige wanted to reach Gen Z customers in a highly competitive skincare market. After all, as of 2024, 43.7% of all TikTok users are between ages 18-24, and current Gen Z individuals are between ages 12-27.

The brand used a Branded Hashtag Challenge on TikTok to build product awareness and share its skin hydration values.

The Branded Effect allowed users to see on TikTok what their skin could look like before — dull and dry — and after applying Laneige — radiant and hydrated.

This helped pave the way for the #ThirstForLife Branded Hashtag Challenge campaign, which resulted in 25 million video views across 9.5K video submissions, including this one.

: A user who participated in the #ThirstForLife Laneige challenge on TikTok.

Laneige understood who their target audience was and created a filter and challenge on TikTok that they knew would appeal to that Gen Z audience in a natural way. After all, there’s nothing I hate more than dry skin!

17. Partner with influencers or celebrities.

A great way to grow your brand’s audience on TikTok is by collaborating with people who already have a bigger audience.

While you’ll likely need to invest a pretty penny into the collaboration — the exact amount will depend on their level of celebrity — it can be an investment worth spending.

Returning to my Laneige example, the brand announced Sydney Sweeney as its official global ambassador in January 2024. Julien Bouzitat, brand general manager for Laneige US, explained how influential the partnership was in a press release:

“A great example of the magnitude of our partnership with Sydney would be our social follower growth. Since the first announcement of Sydney as our U.S. ambassador in spring 2022, we experienced an immediate 227% surge in TikTok followers and 53% growth in Instagram followers.”

According to the press release, one behind-the-scenes video of Sydney on a LANEIGE production set went viral “three times over, accumulating 72 million views across TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. That’s the type of influence and reach Sydney has.”

: Sydney Sweeney partnering with Laneige on a video featuring their new Watermelon Pop Lip Sleeping Mask.

18. Collaborate with other brands.

Partnering with other brands is a great way to make money on social media, as well as grow your following.

You could consider partnering with brands within the same industry, which would likely ensure you’re targeting the right audience while building a strong relationship with an otherwise competitor.

Alternatively, you could partner with a brand in a different industry and come together for a special collab product or service that would help bridge your audiences and produce a surprise-and-delight effect.

Two of my absolute favorite brands recently partnered for a fun summer collaboration that had the comments section in buzz.

Fishwife, a woman-owned premium tinned fish brand, and Lisa Says Gah, a woman-owned independent clothing boutique collaborated on a limited-edition tinned fish, Fishwife-inspired t-shirt, nail sticker sheet, and jewelry.

A TikTok video announcing the Fishwife x Lisa Says Gah collection.

While it may seem strange how a tinned fish company and a clothing boutique could possibly come together, the comments included sentiments such as “The most incredible collab,” “WHAT A COLLABBBB,” and “OBSESSED.”

92% of TikTok users take action after watching a video on the platform, which means there is a lot of actionable value in creating the right content for the right audience.

TikTok on Lock

As a late bloomer to the platform, I can completely relate to the intimidation of getting started on TikTok.

While it has many features and tools that can come across as complicated, they actually provide you with even more opportunities for strong content creation and connection with users.

Here are some of my best tips and tricks for navigating TikTok:

Use TikTok to build brand awareness and introduce your business to users thanks to TikTok Shop. After all, 30% of daily TikTok users have engaged with TikTok Shop, and 71.2% of TikTop Shop users have made a purchase after viewing a product in their feed.
Have fun with special effects. There are many ways to spice up your video, and audiences on TikTok expect it. So, play around and experiment with them.
Embrace the music. Most videos on the platform have a song or sound effect in the background.
Film a few videos with multiple shots at different angles. This will make the video feel more active and engaging.
Feel free to show a lighter side or a sense of humor. People come to this platform to be entertained, and comedy can go a long way.
Use trendy hashtags and try out a challenge video. Then, include relevant hashtags in your post caption so your video shows up when people search for it.
Remember that users’ attention spans are short, and stick to multiple shorter videos rather than a couple longer ones.
Continue to watch videos on your FYP and search for new videos. This can help you see what other brands and creators are doing and spark inspiration for your strategy.

Most of all, be open to change. TikTok is a constantly evolving platform, and the best way to use it is to be willing to follow the changes.

That shows your audience you’re willing to continuously adapt to their interests and stay relevant, which is the best thing you can hope for from a business you trust.

Editor’s note: This post was originally published in August 2019 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

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