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How to Use Facebook - Complete Beginner's Guide

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Presented by Erin Maney for Wood Library 2021

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Social Media Basics_Wood Library_April/May 2021

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How to Use Twitter - Complete Beginner's Guide

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Guide to exploring all Facebook has to offer.

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How To Use Facebook - A Basic Facebook Guide (2021)

Getting Started With Facebook - The Basics

Facebook is widely considered as the most popular social network and its popularity isn't likely to diminish any time soon. Even privacy breaches can't bring this giant down.

So, if you want to get started on Facebook and enjoy the social benefits it offers, we have you covered. In this in-depth Facebook guide, we will show you exactly how to get started and make the most of Facebook in easy-to-understand step-by-step instructions.

Here are the Facebook basics every marketer should know. Once you're done here, you will know more about status updates, Facebook friends, photos and videos and more.

The very first step is to sign up for a Facebook account and it's pretty simple. The platform makes it easy to get started.

You will also be asked to choose a password for your account.

One of the most important basics of Facebook is staying secure. Once you've created your new profile, you can make changes to your privacy settings. This will control who can view your profile and information you share.

To edit these settings, click on the ' Settings ' options.

Then, click on the ' Privacy ' option and make your changes as you see fit. You can also control how other people can find you and make contact with you on Facebook.

Personalise Your Profile

This is one of the more fun Facebook basics that need to be known. It gives you a shot at being creative.

The chances that you share a name with someone else on Facebook are very high. That's why you should personalise your profile.

When you've got a personalised profile, your friends and family will find you without much effort.

You can add a profile picture, cover photo and personal info such as where you're living and your hobbies.

If you want to update your profile for any reason later on. Simply go to the ' About ' section of your profile. Once there, you can fill in more details about yourself. You can add your education, job title and more.

Having a well detailed profile will make it easier for your Facebook friends and audience to find you.

Choose a Profile Picture

To select a profile picture, you can choose a photo that you've been tagged in on Facebook or one you've already uploaded.

You can also choose a new one you just took on your phone and add a frame to your chosen photo. When it comes to Facebook basics, this one shouldn't be neglected. The image you select will be associated with your brand, so make it a good one.

You can select your cover photo in the same way as you chose your profile picture. Getting your pictures to look right can take some experimentation. Check out our social media image size guide for a more detailed guide on getting image sizes correct.

Your timeline on Facebook is a 'log' of your activity in backwards-chronological order. You will be able to see your uploaded media and status updates on your timeline.

Also, the photos that you were tagged in by your friends will also show up here.

It is possible for Facebook users to follow public pages and get updates about their activity. These pages can be celebrities, bands, sports teams and other public figures.

You can search for your favourite singers, shows and movies and follow them. Just a word of caution: make sure that the page is verified. Many fans create fake accounts of public figures and you could be following the wrong page if you don't check.

Once you follow a page, you will see their updates in your Facebook news feed.

This is one of the many fun features of Facebook - posting content you want to share with your friends and family.

You can keep everyone updated on what's going on in your life.

To share a Facebook status, use the text box that is located at the top of your feed or profile page.

You can share text with different coloured backgrounds, stickers, videos, photos and even links here.

It is also possible to share activities and feelings. In addition, you can 'Check In' to let everyone know where you're dining or spending your holiday.

Facebook allows you to tag your friends if you've spent time together. You can also tag events if you're having fun at big events.

Facebook Basics - Friends

The whole point of Facebook is to connect with your friends, no matter where they are. There's more than one way that you can add your friends. You can do a search for them, import your email (or phone and iCloud) contact list or use the 'Find Friends' tab.

To use the latter option, select the 'Find Friends' option. You will see a list of people who could be your friends. This is based on information such as your location and friends you've already added.

Recommendations - You can ask people on Facebook for advice on just about anything.

Nonprofit support - Select an organisation that you want to support and share it on your status. Your Facebook friends can donate to the organisation.

Questions - Facebook allows you to ask questions and give answers to other users' questions.

Facebook Stories - You can share all your content in a Facebook story. You can also watch the shows shared by your friends. Take a look at this article for more information on Facebook Stories.

Lists - You can create your own themed lists to share with your friends.

Facebook lets users share all kinds of content such as photos and videos. You can also share live broadcasts and albums.

You should never share media content that isn't of the best possible quality.

Your newsfeed is unique to your own page. You will see posts from your friends and liked pages that Facebook thinks you'll like. Also, you will see ads from brands that you might be supporting or using.

Facebook Basics - Going Live

Once select this option, you can write your description for your broadcast, add a feeling or activity and tag people. You can also add a poll and support a non-profit organisation.

Once you've finished describing your broadcast, simply press ' Go Live ' and you're recording.

Some Facebook users like to stream their gaming sessions or even musical performances.

Connecting On Facebook

Now we get to the more detailed Facebook basics ...

Since this platform is big on connecting with other people, there are several ways in which you can do that.

You can see updates from Facebook friends on your timeline and interact with them. Facebook lets you react to posts and comment on them.

You can also share the posts that you like most. If you feel like it, you can share posts and other content on your friend's timelines too.

The famous 'like' thumbs-up of Facebook is one way to show that you appreciate a post. You can also 'love' a post, laugh at it, show anger, amazement or sadness and care.

No Facebook tutorial or guide would be complete without telling you about status updates. These are the most common type of posts on the platform.

You can update your status by typing in the box that asks 'What's on your mind?' and many Facebook users see it as a quick way to let everyone know what's up in their lives.

Status updates are short and quick and can sometimes even be vague. Many Facebook users like to share inspiring quotes this way.

You may think that status updates are pretty unimportant but they reveal a lot about a person. You can use them to show everyone how creative you are or even start conversations with your Facebook friends.

Facebook Basics - Messenger

This is Facebook's chat feature and is all about sending messages to other users. It is possible to download the app too, if you need to stay in contact with your friends while not using Facebook itself.

You can create group chats to involve a handful of people by selecting the ' New Group ' option. The name of the group is up to you, as well as the members who will form part of it.

Sharing pictures, stickers, emojis, GIFs and videos is possible when sending messages on Facebook.

Facebook Messenger Calls

Facebook also lets you make voice and video calls from Messenger. This can be great for meeting with colleagues or prospective clients and partners. Keep in mind that you need to be professional at all times, even on a social media platform that feels casual. That's Facebook basics 101!

Other Facebook Features

There are more features available on the popular platform hat will entertain users. You can keep an eye on the ' Events ' page - it shows events that are popular with your friends. It also shows events that were organised by groups that you are a part of.

You can also find easy access to the Groups you manage and are part of. There, you will find suggestions for groups that Facebook thinks you might enjoy.

Facebook offers a very big collection of games that are very popular. Some of them are for solo-playing but many of them can be played with friends. We don't recommend that you spend too much time on this feature.

If you're looking to buy and sell items locally, you might consider making use of Facebook's Marketplace.

Here, you can search for just about anything - from pet food to accommodation and vehicles for sale.

Now that you know the Facebook basics, let's get into a more detailed discussion. We'll be discussing how you can block people, how to delete groups and even how to delete Facebook, should you ever want to.

The marketplace is also a great way to support your friends on Facebook who are selling merchandise.

Facebook Basics - Changing Your Name

How To Change Your Name On Facebook

There are many reasons why Facebook users may want to change their names. Perhaps you don't like the name you chose as a teen, or you got married. Maybe the name just doesn't suit your Facebook profile and presence anymore.

Whatever the reason, Facebook allows you to make the necessary changes.

Just remember that you can only change your name a few times, so use your chances wisely. It is not completely clear how many times 'a few times' really is.

Keep in mind that you are not allowed to use pseudonyms names on Facebook, or any fake names.

Symbols and numbers are not accepted as a name on the platform either, and neither are inappropriate words, titles and inappropriate words. Remember that your Facebook friends will see your new name.

Also, Facebook doesn't recognise certain characters and punctuation marks.

Right, now that you know what to avoid when you want to change your name, let's get into how to change your Facebook name.

First, make sure you are logged into your account. Then, click the little down arrow icon at the top right of the page.

Now, click on the ' Edit ' option next to your name. You can then type in your desired names. Facebook will remind you that you can only choose a new name again in 60 days, so make sure you've got the spelling right.

You can also choose an alternate name.

Once you are satisfied with the new name you have chosen, click ' Review Change ', and enter your password.

This prevents sneaky friends from changing your name to something silly if you forget your Facebook page is open when they're around.

Now, select ' Save Changes '. You will have to allow about a day for the change to take effect.

How do I change my name on the Facebook app?

If you can't access Facebook on a desktop, you can still change your name using the app on your iPad, smartphone or tablet.

The process is fairly simple.

Open the Facebook app and log in to your account.

Tap on the menu option (it should be at the top-right corner of your screen), which looks like three bars.

Now, select the ' Settings and Privacy' menu option. Once you're in the menu, head to ' Account Settings' and choose the ' General ' option.

You will find your personal details displayed now and you can manage it all from here. Tap on your name and you will see a ' Change Name ' option.

Once you've changed everything you want to, select ' Review Change ' and select the display option that is relevant to you. Type your Facebook password to continue.

You can now select the ' Save Changes ' option and then you're done. It might take up to 24 hours before your name is adjusted though.

How Do You Change Your Name on Facebook on an iPhone?

If you can't access Facebook on a desktop, you can still change your name using the app on your iPad, smartphone or tablet.

Initiating a name change on Facebook is relatively easy when doing so from your phone. Here are the steps.

Open the app and log in to your account, tap the bottom right hamburger icon, it should look like 3 horizontal lines.

Next, scroll down to ' Settings and Privacy', then tap ' Settings', then tap ' Personal information'

You will now find your account details and tap on your name to find the ' Change Name ' setting.

Choose the new name that you wish to have displayed on your Facebook. Click ' Save ' and the changes will become permanent. Remember that it may take a day before you will notice your new name.

Why Can't I Change My Name On Facebook?

If you're having difficulty with changing your name or the name of your profile page, there could be a few reasons for this.

It could be that you're not following Facebook's name policy or you've changed your name in the last 60 days. Make sure that your name does not break any rules and that it doesn't contain any symbols or letters.

Also, if you're changing your name too frequently, Facebook will notice and put a stop to it. It's also possible that your name doesn't match the name that appears on an item from Facebook's ID list.

Your Used ID is nothing more than a string of numbers that are connected to your profile. Whenever a new account is created, it gets assigned a new ID.

