Whether you’re a brand looking to increase exposure, an influencer hoping for followers, or simply someone who wants to have fun with the latest trends, dances, and comedy challenges, creating a TikTok account is key. It is something you can do no matter who you are or what you’re about, and given how quickly TikTok is growing, you’ll want to make your account now to avoid missing out further. The process of actually creating your account couldn’t be easier, but there are some pitfalls that you’ll want to avoid falling into, as well as some extra considerations. Here’s our step-by-step beginner’s guide on how to make an account on TikTok.
1. Download the TikTok app
Unlike many other social networks, TikTok doesn’t really have a substantial desktop presence. You can access the site from a laptop or desktop PC, but you will need the app on your smartphone to do anything of real value. First, download it. You can do so from either the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store (subject, of course, to the territory in which you happen to find yourself).
2. Open the app and start the account creation process
The first thing you’re going to see when you open TikTok (which should be visible as a music note icon, showing its origins, on your home screen) is a prompt to sign up for an account. You can do so either using a personal phone number or email address, or one of several social media services including Facebook and Twitter. Signing up means you’ve agreed to TikTok’s policies, so make sure you read them thoroughly!
3. Follow the creation prompts
TikTok will ask you for several pieces of information about yourself. You will be asked when your birthday is, as well as whether you’d like confirmation by phone or email (if you chose this option). Following this – and after you’ve inputted the code TikTok sends you – then you’ll need to set a password. Make sure it’s a strong password nobody else could guess or know about.
4. Check out your personal feed
That’s it – the account creation process really isn’t any more complicated than that. Congratulations! You’re now the proud owner of a TikTok account. Using this account, you can browse videos, upload your own content, comment on other users’ work, and much, much more. Of course, if you’re going to be successful on TikTok, you’re going to need followers…
5. Start amassing followers
There are lots of ways you can amass followers on TikTok. Creating content and publicizing it on other social networks is, of course, the most basic way to do so, but it may not be the most efficient. There are services like TikTokFollowersFree that will help you find organic TikTok likes and followers, and there are ways to tailor your content to ensure maximum impact in terms of follower count.
6. Post some content
The world is now your oyster, so why not start posting some TikTok content? Take a look at what’s currently trending, and scroll through the hashtags to find one you’d like to post about. Some might say your TikTok account isn’t “official” until you’ve posted something, however brief, so if you have an idea, why not put it down as a TikTok video? You never know – you might end up going viral!
7. Comment on other users’ videos
One way to establish your new account in the TikTok world is to make sure you comment on as many other users’ videos as possible, letting them know your thoughts. Commenting is amazingly simple; just find the video you want to leave a comment on, and on the right-hand side of the video, you should see three buttons. The one in the middle – the speech bubble icon – is the comment button.
8. Add extra security
TikTok regularly assures users that it’s a secure social network, but that doesn’t mean you don’t want to add some more security just for that added peace of mind. 2-step verification is a good start – for this, just head to “Me”, then “Security” (via the three-dot menu in the top right corner), followed by “2-step verification”. You’ll be asked whether you want to set this up with an email address or a phone number, so choose whichever option suits you. Voila – now, when you log in, you’ll receive a message for extra security!
9. Tweak your privacy settings
Again, if you navigate to the three-dot hamburger menu in the top-right corner of TikTok’s “Me” section, you’ll find a “Privacy” option. Tapping that will open a wealth of privacy tweaks including discoverability, personalization of your content, and message settings. Be sure to input the right settings for you, but if you do miss something, you can always return to this menu later and tweak the options to make the experience palatable to you.
This has been our guide on how you can create a TikTok account and get involved in one of the fastest-moving social media phenomena in history. Are you on TikTok? What kind of content are you creating? Let us know!