Going LIVE on TikTok is essential for community building. The platform thrives on creativity, authenticity and real-time interaction, and TikTok LIVE is the best way to foster connections with your community by engaging with current and potential followers in real time. In early 2017, I was live streaming for 4 hours every day without fail. It was the most incredible growth strategy I’d ever seen - I was growing between 3,000-5,000 followers a week. That power is still VERY much there. LIVE is massively underrated, with hundreds of thousands of creators harnessing its power and millions of users consuming it every day, but brands are still on the fence.
How do I go live on TikTok?
Before you can even begin to consider going live on TikTok, you must firstly be at least 16 years of age, and secondly you must have at least 1,000 followers.
Once you’ve met those requirements, head to the create icon (the [+] icon at the bottom of the screen) and select LIVE from the menu.
You should be able to see a preview of your video. In the preview you can add a title, turn comments on or off, add effects, share your live stream and even connect a charity to support if you wish.
Then simply tap ‘Go LIVE’ to begin streaming!
What shall I talk about on my TikTok LIVE?
Going LIVE opens opportunities to share real time moments, host Q&A sessions, or to just sit and chat to your audience. The more authentic and honest you can be with your audience, the better. Viewers are most attracted to creators who offer them a glimpse of their life, in an unfiltered state, building trust and connection.
Antler’s top tips for TikTok LIVE
Planning
While spontaneity may be a key player in your LIVE strategy. Consider the purpose of your live stream. Be sure to prepare some talking points and promote the upcoming live stream to generate anticipation.
Interacting with your audience
Smile you’re LIVE! Don’t forget there is a real life audience behind those screens. Make sure you’re interacting with your audience, encouraging questions and comments, getting them to participate in polls and make sure you’re responding to those comments in real time. We recommend acknowledging viewers by name where possible to further build that connection. Something I did in the early days of my livestream career was play games with the audience with the winner receiving a “Guest Call” (effectively a one to one facetime whilst on live). The audience went nuts for it and it built an even more robust connection with my community as they were literally having a conversation with me.
Authenticity is key
Have you ever heard the term ‘that’s live television for you’ it basically means that when streaming is live, it's never going to be perfect, even with pre-planning. Let go and don’t worry about making the stream perfect. Authenticity is the only way you’ll be able to connect with your audience.
Promote across platforms
Don’t be shy about talking about your live stream across other social media channels. Instagram offers great features such as countdown stickers and reminders which can help to generate excitement for your stream.
Have fun
Your audience will be able to tell if you’re not enjoying what you’re doing. This experience should be fun for you and your viewer or they’re not going to stick around.
TikTok LIVE offers a platform for creators to connect and engage in real-time. By embracing live streaming, creators and brands can create authentic connections, nurture communities, and amplify their reach. Go LIVE today, and see the impact this can have on your brand.