If you want, you can find out more about your user ID.

Once the platform notices that you've changed your name too often, you may have to wait 120 days before you try again.

Also, if you're changing your name too frequently, Facebook will notice and put a stop to it. It's also possible that your name doesn't match the name that appears on an item from Facebook's ID list. If none of the above answers your question, you can always contact Facebook.

Facebook Basics - How To Block or Unblock

How To Block Someone On Facebook

It is important to know how to block users because it is absolutely possible for someone to start making a nuisance of themselves.

It's not at all difficult to block a Facebook user.

Go to the profile of the person you wish to block.

Click on the three dots located below their cover image and select the ' Block ' option. You will have to confirm that you want to block the user. Once this is done, the person won't be able to see you or make contact.

How to Unblock Someone on Facebook

If you, for whatever reason, wish to unblock someone on Facebook, it is just as simple as blocking them is.

Head to your settings menu.

Click on ' Blocking ', which should be in the left-hand channel.

Scroll down to ' Blocked Users ' and you will see a list of the people you have blocked.

Click on the 'Unblock' option next to the name of the person you want to unblock. Click 'Confirm'.

Now the person will be able to contact you again and you will have to wait 48 hours before you will be able to block them again.

How To Block Someone On Messenger

While it is easy to block a user on Messenger, you should know that doing so won't block them on Facebook as well.

Blocking someone on Facebook blocks them on Messenger as well but blocking a person on Messenger only blocks their messages and calls.

Open your Messenger app on your phone or tablet.

Now, tap on your profile picture, which will open your profile details.

Scroll through your Friend list and click on the name of the contact you want to block. You will be taken to a new page where you can tap on ' Block on Messenger '. Confirm that you want to block the person and you're done.

How To Unblock Someone On Messenger

If you've changed your mind about blocking someone on Messenger, it is easy to reverse the block.

You will now see a list of all the people you've blocked on Messenger. Tap on the ' Unblock on Messenger ' option and choose the contact. A pop-up will ask you to confirm and then you're done!

How Do You Unblock Someone on Facebook on Your Phone?

You can easily block a Facebook user if you're on your phone.

Log into your Facebook account.

From the list that appears, select the person that you want to unblock.

That is how you go about blocking and unblocking Facebook users from your account. Once you do, they won't be able to see your status updates, profile page or personal information anymore.

Facebook Basics - Delete or Deactivate?

How to Delete a Facebook Account

If you think you have had enough of Facebook for some reason, you can delete your account. We will discuss how to delete Facebook as well as how to deactivate Facebook, in case you're not sure you want to go that far.

Before deleting your Facebook account, think about it. Make sure that it is really what you want.

Facebook deletes accounts a few days after the initial request. If you decided to log in during that time, your account will not be deleted.

Once your account is deleted, you cannot get it back. However, it may take up to 90 days before all your stored data is deleted from backup systems.

If you're unsure if you actually want to delete your Facebook account, consider just deactivating it.

When you have deactivated your Facebook account, other users won't be able to search for you or see your profile.

Keep in mind that some information remains, such as messages sent by you. Facebook stores your account information just in case you decide to reactive your account.

But if you are sure that you want to permanently delete your Facebook account, here's how you do it.
Note: Backup your information with Facebook's tool that downloads data into a ZIP file. You can do this from the 'Your Facebook Information' page that can be found in the settings menu.
Enter your Facebook Setting page and click on the ' Your Facebook Information ' option.

Select the ' Deactivation and Deletion ' opinion from the list of options.

Next, tick the box that says ' Permanently Delete Account ' and then select to continue. You will have to type in your password before you can continue to delete your account.

Facebook will show you a final message to inform you that you have 30 days before your account will be gone forever.

And that is all there is to it - that is how to delete Facebook from your life.

How to Deactivate Your Facebook Account

If you decide to deactivate your Facebook account instead, here is how:

Follow the same first two steps as you do to delete your Facebook account. However, to deactivate, you will simply choose the ' deactivate ' option.

Once you've made your decision, you will click ' Continue ', enter your password and continue. There you go, now you know how to deactivate your account.

How Do You Delete Facebook on a Phone?

You will then simply have to confirm that you want to delete your account and type in your password. Then you are done and that is it - Facebook is gone.

How Can I Delete My Old Facebook Account Without Email and Password?

This is a tricky situation - you want to delete your old Facebook account but you can't remember the old email address associated with it. And you forgot your password.

There are some ways to do this, and we hope this advice helps you. Remember, this is only if you're sure you want to permanently delete and not simply deactivate your account.

Suggestion 1: Recover Password

You can enter the phone number or email used to set it up to search. Although the search screen doesn't mention that you can use your name, you can use that too.

Depending on your security preferences, your account should show up. If you don't see it, you can select ' I'm not on this list '. Facebook will then ask you to enter the name of one of your friends and start searching again.

Once you've found your old account, you can send a reset code to any of the phone numbers or email addresses that are associated with it. Facebook will show you a redacted version of the email address you used.

However, if you don't have access to the phone number or email address, things will be a lot more difficult.

There is another option but it's not as simple.

Suggestion 2: Trusted Friends

Facebook allows you to select a few Trusted Friends that can help you get access to your account in case you forgot your password.

But if you didn't set up this feature, it will be of no use to you. Very few people actually went to the trouble of setting it up.

If you did actually set up this feature, you can tell Facebook that you don't have access to your email or phone number. Click on ' No longer have access to these? '.

Then, select ' Reveal my trusted contacts ' and enter the full name of any of your Trusted Friends.

Facebook will give you a special URL which has to be accessed by all of your Trusted Friends. It contains a recovery code that will reset your account. Each of your friends will need to help you get it.

Facebook won't contact the friends for you, that is something you need to do yourself. If there is some reason why you can't contact these friends, there isn't much you can do to recover the account.

Suggestion 3: Report Your Old Account

You can use a different approach and report the old account as fake. Facebook will delete the account for you if they think it's a fake.

To report an account as fake, go to the ' Give feedback or report this profile ' option that can be found when you click the three dots on the bottom right of the cover photo.

That should be enough for Facebook to delete the account forever.

Suggestion 4: Last Resort

There is a last and rather tedious option if you didn't have any success with the other approaches.

If you live in the EU, the GDPR gives people the right to demand that companies such as Facebook delete their personal information when requested.

If Facebook is not responding to your request to delete your account, you could take this route.

We hope that any of these steps help you with your Facebook deletion mission. Deleting your account can be tricky when you don't have your old info, but fortunately, it's not impossible.
Remember, when you have deleted your account it really cannot be undone. You have to be very sure this is what you want. There is no 'backsies' when it comes to account deletion.
There is no way to recover a deleted Facebook account. While your data is stored for 90 days, once that period is over, Facebook gets rid of it forever.

Also, any apps you have signed into with your Facebook account will no longer recognise you. You may quite possibly not be able to use them and will have to create new accounts or log in details. This could prove to be a tedious recovery process if the apps are important to you.

Finding a Deleted Facebook Page

If - for some reason known only to you - you want to find a deleted Facebook profile, there is a way. Of course, this won't show you the actual profile, but a 'cached' version of it.

Here's how to do it:
Step One
Here, we'll show you how to do this using Google. Head to the search engine and type in ' Site:Facebook.com profilename '. You won't be actually typing 'profilename' but instead the name of the deleted profile that you're searching for.

Once you've hit Enter, you should be seeing the results, if there are any. Click on ' Cached ' so you can see the cached version of the profile.
Step Two
Now, let's look at how you can do this search when using Yahoo! instead of Google. Once you've navigated there, type in ' Site:Facebook.com profilename '. Again, you'll be typing in the profile name you want to find instead of 'profilename'.

Press Enter and when the results (if any) show up, select ' Cached ' below the search entry to see the cached copy of the page.
Step Three
If you want to use Bing to search for a deleted profile, it is just as easy. Search for ' Site:Facebook.com profilename '. (Change profilename to the profile name of the account you want to see)

As with the other methods, click on ' Cached ' to view the cached copy of the profile.

Search engines such as Google basically takes snapshots of every single page that it examines and then caches that snapshot. This is a way of storing back-up of everything it examines. This is what Google uses to determine if a page would be a good result for your search query.

Just about every search result includes a Cached link. So, if you're looking to find some info on a deleted Facebook profile, this method is likely your best bet.

Apart from that, there is no way to retrieve data about a Facebook account that has been deleted. Unless Mark Zuckerberg is hiding the secret from us. Even if that is the case, you're not likely to find out anyway.

Facebook Basics - Groups

Just what is a Facebook Group? Someone who is new to Facebook might not know exactly what a Facebook group is. If you do, you can just skip ahead.

If not, we'll briefly tell you so you can move on to the next important information - how to create a basic group.

In the shortest terms, a Facebook Group is a page on the platform that is created to let a group of people with similar interests interact with each other.

When you create a group, the name and purpose will attract like-minded people and you will be able to make new connections.

You can set a group to be private or public, depending on what you want to achieve. A private group is ideal for sharing your interests with a small group of people that you allow to join the page.

A public group can be joined by anyone who likes what it's about.

For a business, it is all about letting people know about your business and reaching a new, wider audience.

How To Create A Facebook Group

Here are the simple steps you can follow to create the Facebook Group you want.

Select ' Create Group ', which you'll find in the top right corner of your screen.

Now, you will determine the settings of your group. You will give the group its name and edit the privacy settings.

Your group needs to grab attention and you'll achieve that with a good photo. This is like choosing the cover of a book, so think carefully.

Next, you will invite people if you want. We suggest you start with people you know, if you can. This will help you build a community.

The fun can now begin and you can create your very first post. For the best results, make it an interactive post, such as creating a poll or by asking for recommendations.

Deleting A Facebook Group

If you have created a group on Facebook but feel that it's time to move on, you can delete it. Keep in mind that deletion is permanent and you will not be able to undo it later.

There are some alternatives that are less permanent and may be better if you're not sure that you want to delete the group for good.

We will be looking at these alternatives first and then show you how to delete a group on Facebook if you still want to.

Change Name And Branding Of A Facebook Group

Perhaps you could consider re-branding your group if members are not as pleased with the group's current situation.

Change the name and add branding to the cover image to make it clear what the group is about. You can also link your Facebook group to your Facebook page.

To change the group name, click on the three dots that can be found under your cover photo. Select the ' Edit group settings ' option and decide on your new group name.

Consider also using the highest quality cover photo you possibly can. That will improve the appearance of your Facebook group.

