A TikTok marketing coach shares 4 common mistakes brands and creators should avoid making on the app

<p><img src="https://static3.businessinsider.com/image/60f194d7016a3200188369e2-2400/WWP_1407.jpg" border="0" alt="Wave Wyld, a TikTok coach." data-mce-source="Courtesy of Wave Wyld" data-mce-caption="Wave Wyld is a TikTok coach, who helps brands and creators grow their accounts."></p><p></p><bi-shortcode id="summary-shortcode" data-type="summary-shortcode" class="mceNonEditable" contenteditable="false">Summary List Placement</bi-shortcode><p>Canada-based Wave Wyld launched her <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/top-23-uk-tiktok-creators-ranked-by-follower-count-2021-5'r=US&amp;IR=T">TikTok</a> coaching business last June after the pandemic's lockdown restrictions hit her photography business, which focused on personal brand marketing.&nbsp;</p><p>With brands and creators flocking to the app last year, Wyld saw an opportunity to position herself as a TikTok coach, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-much-college-tiktok-creator-with-880000-followers-earns-from-brand-deals-2021-5'r=US&amp;IR=T">helping accounts grow</a>, strategizing how to hit the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tiktok-star-gained-2-million-followers-1-month-earning-money-2021-6'r=US&amp;IR=T">For You page</a>, and encouraging creators to generate a clear personality on the app.&nbsp;</p><p>Wyld's has her own TikTok account, where she posts trend alert videos to her 230,000 followers.&nbsp;</p><p>"I had a lightbulb moment where I realized, actually, I could teach this," Wyld told Insider. "I saw a chance and an opportunity to pivot what I was doing to helping people on TikTok."</p><p>She shared her four ways brands and creators on TikTok often get it wrong when they start out, and how to pivot their content to achieve success on the app.</p><h2><strong>1. The biggest mistake: Brands and creators don't make an effort to understand TikTok's culture before jumping in&nbsp;</strong></h2><p>TikTok is "creative, fun, [and]&nbsp; lighthearted", Wyld said. And while it's widely known the brands and creators need to tap into that culture, she said that many still don't manage to capture the right tone.&nbsp;</p><p>"The number one mistake is not understanding the culture and not incorporating it into your content," she said. "Clients ask me if they can still do serious content, and, yes, there are people who do that, but they still do a good job of incorporating the culture."&nbsp;</p><p>Wyld says the solution is simple: Just consume the content instead of joining the app and posting immediately without seeing what works.&nbsp;</p><p>Meanwhile, while TikTok is personality-driven, Wild said <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/top-mentions-brands-instagram-tiktok-youtube-netflix-shein-2021-4'r=US&amp;IR=T">brands</a> shouldn't be tapping into this aspect quite as much.</p><p>"TikTok recommends that you create a persona," Wyld said. "Now, for a business owner or a brand, I don't like that, because a persona implies that you're making something up and what you need to do is be authentic."&nbsp;</p><h2><strong>2. Don't be tempted by TikTok's new 3-minute video length&nbsp;</strong></h2><p>Recently, TikTok rolled out a feature allowing users to post videos up to 3-minutes long. But Wyld says this length of video should be avoided.&nbsp;</p><p>"If you are new to the platform, you're a small account, and you're focused on growth goals, short videos are best," Wyld said. "TikTok says 12- to 15-seconds is what you want to make."&nbsp;</p><p>She said longer-length videos are more suitable for larger, more established creators, who want to create an experience similar to YouTube.</p><p>"I've never used it," Wyld said of the longer video feature. "I can't get people to watch a 30-second video, it's 20-seconds tops that I do."&nbsp;</p><h2><strong>3. Don't spend more than 3-seconds on your hookno-one will watch otherwise</strong></h2><p>"Hooks are very, very important," Wyld told Insider. "I feel that everyday hooks are becoming more and more crucial to success."</p><p>A 1-second hook is too short, and a 5-second hook is way too long, according to Wyld who says that hitting the 3-second mark is most effective.&nbsp;</p><p>"The most common hook you see on TikTok is the text hook, where you write or say something at the start," Wyld said. "So immediately in the hook, with the title, you are telling the person what the video is about, and what's in it for them."&nbsp;</p><h2><strong>4. It's not enough to say 'my niche is not having a niche'get specific</strong>&nbsp;</h2><p>"Creators need to clearly have a defined niche," Wyld said.&nbsp;</p><p>There are niches that are already huge, such as beauty and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/the-top-29-tiktok-fitness-influencers-ranked-by-likes-2021-3'r=US&amp;IR=T">fitness</a>, so creators should find a niche within a niche that fits them, she said.&nbsp;</p><p>"I see people saying 'my niche is not having a niche' and that might have worked in 2019 when the app wasn't as saturated, but now it's different," she said&nbsp;</p><p>"What I suggest is you find an aspect within your niche that you can become known for individually, and go in on that," Wyld added.&nbsp;</p><p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tiktok-coach-shares-4-common-mistakes-brands-should-avoid-2021-7#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/bpa-plastic-containers-bad-health-risks-obesity-heart-disease-diabetes-2019-2">Why I'm throwing away every plastic thing in my kitchen ASAP</a></p>
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