How to Use TikTok to Promote Your Online Course [+ TikTok Video Ideas]

1 minute read

In 2023, TikTok is expected to reach 89.7 million active users - in the US alone.

The social media platform is quickly gaining more and more popularity across all demographics. Businesses are taking advantage of the app's incredible engagement to promote their products and reach new audiences.

If public opinion initially portrayed TikTok as a place for teenagers to show off their dance moves rather than promote a business, the reality of it is quickly changing. In fact, the percentage of TikTok users is almost equally spread out across demographics, slightly skewing toward younger generations:

Ages 10-19 are 25% of TikTok users.
Ages 20-29 are 22.4% of TikTok users.
Ages 30-39 are 21.7% of TikTok users.
Ages 40-49 are 20.3% of TikTok users.
Ages 50+ are 11% of TikTok users.

(Source: The Social Shepherd)

Small businesses are also thriving on the social media app, thanks to the versatility of its short, engaging videos.

But how about online course creators? Can you promote an online course on TikTok?

In today's article, we will share why online course creators should advertise their business on the TikTok app and how you can use TikTok marketing to grow your audience and reach,

Why Should You Promote Your Online Course on TikTok?

As with other social media platforms, Tiktok can help creators grow their following, broaden their audience and increase their engagement through content creation. Let's see what the benefits of Tiktok advertising are:

Increase your brand awareness: compared to other social media platforms, TikTok algorithm seems to favor new and fresh content created on the platform. By using hashtags and user-generated content, small business owners can easily reach a broader audience and spread out their message.
Connect to your audience on a deeper level: the TikTok platform is all about short video content where creators can express themselves and effectively communicate their message in a few seconds. These kinds of videos are easy to consume and highly entertaining for users, making them the perfect medium for marketers and small business owners to connect with their audiences. For course creators, these videos are a great way to create a deeper connection with their followers and show their human side - the opposite of a Facebook ad that doesn't offer any interaction with the viewer.
Budget-friendly promotion: as a creator, you can promote on TikTok with any budget. You can also do it entirely for free by simply creating videos and promoting them organically without spending money on ads.

How to Use TikTok to Promote an Online Course

Now that you learned about the benefits of promoting your business on the social media platform let's see how to use TikTok marketing for advertising your online courses.

#1: Optimize your Tiktok Account

The first TikTok marketing strategy step is to create an account and optimize it. Upload a profile image representing your business (your logo or a picture of you), and write a compelling Bio.

Your TikTok profile is the digital storefront of your business, so it is important that you optimize it and show the most relevant information.

Use the 80 characters allowed on your TikTok bio to share the most about your business in a clear way. Unless you are a famous brand that doesn't need an introduction, make sure to specify what you do and communicate the essence of your brand.

You can also add a URL to your bio to direct users to your website or course page. Many course creators generate strategic URLs that redirect people to a multi-link page. Tools like Linktree, Beacons and Bitly can help you generate links in bio and shorter URLs specifically designed for social media platforms.

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You can also decide to set up a TikTok business account. A business account is a public, professional account with access to more marketing tools. You get more detailed analytics, the option to run paid ads on the platform, a larger library of tunes and access to TikTok marketing spaces such as the Business Creative Hub.

That said, if you just want to start using TikTok to create videos and promote your business organically, you do not need a business account at this point, and you can always change this later on.

#2: Understand Who Your Target Audience Is

Before you start to create high-quality videos, it is important to get a clear idea of who your right audience is and what kind of content they want to see.

This sets the rules for your future content strategy and helps you create videos that resonate with your ideal clients, so it is essential to take the time to conduct market research and understand who you are trying to reach.

For example, if you are selling an online course that helps new moms to stay healthy and get back in shape, you should create video content that speaks directly to your target audience (new moms, women with kids).

Many creators have multiple audiences as well. For example, if you are a copywriter and you teach marketers about writing better copy, but you also run a freelancing business where you write website copy for other businesses, then you need to target both your clients and your online course students by creating different videos for each of them.

#3: Create Entertaining TikTok Videos

Simply creating a TikTok account is not enough to grow your online course business. You need to start generating content! Depending on your audience (as we explained in the previous point), you will focus on one format rather than the others. Below are some ideas for Tiktok video content that course creators can start recording today:

Educational videos

Probably the best and easiest type of content that course creators can make on TikTok are educational videos. This is because, as a course creator, you are teaching about your topic on a daily basis, so it should not be hard for you to talk about the same topics in a video as well.

Whatever you are teaching in your online courses, talk about it in your videos by sharing tips, how-tos, and strategies with your audience.

@deniseduffieldthomas 5 ways to know it’s time to raise your prices - do any of these fit for you? #pricingstrategy #chargeyourworth #moneymindset #onlinebusinesstips #bizowners ♬ original sound - DeniseDT Money Mindset Mentor

You don't have to give away all the information in your online course: simply offering some value to your followers will help you prove your knowledge and get recognized as an expert in your niche.

Q&A videos

Another relatively easy way for course creators to generate content for TikTok is to answer some of the most common questions you get from your students or peers.

This is great because it can improve your image as an authority in your field while offering valuable insights to potential customers and reducing support requests.