New Facebook Group Admin

It is quite possible that if you delete a Facebook group, you could offend others who put a lot of time into growing the group.

Why not hand over the group to those people rather than deleting it? You will likely know all the most active members of your group by now. If not, find them.

Make sure these members would want to take over before making them an admin. To assign new admins, click on your group's ' Members ' option then click on the three dots that are next to their names. Here, you can give admin rights to whomever you want.

It is good manners to pin a post that explains what is happening to the group.

Archive Your Facebook Group

If you don't want to give admin rights to other people but don't want to delete your Facebook group either, there is another option.

You can archive your Facebook group. This is also possible if the creator of the group has left.

When a group is archived, it will remain in-tact with threads and photos visible to all members. However, new members can't join and the group will not appear in search results for anyone who is not a member.

Members can be blocked and deleted but the group's description can't be changed.

Archiving a group is reversible - a group can return to active use if it is un-archived.

To archive a group, head to the page's settings and select the ' Archive group ' option. It is that simple. You will have to confirm your decision.

Delete Your Facebook Group

If you have made up your mind and want to delete your Facebook group, let's look at how to do it.

Remember, this is permanent.

Inform all the members that you will be deleting the group. This will give them a chance to download any media they want to save. Give them enough time to prepare for the deletion.

Note that only the creator of the group can delete a Facebook group. That is unless the creator left the group.

If you have a big group this is going to take a while. You have to delete every member of the group to put things to an end.

Then, remove yourself as a member. You will have to confirm your decision.

How Do I Delete a Group on Facebook Using An iPhone?

If you need to delete your Facebook group using the mobile app on your iPhone or Android smartphone, it's not very complicated.

You simply head to the menu and select ' Groups' and ' See All'. Then, choose ' See All' again under the ' Groups you Manage ' options.

Open the group that you have decided to delete. Tap on it and then select ' See All ' to view all of the group's members.

As with the desktop app, you will have to manually remove every member. Finally, leave the group and confirm your decision.

You will select ' Leave and Delete ' and the group will be deleted permanently. We recommend that you let the members know before deleting the group.

Are Members Notified When Removed from a Facebook Group?

Facebook does not notify users if they have been removed from a group. They will notice that something is up the next time they try to interact with the group though.

They won't be able to chat or post any longer and that will be a dead giveaway that they've been kicked out of the group.

How Do I Remove Myself from a Facebook Group?

Getting out of a group that you no longer want to associate with is not at all difficult or complicated.

Simply find the group that you want to leave and click on the Settings option. Then, you just have to select ' Leave Group ' and you're all set.

Facebook Basics - How To Create A Facebook Page

You will find that you can create a page on Facebook for just about any reason. Whatever your reason, we'll explain the process for you.

To make things easy, Facebook offers a link that will take you to the page. From there, you can fill in all the necessary details and get right into creating your dream page.

Once you are done and satisfied, click on ' Continue ' and follow the instructions that you'll be given.

That is it, really. Remember that anyone can create a page on Facebook, but you have to be an official representative to create one for a business, public figure, brand or organisation.

Which brings us to our next point...

How to Delete Your Facebook Page

Many Facebook users start pages because they are fans of a star and want to show that love online. Others start a personal business page that doesn't grow as expected.

Often, it becomes necessary to delete a Facebook page that is no longer important or relevant.

Setting up a Facebook Page is easy, and getting rid of them is just as simple. Before we get into deleting a Facebook Page, let's briefly look at how to create one (just in case you didn't know).

How To Create A Facebook Page For A Business

We will assume that you have a Facebook account and that you're already in possession of some great media and content that you want to share on Facebook.

To create a successful Facebook Page for a business, you have to do a lot of planning. Check out our best time to post on Facebook comprehensive guide for more on this.

Your personal details will not be shared on your business page.

Firstly, you will select the kind of page you want to create - in this case business.

After that, you will be expected to enter information about your business. It goes without saying that the name of the page will be the same as the name of your business.

This simplifies things when people search for you.

Select the category of your business. If your business really falls into multiple categories, choose the one that is most relevant. Choose the category that first comes to mind for your customers.

Enter more details about your business, such as contact numbers and address. You can also decide whether or not to make this information public.

At this point, you will have to give your Business Page a profile picture and choose cover images.

Make sure your images are related to your business (logo) and that it is of very high quality.

Remember that the cover image is very prominent so choose this one carefully.

Your username is next and this is also referred to as your vanity URL. It is how a page tells people how to find it on the platform.

It can be up to 50 characters long but keep it short and sweet. Obviously, your business name would be a great idea.

You can now enter more details about your business. We suggest that you add as much information as you can.

This is what people will see when they view your page and it should tell them exactly what they need to know about your business.

Now, we can get into deleting pages. Just remember that only the creator of a page can delete it - if it's not your page you won't be able to remove it.

But if you've ever wondered "how do I permanently delete my Facebook page?", you're in the right place.

As with the rest of this guide, we lead you in the process with easy-to-follow steps.

You will have to head to the page that you want to delete. Then, click on the ' Settings ' option.

Scroll through the options that are given in the ' General Tabs' and find ' Remove Page '.

Now, simply click on ' Delete ' and confirm your decision.

That is all there is and that is how to delete your Facebook page. Keep in mind that it takes Facebook up to 14 days to delete a page.

How Do I Delete My Business Facebook Page?

Many marketing strategies require the creation of a basic Business Page. However, not all of us are cut out to run a business and may no longer need such a page.

It is possible that you just have too much going on at the moment and don't have time to run a business and its page.

In that case, you don't have to delete the page. Instead, unpublish the business page and come back to it when you have time again.

When you unpublish a page, it is no longer visible to other Facebook users and the public.

Remember, you can only unpublish or delete a Facebook Business Page if you are the administrator.

Unpublish Your Facebook Business Page

Once you have created your business page, it is automatically published. If you're still working on it or want to keep it on the back-burner, unpublishing is the way to go.

It is also a good idea to unpublish a page that needs to be updated or edited for whatever reason.

Enter the ' Settings ' menu of your Facebook Business Page.

Select the ' Page Visibility' option that should be in the top spot of the settings list in your ' General ' tab.

Choose the 'Page Unpublished' option to unpublish the chosen page. Then, click 'Save' and your page will no longer be viewable.

When you want to publish your page again, all you have to do is come back to these settings and change the visibility of your page to ' Page Published '.

It really is as simple as that.

How To Permanently Delete A Facebook Business Page

Before you go ahead and delete your business page, remember that this is not an action that can be reversed.

Also, Facebook won't go the extra mile and for, example, let you know about the decision with an email.

So, think carefully before moving ahead with the removal.

If you've made up your mind, here's what you do:

Go to your Facebook Business Pages' settings menu.

Scroll until you find the ' Remove Page' option and click on the ' Edit' button that is next to the ' Delete Your Page ' option.

Now, click on ' Permanently Delete ' and your page will be deleted. Of course, you will have to confirm your decision.

Once you have chosen to permanently delete your Facebook Business Page, the removal will be scheduled.

It may take up to two weeks before the page is permanently deleted. During this time, it is possible to cancel the process. So, if you have second thoughts and aren't sure you want to delete a Facebook page, this is your chance to reverse the deletion.

Simply go to your page and click on the ' Cancel Deletion ' option that you should find at the top of the page.

When the 14-day period has passed, you can no longer recover the page in question. Now you know how to delete a Facebook page.

How To Recover a Facebook Page

Sadly, in this day and age with hackers, spiteful people and even technological failures (they happen!), it is important to know how to recover a Facebook page.

If your personal or Business Page is in the hands of someone else, you might want to have the assurance that you can still get back control.

There are many reasons why you may have to regain control of your Facebook page. It could be that an angry admin deleted you and now you're no longer calling the shots.

Perhaps you didn't create the page but the previous owner is long gone and not responding to your messages.

Sometimes, a page is created automatically when enough people 'check-in' and leave reviews. If that happened to your business, you may want to get things to look more professional.

Whatever the reason, Facebook knows that this could be an issue for some of its users. As such, they have provided a solution.
And it won't take forever either!
All you have to do is head over to this link, explain the matter and give all the relevant details and wait for a reply.

This could take anything between a few hours and a few days. You may have to be a bit patient, but usually, waiting doesn't take that long.

However, if you haven't received a response within about three days, send your email again.

That is all you need to do if you need to get back control of your Facebook page.

If that doesn't work (it should though), you will have to contact Facebook and inform them that someone is making unauthorized use of your intellectual property on their platform.

This might take some time to resolve and you will likely have to prove that the page is yours.

Facebook Basics: Bonus Tips On Using the Platform

If you are new to Facebook, you likely don't want to advertise the fact. So we decided to share some advice on how to use the platform like a seasoned user.

Facebook Basics Warning: Never Share Personal Info

Many beginners make the mistake of oversharing on Facebook and that is not recommended. You do not have to fill in your About page until it overflows.

Instead, look at Facebook as a fancy phonebook. Communicate with your friends and share some memories.

But don't just share information that you won't be okay with total strangers knowing.

Make sure that you edit your Facebook Ads preferences to avoid your information being shared.

You can't stop the platform from collecting your data but you can put a restriction on how that data is used.

Head to your Settings and enter the ' Ads' options. Then, select ' Ad Settings ' and make adjustments as you see fit.

Restrict Access To Your Profile

You want to restrict access to your Facebook profile so strangers can't see what you're up to.

The default setting allows anyone with access to the internet to view your posts. Your profile will also be displayed in search engine results.

We suggest that unless you like unwanted attention, you go and change your privacy settings as soon as you set up your account.

Make changes to any other settings that you are not comfortable with.

Organise Your Friends List

Some Facebook users don't realise this, but they can organise their friends into lists. This will make your experience on the platform much more convenient.

Facebook gives you a convenient tool to keep things organised. You can create groups by clicking on the ' Friend List ' on the left side of your screen.

You can create lists based on the companies you've worked for, places you've lived or even create your own custom lists.

Once you've done that, you will see a feed of posts from the people who are in your list by clicking on said list.

We suggest that you familiarise yourself with the Activity Log on Facebook. It is a record of all your activity, as the name suggests.

You can manage and review everything that you have shared. Also, it is possible to unfriend people, change where your posts are visible, delete old posts and more.

To access your Activity Log, head to your Settings Menu and you'll find it easily.

There you have it - a thorough guide on how to use Facebook. You can now make the most of this hugely popular social media platform with a good basic understanding.

You now know how to unblock someone on Facebook, how to delete a Facebook group, how to change your name on Facebook, how to delete a Facebook page and more.

One can say that you know the Facebook basics and 'how to Facebook'. It is now possible for you to become quite the master on Facebook and all its features.

Our Including Instagram topics such as how to do an social media marketing blog covers all things social media marketing! instagram audit and instagram giveaways. We're always updating our blog with valuable social media marketing content so make sure you come back regularly for even more!

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Desere Davis | Content Writer @ SocialPlanner.io

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How To Use Facebook - A Basic Facebook Guide (2021)

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Facebook is widely considered as the most popular social network and its popularity isn't likely to diminish any time soon. Even privacy breaches can't bring this giant down. So, if you want to get started on Facebook and enjoy the social benefits it offers, we have you covered.

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(Left to Right) Like, Love, Funny/Laugh, Surprise/Shock, Sad, Angry/Dislike

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Instagram hashtags are still an effective way to get more eyes (and engagement!) on your Instagram posts in 2020.

A post with at least one Instagram hashtag averages 12.6% more engagement than posts without a hashtag. So it really is worth creating a hashtag strategy for your brand if you want to grow your account!

This ultimate guide to Instagram hashtags will help you understand everything you need to know about using hashtags to get more followers, improve your posts' engagement rates, and build a community around your business.

Ready to learn how to use Instagram hashtags strategically and what steps you need to take to implement an effective hashtag strategy? We bet you are!

Content Menu

1. Why Instagram Hashtags Are Important

2. The Top 50 Instagram Hashtags of 2020 (UP-TO-DATE)

3. The Top 50 Instagram Hashtags of All Time

4. The Different Types of Instagram Hashtags

5. How to Find the Best Instagram Hashtags for Your Account

6. How to Organize Your Instagram Hashtags

7. 8 Ways to Optimize Your Instagram Hashtags

8. Best Practices for Instagram Hashtags in 2020

Why Instagram Hashtags Are Important

Instagram has gone through a lot of changes since its initial release in 2010. But through it all, one thing has remained consistent: the importance of Instagram hashtags.

Using relevant, targeted hashtags on your posts and stories is still one of the best ways to get discovered by new audiences on Instagram. And this can translate into more engagement, more followers, and more customers for your business.

Like on Twitter and other social media platforms, Instagram hashtags work by organizing and categorizing photo and video content.

If you have a public Instagram account and add a hashtag to a post, that post will be visible on the corresponding hashtag page (it's basically a directory of all the photos and videos that were tagged with that hashtag).

Since hashtags are used with an intent to discover content, the right hashtags can put you in front of your target audience, even if they haven't connected with you before.

For example, a food blogger might post a picture of a gorgeous smoothie bowl, and then use the hashtags #superfoods, #cleaneating, and #vegansofig when it's uploaded to Instagram.

By using these three hashtags, the image is cataloged so other Instagram users who enjoy healthy foods can easily find it.

Ready to get started? Watch our video where we're sharing everything you need to know about Instagram hashtags in 2020.

The Top 50 Instagram Hashtags of 2020
A few things to keep in mind:
While using ultra-popular hashtags isn't always the best strategy for getting more engagement on your posts and stories (we'll explain this more below), here is an up-to-date list of the top 50 Instagram hashtags of 2020:

When people with private profiles tag posts, they won't appear publicly on hashtag pages

Numbers are allowed in hashtags. However, spaces and special characters, like $ or %, won't work.

You can only add hashtags to your own posts. You can't tag other people's photos/videos.

You can use up to 30 hashtags on a post and 10 on a story.

The Top 50 Instagram Hashtags of All Time

The Different Types of Instagram Hashtags

Understanding the different types of hashtags and their corresponding audiences is key to developing an effective Instagram hashtag strategy:

#1: Community Hashtags

Community hashtags are hashtags that connect like-minded users around a specific subject. They're a great way to connect with others, improve the searchability of your posts, gain followers, and grow your own community.

Here are 9 different types of community hashtags you can use for your business:

We recommend using a variety of hashtags on your posts and stories so your posts can reach different communities. For instance, if you have a bakery in NYC, you can use #nycbakeries to reach those looking specifically for bakeries in NYC, but also use #bakerslife for those who are interested in your day-to-day life as a baker.

1. Hashtags indicating your product or service, like #sweater or #coffeeshop

2. Hashtags indicating your niche in your industry, like #weddingphotographer or #travelphotographer

3. Hashtags for Instagram communities in your industry, like #bakersofinstagram or #foodiesofinstagram

4. Hashtags for special events or seasons, like #whiteday or #nationaldonutday

5. Hashtags using location, like #pastrynyc, #madeintoronto, or #sydneysweets

6. Daily hashtags, like #mondaymotivation, #tuesdaytip, or #wellnesswednesday

7. Hashtags with phrases relevant to what you do, like #becreative or #bakerylove

8. Hashtags with acronyms, like #qotd (quote of the day) or #ootd (outfit of the day)

9. Hashtags with emojis, like #👟 or #🌞

The best way to find these community-oriented hashtags is by looking to see which hashtags your audience or favorite accounts are already using.

If you're thinking about creating your own community hashtag, remember that the narrower the scope of the hashtag, the more engaged the users tend to be. Don't be afraid to find a niche interest or topic that you'd like to build an Instagram community around.

#2: Branded Hashtags

A branded hashtag is a hashtag that's unique to your company when using Instagram for business.

It can be as simple as your company name, tagline, or the name of one of your products or campaigns. Or it can be a hashtag that has nothing to do with your brand name but everything to do with your brand identity!

While community hashtags are meant to increase the reach of your message, branded hashtags are designed to connect themes for you and your audience. They can be used to promote a campaign or collect user-generated content (UGC).

For example, the "natural" sneaker company @allbirds uses the hashtag #weareallbirds to drive awareness around their brand by giving their followers a place to share relevant content.

Getting your Instagram followers to use your branded hashtag in their posts and stories is key to getting discovered on Instagram by new audiences.

#3: Campaign Hashtags

While branded and community hashtags are meant to last, campaign hashtags are usually shorter-term and run for just a few days, a season, or a year.

The reason campaign hashtags are shorter-term is that they're usually tied to specific campaigns, like new product launches, special events, or partnerships.

For example, @tezzaapp recently used the hashtag #12daysoftezzaapp to promote a holiday campaign.

How to Find the Best Instagram Hashtags for Your Account

When used correctly, Instagram hashtags can help you grow your reach, get more engagement, and attract more followers.

But in order to be successful with hashtags, you need to be strategic about what hashtags you use and when you use them.

While the most popular hashtags on Instagram have been used millions of times, that doesn't mean you're going to get a ton of likes and comments simply by adding#love,#happy, or#dog to your posts.

Instead of using the most popular Instagram hashtags, it's better to find and use hashtags that are smaller, more niche, and have an engaged audience that's relevant to your industry.

So, how can you find these cool, creative, and community-oriented hashtags?

The best way is to look and see what Instagram hashtags your audience, competitors, and industry leaders are already using.

@later.com
So simple, you can do it while watching Tiger King 🐯👑📲 ##fyp ##foryou ##instagramtips ##socialmediatips

♬ Vibe (If I Back It Up) - Cookiee Kawaii

We've noticed that the more niche the topic, the more conversations users are having around it, so it pays off to really hone-in on a topic or theme. And you'd be surprised by how niche hashtags can get!

For example, let's say you're posting a photo of a French Bulldog. Instead of just tagging #dogstagram (over 15 million posts), you could also tag #frenchie (over 5 million posts) and #squishyfacecrew (over 1.3 million posts) to reach a more targeted audience of people who really love French Bulldogs. This is the best way to get a lot of targeted engagement on your posts!

#1: Use Later's Hashtag Suggestions Feature

If you need some help finding niche and industry-specific hashtags then you may want to check out Later's Hashtag Suggestions feature.

Hashtag Suggestions works by automatically finding relevant hashtags for your posts based on other hashtags that you use.

For example, let's say you're posting a photo of a beautiful bedroom to promote your business that sells linens. All you have to do is know one relevant hashtag (like #livesimply), put it into Hashtag Suggestions, hit "Suggest," and the feature will immediately generate 30 other hashtags, sorted by relevance.

You can then pick and choose which of these hashtags to add you to your post. All you have to do is click "Insert Hashtags" and they'll be added to the end of your caption.
Here are 5 ways to find the best Instagram hashtags for your account:
You can then pick and choose which of these hashtags to add you to your post. All you have to do is click "Insert Hashtags" and they'll be added to the end of your caption.

#2: Research Your Audience

Throwing random hashtags at the end of your Instagram posts isn't going to grow your audience. Instead, find out what hashtags your audience is using and see which ones fit the content that you're publishing.

#3: Research Your Competitors

It's always smart to find out what hashtags your competitors are using. By doing so, you can determine which hashtags provide the most engagement.

While it may not be your intention to compete on those hashtags, you could still end up figuring out what your potential customers are talking about and which hashtags they're using. And maybe you'll discover new hashtags to add to your repertoire!

#4: Research Industry Leaders

One of the best ways to find relevant hashtags is by following Instagram influencers that have the same (or similar) target audience as you.

Every industry has its respective key influencers. Find out who these people are in your niche and use their posts as inspiration. These people are already well-established with your target audience, so why not learn from the best?

#5: Find Related Hashtags

Surveying the landscape of trends that are relevant to your own hashtag is an easy and effective way to grow your community.

Simply type your hashtag into the app's search bar, and then select "tags" from the dropdown menu. You'll then be able to see all of the top hashtags that are closely related to your own hashtag, revealing additional ways to reach, monitor, and engage with your community.

You can also browse through posts containing a hashtag you're already having success with. Do you see a trend of any other common hashtags that could be included in future posts? If yes, write them down.
Your hashtags should be relevant and contain keywords that your audience is actually searching for.
How to Organize Your Instagram Hashtags

It used to be that the best way to organize your hashtags was with a spreadsheet. You would create an Excel sheet with headers like "hashtags," "category," "# of posts," and more, and then actively fill it out as you found new effective hashtags.

Thankfully, there's a much better way.

By using Later's Saved Captions feature, you can create multiple hashtag lists based on your frequently used hashtag categories, all from your Later account.

For example, let's say you run a travel brand and often post photos of beautiful locations around the world. Instead of trying to remember (or find) relevant hashtags for every post, you can use Saved Captions to keep them all organized, so you can quickly add them when scheduling in the future.