@honestceohilary Replying to @leesa_jb you have the upper hand! Make us feel something. Through a story 🥰 #productbusiness #smallbusinesscheck #productbasedbusiness #producttips ♬ original sound - Hilary | Marketing Strategist

New product launches

If you are launching a new online course or product soon, why not create a video promoting the launch?

Simply talk about what your online course is about and how it can help students who enroll in it, as in this example below:

@adrianbrambila New course launches June 15th #brambilamethod #affiliatemarketing #makemoneyonline ♬ original sound - Beatsbyjblack

User-generated content

User-generated content is an extremely powerful marketing tool, as you are not the one promoting your business: instead, your customers are.

This type of content is a fantastic way to grow your audience and improve trust and social proof. You can incentivize your current or past students to share their thoughts about your online courses by creating a TikTok video and sharing it on their accounts.

@moneymakinghomemaker Follow and check the bi0 for the guide. Nothing is too hard for God. #generationalwealth #homemaker #christianbusiness #christianentrepreneur #wfhmom #sidehustlemom #quityour9to5 #replaceyourincome ♬ original sound - Philemon

Alternatively, you can record videos showing the reviews and testimonials you received from your students.

Before and after videos

Your online courses are helping people achieve a specific result, a transformation in their lives. A great way to promote your business and add more social proof to your account is to share the achievements of your students and what changed before and after completing your course.

@kokofaceyoga Amazing transformation only a month after she took my session 😱 #kokohayashi #kokofaceyoga #faceposture #faceyoga ♬ OMG - White Gangster

Day in the life videos

If you are out of ideas for your TikTok videos, why not just share what you are working on right now?

People interested in learning from you will also want to know about your daily life and what kind of projects you are focusing on, plus, you don't have to invent anything new.

Check out this example of a day in the life of a course creator:

@witandwire Typical day as a full-time course creator👩🏻‍💻 #coursecreation #onlinecoursecreation #coursecreationexpert #creatoreconomy2022 #onlinecoursecreators ♬ You - Petit Biscuit

Repurposed Content Videos

Good news, you can use other content you previously published on other social media platforms and turn it into TikTok videos!

This is called repurposing content, and it involves using already-made content and reusing it on different platforms. For example, you could turn a YouTube video into a Podcast, or in this case, cut it into smaller clips and post it on TikTok.

Here is an example of how Heights Platform transforms its podcast show videos into TikTok clips:

@heightsplatform Facebook vs Google. Which is aligned with your business? #facebook #google #facebookads #marketing #seo #entrepreneur #entrepreneurtok ♬ original sound - Heights Platform

#4: Leverage hashtags on TikTok

You can use TikTok hashtags to grow your exposure and get found by new users who are interested in your topic.

For your content to get discovered, you need to do some hashtag research. What kind of hashtags are trending in your niche, what does your target audience look for, and which hashtags are related to your business?

Another way to use hashtags to promote your business on TikTok is by starting a hashtag challenge with your own unique keyword. Similar to user-generated content, in a hashtag challenge, you encourage users to create or recreate content and add your branded hashtag.

The video below explains how you can start your own branded hashtag challenges:

@tiktokforbusiness Starting a Branded Hashtag Challenge? Check out these best practices to make the most of your moment! #tiktoktips #tiktokmarketing ♬ original sound - TikTok for Business

#5: Jump on popular trends

Another idea for a fun, entertaining video is to use a trending sound or replicate trending videos or challenges with your own input.

Chances are that these types of videos are not your main content, but they can boost the activity and engagement on your account. These kinds of lightweight videos can also help you create a deeper bond with your audience and connect on a human level.

@draftandink CHOOSE YOUR CHARACTER! #smallbusinessowner #smallbusinessfunny #chooseyourcharacter ♬ original sound - Kristin Chirico

#6: Promote with Tiktok Influencer Marketing

To boost your TikTok marketing, you can partner with TikTok influencers to promote your business. These users generally have a very large following on the platform and high levels of engagement, which make them the perfect promoters for your business.

Your TikTok influencer marketing strategy can be as simple as getting an influencer to mention your brand in one of their TikTok videos.

The best way to leverage TikTok influencer marketing is to find the right influencers: generally, the number of followers shouldn't be your only clue when picking the right person. Look out for people who treat similar topics and have the right audience for your online course.

The Creator Marketplace is a tool to find influencers available to help you in your next TikTok marketing campaign.

#7: Pay for TikTok Ads

Another way to give your business an instant boost is by paying for TikTok ads directly with paid advertising. Running in-feed ads requires a financial investment, so it is important to have some knowledge of how to set up and manage your TikTok ads to obtain positive results. This includes having clear and realistic goals and a great understanding of your target audience.

Learn more information about Tiktok ads, in-feed ads and Tiktok Ads Manager here:

https://www.tiktok.com/business/en/solutions/ads

Conclusion

TikTok is a growing social media platform that can help creators of all types grow their audiences and gain more exposure through engaging creative TikTok content and videos.

This article showed you how to make the most out of TikTok and promote your online course business through the platform. Now you are ready to give it a go!

If you are an online course creator and you want to learn about other marketing strategies outside of social media, make sure to check out this article from our blog: A Complete Guide on How to Promote Your Online Course and Boost Sales

For more inspiration, follow Heights Platform on TikTok, where we share tips and helpful videos for online course creators!

Post Topics: Build and Promote Your Course