If you want to schedule a photo of a beach in San Diego, since you've already saved hashtags for different categories, you can we can insert relevant hashtags for beaches, California, travel, and San Diego with just the click of a button!

After you've written your caption, just click on "saved captions" and then click on the appropriate hashtag list to instantly add those hashtags to your caption.

8 Ways to Optimize Your Instagram Hashtags

Hashtags on Instagram really can be an effective way to grow your following and engagement, but the best practices are constantly changing.

A great Instagram hashtag strategy doesn't just reach more people - it reaches the right people for your business. Here are 8 tips for optimizing your Instagram hashtags to reach your target market and grow your engagement:

Tip #1: Check Your Instagram Hashtag Analytics

Looking at the performance of the hashtags you've used in the past can be a great way to decide what hashtags to use again in the future.

Instagram's native analytics tool Insights keeps some of this data - you can track how many people landed on your profile based on the hashtags you used:

If you're on one of Later's paid plans, you can also use Later's Hashtag Analytics to track key insights about the hashtags you use, including a breakdown of which hashtags are driving the most likes, comments, impressions, saves, and reach on your Instagram posts.

Plus, as you continue to add new hashtags, you'll be able to accurately track how they perform for your content.
Saved Captions is available on all Later plans - including our free plan!
Tip #2: Try to Get Into the "Top" Results for a Hashtag

If you've ever searched for a hashtag on Instagram, you've probably noticed a grid "Top Posts" at the top of the results page.

It used to be on the mobile Instagram app that you would only see the top 9 posts for each hashtag, but thanks to a recent update, you can now toggle between "Top" and "Recent" posts when searching for a hashtag (note: it's still just the top 9 posts on the desktop version of Instagram).

Getting in the top posts for a hashtag is a great way to get discovered by new users. Like getting featured on the Explore Page, it can results in a huge network effect that essentially makes your post go viral on Instagram.

Based on our experience, the two factors that play the biggest role in determining whether a post gets into the top posts for a hashtag are how much engagement the post gets, and how quickly it gets that engagement.

Top posts generally take their position within the first 24 hours of posting, so you need those likes and comments to roll in quickly after posting. If you can generate a lot of engagement on your Instagram post shortly after posting, this signals to Instagram that your post is quality, engaging content.

Tip #3: Include Your Branded Hashtag in Your Instagram Profile

Thanks to a recent-ish update, you can now add clickable hashtags (and usernames) to your Instagram bio, making it a lot easier to build an Instagram bio that converts to website visits!

What's so great about this feature is that it makes your bio even more functional - you can use hashtags for everything from promoting your Instagram community to highlighting your branded content and announcing your Instagram campaigns.
Instagram Hashtag Analytics are available on all Later business plans, starting at $19/month.
All you have to do is include a "#" before any word in your bio and it will automatically become a clickable link that leads visitors to that hashtag.

Tip #4: Post Your Hashtags in the First Comment

While adding hashtags to your posts is one of the best ways to boost your engagement and get your posts in front of your target audience, too many hashtags in your captions can look untidy (or worse, spammy!).

Instead, posting your hashtags in the first comment is a great way to make your caption the star of the show, without compromising any of the engagement you can get with hashtags.
So how do you actually get on the Top Posts for a hashtag?
Here's how to schedule a first comment on Instagram with Later:

Tip #5: Add Hashtags to Your Instagram Stories

Did you know you can add hashtags to your Instagram Stories too?

Adding hashtags to your story is a great way to give your content an added chance to be discovered by new audiences.

When people search for a hashtag on Instagram, if it's popular enough, they'll be able to see a collection of tagged stories on the search results page - including yours!

You can add as many as 10 hashtags to each Instagram story, including 1 clickable hashtag sticker.

And if you're worried about how hashtags will impact a carefully crafted aesthetic, there are a few hashtags hacks to make them seamlessly fit in with your post, or be hidden completely.

For example, you can make your text-based hashtags smaller (just 'pinch' the text) and hide them under a GIF or sticker.

TIP: Don't make your hashtag text too small - if it becomes illegible, Instagram won't pick up on it and it's unlikely your post will appear in any hashtag searches.

1. Open up the post scheduler in Later. You can do this from anywhere - Later on desktop, iOS, or Android.

2. You'll see a text box called "First Comment." Enter your hashtags or any text you'd rather have in the first comment.

3. Schedule your post as usual (including adding your link!) and the first comment is scheduled along with it.

4. You're done!

Tip #6: Entice Your Followers to Follow Your Branded Hashtag

In a big update from 2018, Instagram added the ability to "follow" hashtags, meaning you can now stay up-to-date on various topics (or communities) by following a hashtag related to your interests.

Following a hashtag works just like following a user's profile. When you find a hashtag you'd like to follow you simply open the hashtag page and tap on the follow button.
You can now craft, schedule and automatically post the first comment on your Instagram posts - available on all Later paid plans!
For brands and businesses, this opens up a great opportunity to regularly appear in a follower's feed. For example, if you have a branded hashtag for your business, you can invite your followers to also follow your unique hashtag.

This means that your content could appear twice in a follower's feed - once as they follow your profile, and once again as they follow the hashtag. It doubles your chances of engagement!

Tip #7: Run Hashtag-Based Campaigns & Promotions

Contests structured around user-generated content (UGC) are all the rage, and with good reason: they're fun, popular, and great for both driving engagement and reaching a new audience.

Create a contest where your followers upload photos on Instagram and tag their post with your branded hashtag.

Tip #8: Avoid Using Banned Hashtags on Instagram

Last but not least, our final tip is to avoid using banned hashtags on your Instagram posts.

Banned hashtags have been flagged and "disabled" by Instagram for infringing community guidelines - making them completely useless for your brand exposure.

What's more, even seemingly innocent hashtags are on the banned list, such as #humpday and #elevator, so it's definitely worth giving your tags a quick check!

You can also view a list of banned Instagram hashtags here.

Best Practices for Instagram Hashtags in 2020

Instagram hashtags can be a powerful tool for discovery when used properly - but they can also look spammy and hurt your account when used incorrectly.

Here are some rules to get more from your Instagram hashtags in 2020:

#1: When Should I Use Instagram Hashtags?

The short answer? As often as possible! Whenever you share content on Instagram, whether it's a post or Instagram story, if your goal is to get it seen by as many people as possible, you need to be using Instagram hashtags.

That being said, there might be occasions where using hashtags isn't necessary, like if you're sharing a personal anecdote or story.

This is more often the case with Instagram Stories than with regular posts (because they tend to be more casual in general), but it varies from case-to-case. At the end of the day, it's best to weigh the tone or topic of your post, along with what you're hoping to achieve, and then decide if it makes sense to use hashtags.

#2: How Many Hashtags Should I Use?

Unfortunately, there's no hard-and-fast rule when it comes to deciding how many hashtags you should use. While some experts like Alex Tooby recommend using the maximum number of hashtags allowed, because it gives you more opportunities to be discovered, others recommend using just 5-10.

We've seen all sorts of strategies and ideas on how many hashtags make the difference, but at the end of the day, it's really up to you. If you can find 30 super-relevant hashtags to add to each post, then you should definitely go for it.

However, if you don't feel comfortable using that many, feel free to use fewer. It's okay to experiment with the number of hashtags you use in your posts - it's all about finding your hashtag sweet spot!

#3: What Hashtags Should I Use?

The most important thing to keep in mind when deciding what hashtags to use is that you're being intentional - as in, you're using hashtags that your target audience is actually searching for and following!

According to Tooby, It's important to switch up your Instagram hashtags in every post to avoid being "spammy." It's also a good idea to avoid gimmicky hashtags such as #likeforlike, and hashtags that have been used over 1M times. While these hashtags might get you a few extra likes, they aren't going to help you grow a highly engaged, targeted following.

Instead, try looking for ultra-niche community hashtags that are specifically relevant to the content you post. It's not a bad idea to use Saved Captions to build multiple hashtag lists that are organized by theme or category.

For example, if you're a business that targets small business owners in the fashion industry, you may have multiple hashtags that you use on different topics.

Some may be specifically for small businesses, while others might be about fashion and ecommerce. The key is to collect and categorize them so that when they are used in a post, you can easily tell which pulls in the most engagement on your post.

And don't forget to use your branded hashtag whenever it makes sense! The first step to getting other users to share your branded hashtag is to use it yourself.

#4: Should My Hashtags be Visible?

According to Instagram, you can add hashtags to either the post caption or the comments.

However, by adding hashtags to captions, you'll benefit from the extra engagement as soon as you hit publish, rather than having to wait until your comment is written and posted.

If you prefer a tidier caption, you can also add line breaks between the main part of your caption and the hashtags. This will keep your hashtags neatly tucked away, so you can maintain a beautiful streamlined aesthetic:

If you're a Later user, you can easily add line breaks to your captions with the Later app. All you have to do is press the return key while writing your caption and you'll have lovely, spaced out captions for your Instagram posts!

Using Instagram hashtags strategically is a great way to connect with customers, find content created about you by your followers, and build long-term relationships with influential partners!
Watch Alex Tooby chat more about Instagram Stories for small businesses, hashtags and building a strategy for success in this video: Ready to get moving with your Instagram marketing strategy? Later makes it easy for you to plan, manage, and schedule your Instagram posts!

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The Ultimate Guide to Instagram Hashtags in 2020

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Instagram hashtags are still an effective way to get more eyes (and engagement!) on your Instagram posts in 2020. A post with at least one Instagram hashtag averages 12.6% more engagement than posts without a hashtag. So it really is worth creating a hashtag strategy for your brand if you want to grow your account!

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Learn about everything from the most popular filters in the U.S., to how to use Instagram filters, and even how to use a Snapchat filter on Instagram. Get ready to take your Instagram images to the next level.

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So you wanna tweet? Great-you're gonna (mostly) love it. Everyone from the President to Malala is tweeting it up these days, but it may take some getting used to if you're a new kid on the block.

Twitter is where news is broken, links are shared, and memes are born. It's also a place for chatting with friends. Yet unlike Facebook, Twitter is public by default. And that's not a bad thing. It means your jokes can go viral (if they're funny) and in addition to your friends, you can interact with your favorite journalists, athletes, artists, or political figures, all in the same space.

Follow our tips to get started on Twitter, and set yourself up for a more fulfilling experience.

Generally speaking, tweets show up in the order they happen. At the top of a Twitter feed, you'll see tweets that are only a second old. New tweets appear at the top, pushing the older ones down. If you haven't signed on in awhile you might get a box of recommended tweets you may have missed, but outside of that the equation is simple: The further down you scroll, the older the tweets get.

This immediacy has made Twitter the go-to place to watch protests unfold around the world, follow and comment on sports games or TV shows as they happen, and make fun of celebrity missteps right when the news is hot. The best (and sometimes worst) part is that the people sharing information and tweeting photos aren't necessarily newscasters. Anyone can be a reporter or a cultural critic on Twitter, and that's led to a universe of diverse viewpoints, all amplified organically.

Tweets can contain links, photos, GIFs, or videos. But if you're tweeting text, you're limited to 280 characters. It used to be 140, which was even more stifling, but once you get used to it you'll learn to love the brevity. It helps make your tweets pithy, and there's much less rambling you have to read when scanning other tweets. Some even say Twitter helps us become better writers.

Stepping into the Twitter stream unprepared can leave you feeling rudderless. Who to follow? What to tweet? Does this show up on my Twitter page? Am I missing things my friends post? What's an RT? Follow our tips to get started on Twitter, and set yourself up for a more fulfilling experience.

How to Make a Twitter Account on Desktop

Step 1: Go to Twitter.com or download the app and sign up for an account. The "Full name" that you provide will be your display name, but unlike Facebook, you can change your display name to whatever you want as many times as you want, so it's really easy to stay anonymous if you so choose.

Step 2: Enter in your phone number. This is a form of authentication that will help in case you ever lose access to your account. You'll want to use a phone you actually have access to because the next step will ask you to verify a number sent via text.

Step 3: Pick a password, and make it secure! You don't need a troll getting a hold of your account and dismantling the reputation you've worked so hard to build.

Step 4: Choose your interests. This will help with the next step, which is where Twitter will give you suggestions of people you can follow. You can also skip both of these by saying "skip for now" in the top right hand corner.

Step 5: Once you're in, click on the grey silhouette next to the "Tweet" button on the top right of your screen, and click "Settings & Privacy." At the top, you can pick a username you like. That will be your username, or handle, and people can notify you by typing @ in front of your username in a tweet. Choose something you like that you think isn't taken, but also something easy to remember for others.

Step 6: Pick an avatar. The default picture is a silhouette, but you can make your avatar whatever you want (your face, a dog on a skateboard, the possibilities are endless). Just click the silhouette and head to "Profile" and then click "Edit Profile" on the right underneath the blue bar. You can update your header photo from this place, too. Be sure to read Twitter's rules for avatar images to make sure what you pick is not in violation.

Step 7: Write your bio. You may wish to list where you work, live, or a line from a favorite poem in your bio. This is the short blurb that lets potential followers know who you are and what you're likely to tweet. There is also a handy spot to list your website, if you have one.

How to Make a Twitter Account on Mobile

Step 1: Fill out your name and phone number/email address. Make sure to use your real one as the next step will ask you to verify.

Step 2: Enter in the verification number that you received at whatever contact information you put in in Step 1. Choose a password. Make it strong, and please, for the love of god, don't use "dragon" like everyone else.

Step 3: Choose whether you'd like to sync your contacts. This may help you find Twitter followers you know, but if you don't want to, just hit "not now."

Step 4: Search for interests. This will help Twitter recommend good profiles for you to follow.

Step 5: Twitter will provide you with some accounts you can follow based on your interests. Pick out a few you like. If you see them to start you feed off on the right foot.

Step 6: You're in! Simply click on the blue button on the top right to tweet, the grey silhouette on the top left to change your profile picture and settings, and get tweeting!

Twitter isn't about friending-it's about following. You can follow people you know personally, or artists or projects you're a fan of. You can follow robots and parody accounts. Really, you can do whatever you like.

Step 1: You may already be following some people if you selected some during your account set up. But,

Step 2: You can also search in the top right hand box for personalities you like. If you're a fan of GZA, follow GZA. If you're a fan of the Golden State Warriors, follow Steph Curry. If you like to read WIRED, follow WIRED.

Step 3: Twitter will continue to offer suggestions for who to follow as you use it. These suggestions will appear in your feed if you're using the app, or on the side of the screen if you're using the website.

Step 4: If you're in the mobile app, you can also click on the Connect feature, which will offer you suggestions based on what you've tweeted or liked.

Step 5: Keep adding people. There's no limit, but once you've landed between 100 and 250 accounts, you'll notice the correlation between the number of people you follow and the amount of tweets that show up in your feed. If you're craving more, keep adding people. But build it up slowly and see how it feels.

Before you start firing off tweets, it might help to know a little about the mechanics.

Step 1: All tweets are a maximum of 280 characters. While that might seem too short to say anything substantive, it's not. It might mean having to tweet multiple times to make a complex point (in the Twittersphere, we call that a thread), but boiling down your thoughts to a couple of lines really just makes your statement stronger, faster to read, and more shareable.

Step 2: Speaking of a Twitter thread, if you have more than 280 characters to say about a subject they are easy to make. Just type your first tweet using the "Tweet" button, and hit the + button on the bottom right. This will string together a series of tweets where you can make a larger point.

Step 3: If you want to add a photo, a video, a poll, or a gif, you can do so in the lower bar of the "Compose new Tweet" box. Adding a photo does not use up any of your 280 characters, and you can add up to four photos or a video less than 2:20 in length and 500mb in size.

Step 4: Sharing a link your Tweet will decrease your character count by 23 characters. Pro tip: Leave a space between your text and the link. Otherwise it may include the entirety of the link in your character count.

Step 5: Hashtags are best used for adding to a larger conversation, and the most popular ones show up on the left side of the "Home" tab. Hashtags are clickable, too, so you can tap on a hashtag to see all the tweets related to that topic.

The more you browse Twitter and find people whose tweets you think are smart or funny, the more you'll see some shorthand lingo flying around. Here's what's what.

HT means "hat tip," and it's what you use to credit an account who first clued you into the information you're sharing in your tweet. It's not necessary, but it's a nice thing to do.

An @, or a mention, is when you include somebody's @twittername in the tweet. The person will be alerted that you mentioned them. Use it to send a public "hey, over here," or to add somebody on a conversation that's currently happening.

RT means "retweet." When you retweet someone, you can either just repost their tweet by itself, or you can add your own commentary. If you do that, when you post your tweet, the tweet you're commenting on will appear just below your comment.

Twitter allows you to Direct Message with people who have that feature turned on. It's often called at DM, and it allows you to further conversations in private and chat with groups of people. While all regular tweets are public, including @-mentions, a DM is totally private. Only the people included in the DM can see it.

Setup Lists and Follow Hashtags

A lot of people complain that Twitter is hard to follow. If people tweet something and you're not online, you might not see it until later. But the idea of Twitter isn't to catch every single thing someone tweets, it's to be on the internet at the same time as other people. It's like a giant hangout-an open and rich chat room that's happening in public.

Twitter will occasionally filter the timeline, showing tweets of your favorite people first (Twitter sees who you talk to the most, so it knows who you'd like to see tweets from) before showing real-time tweets again in reverse chronological order. It's a nice feature that helps you get caught up on everything that's happened while you've been away.

Still, if you don't want to miss a beat, here are some tips.

Go directly to the page of the person you want to follow closely and see what they've tweeted.

Search for the hashtag of the event you wish to follow, then tap on the "Live" tab to see the most recent tweets in the larger conversation.

Turn on your notifications. You can set your mobile app to send you push notifications based on popular Tweets from your activity and when news breaks. This is really helpful if you want to keep track of your favorite folks and news outlets, but can't be online all day to watch.

Use Tweetdeck, a more customizable Twitter app. You can make private lists with only a few people on it that you can check to make sure you catch everyone's tweets in that list. You can also set up customized lists within Twitter itself to organize the people you follow and generally keep your sanity.

Remember, everything on Twitter is public by default. However, you can easily make your own private experience. If you'd like to make Twitter a place where you privately interact with friends, just set your account to private. Turning this setting on means you will have to manually give permission to anyone who wants to follow you if you'd like them to be able to see your tweets and communicate with you. With a private account, only the people who you've given permission to follow you will see your tweets. Most people choose to leave their accounts public, though. If Facebook is the dinner table with your family and friends, Twitter is a rousing bar. Most opt to stick with the default but choose to only say things they'd be comfortable saying to strangers.

Most importantly, if your account is public and someone is actin' a fool-posting mean tweets (called trolling) or just bugging you constantly-don't hesitate to block them, mute them, or report their behavior. All of these options are available to you, so don't be afraid to use them. Happy Tweeting!

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How to Use Twitter: Critical Tips for New Users

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So you wanna tweet? Great-you're gonna (mostly) love it. Everyone from the President to Malala is tweeting it up these days, but it may take some getting used to if you're a new kid on the block. Twitter is where news is broken, links are shared, and memes are born.

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Skip to main content

Instagram is a social networking app with a difference: it concentrates primarily on images instead of words. Photos, visual art, and videos are all fair game for those who contribute to or browse Instagram's huge variety of posts. If you're tired of the constant sniping on Twitter and don't want anything to do with Facebook, Instagram (although admittedly owned by Facebook) is a good place to try.

In The Verge Guide to Instagram, we offer advice and tips for both beginners and experts. If you're just starting to experiment with the social network, we tell you how to get started with Instagram and how to find accounts to follow. If you're an experienced Instagrammer who wants to try some interesting and intricate features, we explain how to make face filters and seamless panoramas.

We will continue to add to this guide as we continue to explore Instagram and its possibilities. Enjoy!

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If you're tired of the constant sniping on Twitter and don't want anything to do with Facebook, Instagram (although admittedly owned by Facebook) is a good place to try. In The Verge Guide to Instagram, we offer advice and tips for both beginners and experts.

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Are you utilising hashtags to get maximum exposure for your brand or client's Twitter account?

If you're not using hashtags, your content is going to sink into a sea of tweets. On the other hand, if you're using too many hashtags, your message is going to lose its value.

In this guide, you'll learn how to find and use the right hashtags on Twitter that are relevant to your client's audience.

A brief intro to Twitter hashtags and how we use them today

What is a hashtag?

Hashtags originated on Twitter in 2007, but nowadays they're used on other social media platforms, especially Instagram, as well as TV and Video campaigns.

A hashtag comprises two parts: the hash symbol - # - sometimes called the pound symbol in the US - immediately followed by a keyword or phrase. For example, putting the # symbol in front of the words 'World Cup' (without a space) makes it a hashtag: #WorldCup.

Why use hashtags?

Hashtags are a handy way of grouping and categorising tweets, and they help people follow topics in which they're interested. Anyone searching for a specific topic can find relevant tweets immediately rather than having to scroll through their Twitter feed.

Twitter's research found that tweets with hashtags increased engagement - clicks, retweets, favourites, and replies - for individuals and brands:

Tweets with hashtags can increase engagement by almost 100% (2x) for individuals and 50% (1.5x) for brands.

So you should use hashtags to help people discover and engage with your content.

When should I use hashtags on Twitter?

You can use a hashtag whenever you're referring to a specific topic. For instance, you could use hashtags for:

Events: #TrumpUKVisit, #Wimbledon, #CMIWorld

Places: #NYC, #London

Themes: #ThursdayThoughts

Things: #coffee, #computers, #cars

Verbs: #golfing, #cooking, #writing

Industry terms: #socialmedia, #photography, #tech

You'll also see hashtags used for Twitter Chats; for example, #QChat, #SEMRushChat.

When shouldn't I use hashtags on Twitter?

Don't use hashtags in your adverts if you're trying to drive traffic to your website. Twitter found that adverts without a #hashtag or @mention generate 23 percent more clicks. Unsurprisingly, their best practice states:

Avoid #hashtags or @mentions in your copy so that your audience does not click away from your ad.

How to use hashtags on Twitter

Here are three hashtag tips to follow:

You can use one or more hashtags anywhere in your tweet. Twitter recommends using no more than two hashtags per Tweet, but you're free to use as many as you wish.

Don't use spaces in a hashtag. For example, '#World Cup' would reference the topic of 'World' as opposed to '#WorldCup', which references the 'World Cup'.

Don't use punctuation in a hashtag. For example, #It'sComingHome won't work, although it's grammatically correct. Use #ItsComingHome instead.

Now you know the what, why, and when of hashtags, let's see how you can incorporate them in your posts.

How to find trending and popular Twitter hashtags

There's no point in using a hashtag if nobody is searching for it. To help you find trending and popular hashtags for your tweets, utilise these tools.

1. Twitter

The first place to check for trending hashtags is Twitter.

On the left-hand sidebar under your profile, you'll find a personalised list of the Top 10 Trends:

Note: some of these trends are topics rather than hashtags.

The trends are tailored to you based on your location and who you follow:

If you don't like what you see, you can click on 'Change' to select another location:

Pro Tip: The Twitter mobile app starts with the Top 5 Trends:

But you can tap on 'Show more' to reveal a list of the Top 20:

2. Hashtagify

Hashtagify is a brilliant tool for finding both trending and popular hashtags. It allows you to discover the best hashtags to reach your audience, gives you custom suggestions, and helps you find your influencers and competitors.

Enter a hashtag you're interested in using. For example, let's stick with the #WorldCup:

And you'll see results for:

Popularity = 79.5%

Recent Popularity = 83.8%

Month Trend = +31%

Week Trend = -3%

Underneath those results are suggestions for related hashtags:

Followed by the popularity trend for the past few weeks:

Hashtagify also informs you of the top influencers related to your hashtag:

Other useful insights include the top countries and languages using the hashtag, to help with geo-specific messages. Plus, there's a Tweets Wall with a snapshot of current Tweets using the hashtag.

The premium plans offer more features and data including an extended list of the top influencers, hashtag suggestions for your posts, plus the option to bookmark your favourite hashtags.

3. Trendsmap

Trendsmap shows you the latest trends from Twitter, for anywhere in the world. Click on a word or a hashtag on the map, and you'll get results for that location.

For example, clicking on the word 'rescued' in Canada displays the trending Calgary results for the heroic Thailand cave rescue:

Move the map over to the UK and click on #WorldCup to see all the latest trending tweets on the football world cup taking place in Russia:

Using Trendsmap, you can see how different locations are reacting and discussing trending topics. Armed with that data, you can create messages that are more likely to get discovered by your target audience.

4. RiteTag

RiteTag is another excellent tool for checking both trending and popular hashtags. For instance, when you enter the term 'social media', RiteTag produces two lists.

For instant trending results, use the green-coloured hashtags to get seen now:

For long-term popular results, use the blue-coloured hashtags to get seen over time:

Also useful is the hashtags not to use:

And, if you like visuals, there's a word map of connections and stats about your selected hashtag:

Using RiteTag, you get the complete picture for each hashtag.

Finding trending and popular hashtags is one thing, but that doesn't mean you have to use them.

What are the popular Twitter hashtags?

Studies have shown that tweets which include hashtags are 33% more likely to be retweeted than those without them. But which specific hashtags are most likely to help you gain traction on the platform?

According to research by Hubspot, the most used and popular hashtags tend to be very general and can be used by most brands. They include:

#competition

#influencer

#influencermarketing

#fridayfeeling

#MondayMotivation

#tbt

#wcw

#thursdaythoughts

#traveltuesday

#blessed

#goals

#vegan

#fitness

#science

#fintech

When deciding which hashtags to include in your posts, remember the rule of relevancy - will your audience appreciate a post based around the subject of this hashtag? This also applies to hashtags which are trending, or popular within your niche.

How to check the relevancy of your Twitter hashtags

Forcing hashtags into your tweets to attract attention amounts to spam.

For example, if you choose to use a trending hashtag like #WorldCup, but your message and possible link have nothing to do with the FIFA World Cup, then you've gained the wrong attention and audience. Even worse, if enough people complain, Twitter might block your account. So don't go there!
In short, your hashtags need to be relevant to the content you're posting.
Here are three ways to make sure they pass the relevancy test:

1. Check the definition of existing hashtags

If you come across a hashtag, but you're not too sure what it means and whether it's relevant to your client's brand, then you could check the definition in TagDef.

For example, enter the hashtag #contentmarketing, and you'll see the definition below:

2. Check what hashtags influencers use

If one or more respected influencers in your industry or niche are using a hashtag, then there's a good chance it's relevant. But you can still make your own check.

Enter the hashtag in the Twitter search bar:

And see what content is being posted:

image source: Wave Video Twitter

Incidentally, the hashtag was used more than 400,000 times, garnering more than 2 trillion impressions on social media.

Creating a catchy hashtag is an excellent way to raise brand awareness, but remember to follow these three steps:

Check if it exists - Make a thorough search on Twitter to ensure your proposed new hashtag does not exist already or has not been used previously in a negative way.

Consider the length - A hashtag needs to be snappy and memorable. Creating a hashtag from a long phrase won't deliver the desired results and there's more chance of it getting mistyped. Three words or less should be enough to convey your message.

Use capital letters - Twitter hashtags are not case sensitive, but using capital letters makes your hashtag more readable. Compare #socialmediamarketing and #SocialMediaMarketing. Plus, it also helps hashtags from being misinterpreted.

Wrapping Up

Hashtags are here to stay. They are so useful for identifying topics that you can't afford to ignore them. Make sure you're using relevant hashtags on your client's tweets to reach new audiences and boost brand awareness.

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Twitter Hashtags: A Guide to Finding and Using the Right Ones

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Are you utilising hashtags to get maximum exposure for your brand or client's Twitter account? If you're not using hashtags, your content is going to sink into a sea of tweets. On the other hand, if you're using too many hashtags, your message is going to lose its value.

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How to Use TikTok - Complete Beginners Guide

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If you're not using TikTok yet, you could be missing out on a huge platform for growth.

Last June, the app hit a major milestone: over 700 million monthly users. And as that number grows, now's the perfect time to learn how to use TikTok.

To help you get started, we're covering all the basics in this quick guide - from setting up an account to sharing your first video!

How to Use TikTok

What is TikTok?

TikTok may seem like an overnight success story, but the video-sharing social platform has actually been around for years.

Launched in 2016 by its Beijing-based parent company , TikTok was an instant hit with Gen Z users in China. But it wasn't until 2017, when ByteDance acquired another video-sharing platform (Musical.ly), that it took off in North America and Europe.

In 2018, TikTok had 55 million monthly active users. In 2021, the company is projected to reach 1.2 billion .

And if you thought TikTok was just for viral dances or lip-syncing videos, you're mistaken. There's so much more!

From jokes and life hacks, to beauty tutorials and puppy videos, there's room for all kinds of content on the platform.
Ready to get started on TikTok? Join Later's 10-day Challenge to learn how to use TikTok and create videos that get tons of views!
How to Set up Your TikTok Account

Before diving into the fun stuff like posting videos, you'll need to create a TikTok account and familiarize yourself with the platform.

Here's how:

Step #1: Sign Up

Head to the App Store or Google Play and download TikTok. When you open the app, you'll find yourself on the "For You" page (aka TikTok's homepage).

From there, go to the "Me" tab on the lower right-hand side of the screen. Here you'll be prompted to sign up using your phone number, email address, or pre-existing social media accounts.

Once you have an account, click "Edit profile" to update your username and bio, add a profile photo, and add a link to your bio if applicable.

These simple edits are great ways to optimize your profile. Now, when people visit your page, they'll get key information about your brand right away.
Ready to get started? Find out how to set up your TikTok profile in this blog post!
Step #2: Check Out the "For You" and "Discover" Pages

Like most social media platforms, trends quickly come and go on TikTok. So if you want to capitalize on a trend, it's a good idea to act fast.

The best way to find out what's trending on a daily basis is to scroll through the "For You" and "Discover" pages.

The "For You" page is algorithmically curated based on the videos you interact with, the accounts and hashtags you follow, your location and language preferences, and the type of content you create.

The "Discover" page is curated using TikTok's algorithm , which does the work of finding trends for you. Here, you'll see popular hashtags, sounds, and effects. Click on each trend to view its top videos or favorite it for later.

Step #3: Follow (and Engage with) Like-minded Creators

Are you trying to reach a specific audience? Think about the type of content, brands, and creators they'd be most likely to follow and engage with.

Once you've done some research, check out what those brands and creators are sharing on their TikTok accounts. And if they resonate with your brand, give them a follow!

This is a great way to learn more about your target audience, familiarize yourself with the videos they enjoy watching, and find trend inspiration.

And if you want to build an engaged community on your TikTok account, it's a good idea to actively engage with other creators in that community.

Luckily, TikTok makes it easy with a series of icons you'll see to the right of each video:

Take this free course to learn everything you need to know about TikTok for business - from staying on top of the latest trends to understanding the platform's powerful algorithm.

The first icon (a profile photo with a "+" underneath) will take you to a user's profile where you can follow them

The second is a heart, which you can tap to like a video

There's a speech bubble which you tap to leave a comment

The arrow allows you to share TikTok videos to other platforms

And there's a rotating record-like icon which will show you the sound used in the video (as well as other videos that use the same sound)

How to Create Content for TikTok

When you're getting ready to film your first TikTok video, don't worry about production quality.

Having a strong creative concept is much more important.

TikTok is known for its unrefined, imperfect, and authentic content - so you don't have to be an editing extraordinaire.

Part #1: Record Your First TikTok Video

To start, simply press the "+" button at the bottom-center of the screen. This will open your camera.

Using the icons on the screen, you can play around with recording speed, set up a self-timer, add a sound or filter to your video, and get acquainted with TikTok's many in-app effects.

TIP: You can also , , effects, and stickers to your videos when you're done recording.

Part #2: Effects, Duets, and Challenges

Once you've got the basics down, you can start making your videos more interesting by using effects, joining challenges, and dueting other popular videos.

At the bottom of the recording screen you'll see the "Effects" button. Many of TikTok's top trends and challenges are centered around these effects.

There can be a bit of a learning curve when it comes to executing challenges and using effects correctly. So don't worry if you have to try a few times before getting it right.

You can also film duets - a popular feature on TikTok. Duets split your screen in half and enable you to record alongside videos from other creators. To make a duet, tap the arrow on a pre-existing video and then hit "Duet".

Part #3: Uploading Your Content

Once your video is complete, the last thing to do is add a caption and hit "Post." You can also increase your reach by adding relevant hashtags and finding your best time to post.

ICYMI: You can now plan and schedule TikTok videos with Later!

How to Use TikTok for Your Brand

We've said it before and we'll say it again: there are millions of people on TikTok who love new, exciting, fun, and educational content. And tons of companies are already successfully serving branded content to these users.

The branded content that tends to perform best on TikTok is modeled after the types of videos that regular users upload - videos that capitalize on trends and feel authentic.
Visually plan and schedule TikToks ahead of time. When it's time to post, everything is sent to your phone!
Following this format, businesses like The Washington Post and have amassed 842,000 and 1.4 million followers on TikTok, respectively.

But you don't have to be a big, well-established brand with tons of followers to do well on TikTok.

Even an account with zero followers can go viral if its content resonates with enough people.

For example, Tuyen Nguyen (@lifewithtuyen ) has amassed over 430,000 followers in under a year!

So join in on a challenge (or create a challenge of your own), show off the human side of your brand with behind-the-scenes content, or lean into the life hack trend by creating how-to videos.

Like any other social platform, the best way to learn how to use TikTok is to experiment - don't be afraid to try new things. And with these basics under your belt, you're ready to go.

We can't wait to see what you create!
Ready to kick-start your TikTok strategy? Join Later today to plan and schedule all your TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter posts from one easy-to-use dashboard!

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How to Use TikTok: A Guide for Beginners

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If you're not using TikTok yet, you could be missing out on a huge platform for growth. Last June, the app hit a major milestone: over 700 million monthly users. And as that number grows, now's the perfect time to learn how to use TikTok.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
If you're not using TikTok yet, you could be missing out on a huge platform for growth.

Last June, the app hit a major milestone: over 700 million monthly users. And as that number grows, now's the perfect time to learn how to use TikTok.

To help you get started, we're covering all the basics in this quick guide - from setting up an account to sharing your first video!

How to Use TikTok

What is TikTok?

TikTok may seem like an overnight success story, but the video-sharing social platform has actually been around for years.

Launched in 2016 by its Beijing-based parent company , TikTok was an instant hit with Gen Z users in China. But it wasn't until 2017, when ByteDance acquired another video-sharing platform (Musical.ly), that it took off in North America and Europe.

In 2018, TikTok had 55 million monthly active users. In 2021, the company is projected to reach 1.2 billion .

And if you thought TikTok was just for viral dances or lip-syncing videos, you're mistaken. There's so much more!

From jokes and life hacks, to beauty tutorials and puppy videos, there's room for all kinds of content on the platform.
Ready to get started on TikTok? Join Later's 10-day Challenge to learn how to use TikTok and create videos that get tons of views!
How to Set up Your TikTok Account

Before diving into the fun stuff like posting videos, you'll need to create a TikTok account and familiarize yourself with the platform.

Here's how:

Step #1: Sign Up

Head to the App Store or Google Play and download TikTok. When you open the app, you'll find yourself on the "For You" page (aka TikTok's homepage).

From there, go to the "Me" tab on the lower right-hand side of the screen. Here you'll be prompted to sign up using your phone number, email address, or pre-existing social media accounts.

Once you have an account, click "Edit profile" to update your username and bio, add a profile photo, and add a link to your bio if applicable.

These simple edits are great ways to optimize your profile. Now, when people visit your page, they'll get key information about your brand right away.
Ready to get started? Find out how to set up your TikTok profile in this blog post!
Step #2: Check Out the "For You" and "Discover" Pages

Like most social media platforms, trends quickly come and go on TikTok. So if you want to capitalize on a trend, it's a good idea to act fast.

The best way to find out what's trending on a daily basis is to scroll through the "For You" and "Discover" pages.

The "For You" page is algorithmically curated based on the videos you interact with, the accounts and hashtags you follow, your location and language preferences, and the type of content you create.

The "Discover" page is curated using TikTok's algorithm , which does the work of finding trends for you. Here, you'll see popular hashtags, sounds, and effects. Click on each trend to view its top videos or favorite it for later.

Step #3: Follow (and Engage with) Like-minded Creators

Are you trying to reach a specific audience? Think about the type of content, brands, and creators they'd be most likely to follow and engage with.

Once you've done some research, check out what those brands and creators are sharing on their TikTok accounts. And if they resonate with your brand, give them a follow!

This is a great way to learn more about your target audience, familiarize yourself with the videos they enjoy watching, and find trend inspiration.

And if you want to build an engaged community on your TikTok account, it's a good idea to actively engage with other creators in that community.

Luckily, TikTok makes it easy with a series of icons you'll see to the right of each video:

Take this free course to learn everything you need to know about TikTok for business - from staying on top of the latest trends to understanding the platform's powerful algorithm.

The first icon (a profile photo with a "+" underneath) will take you to a user's profile where you can follow them

The second is a heart, which you can tap to like a video

There's a speech bubble which you tap to leave a comment

The arrow allows you to share TikTok videos to other platforms

And there's a rotating record-like icon which will show you the sound used in the video (as well as other videos that use the same sound)

How to Create Content for TikTok

When you're getting ready to film your first TikTok video, don't worry about production quality.

Having a strong creative concept is much more important.

TikTok is known for its unrefined, imperfect, and authentic content - so you don't have to be an editing extraordinaire.

Part #1: Record Your First TikTok Video

To start, simply press the "+" button at the bottom-center of the screen. This will open your camera.

Using the icons on the screen, you can play around with recording speed, set up a self-timer, add a sound or filter to your video, and get acquainted with TikTok's many in-app effects.

TIP: You can also , , effects, and stickers to your videos when you're done recording.

Part #2: Effects, Duets, and Challenges

Once you've got the basics down, you can start making your videos more interesting by using effects, joining challenges, and dueting other popular videos.

At the bottom of the recording screen you'll see the "Effects" button. Many of TikTok's top trends and challenges are centered around these effects.

There can be a bit of a learning curve when it comes to executing challenges and using effects correctly. So don't worry if you have to try a few times before getting it right.

You can also film duets - a popular feature on TikTok. Duets split your screen in half and enable you to record alongside videos from other creators. To make a duet, tap the arrow on a pre-existing video and then hit "Duet".

Part #3: Uploading Your Content

Once your video is complete, the last thing to do is add a caption and hit "Post." You can also increase your reach by adding relevant hashtags and finding your best time to post.

ICYMI: You can now plan and schedule TikTok videos with Later!

How to Use TikTok for Your Brand

We've said it before and we'll say it again: there are millions of people on TikTok who love new, exciting, fun, and educational content. And tons of companies are already successfully serving branded content to these users.

The branded content that tends to perform best on TikTok is modeled after the types of videos that regular users upload - videos that capitalize on trends and feel authentic.
Visually plan and schedule TikToks ahead of time. When it's time to post, everything is sent to your phone!
Following this format, businesses like The Washington Post and have amassed 842,000 and 1.4 million followers on TikTok, respectively.

But you don't have to be a big, well-established brand with tons of followers to do well on TikTok.

Even an account with zero followers can go viral if its content resonates with enough people.

For example, Tuyen Nguyen (@lifewithtuyen ) has amassed over 430,000 followers in under a year!

So join in on a challenge (or create a challenge of your own), show off the human side of your brand with behind-the-scenes content, or lean into the life hack trend by creating how-to videos.

Like any other social platform, the best way to learn how to use TikTok is to experiment - don't be afraid to try new things. And with these basics under your belt, you're ready to go.

We can't wait to see what you create!
Ready to kick-start your TikTok strategy? Join Later today to plan and schedule all your TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter posts from one easy-to-use dashboard!

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How to Use TikTok: A Guide for Beginners

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If you're not using TikTok yet, you could be missing out on a huge platform for growth. Last June, the app hit a major milestone: over 700 million monthly users. And as that number grows, now's the perfect time to learn how to use TikTok.

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By Brad Spirrison, Communications Specialist, Participate Learning

It's never been easier for educators to collaborate with peers and grow their professional learning networks. Because hundreds of thousands of teachers, administrators and instructional technologists regularly participate in scheduled and "slow" hashtag-based Twitter chats, there is always somebody online who can answer a question, share an idea or recommend a digital resource for an upcoming unit or lesson plan.

Participate Learning recently debuted #CollaborativePD, a monthly Twitter chat moderated by Jennifer Williamsthat focuses on learning through collaboration, as well as other ideas and best practices showcased in our New Recipe for Professional Development digest. We invite you to experience our next chat on Thursday, October 19 and 8pm ET.

In addition, Participate Learning makes it easy to find, experience and reflect on hundreds of Twitter chats, Edcamps and school/district-based conversations at www.participate.com/chats. We also publish analytics to show which chats attract the most participants.

While the number of participants alone does not determine the quality of a given chat (everyone's individual journey and quest for collaboration is unique), it is significant when a professional learning community attracts thousands of engaged educators each month.

Below we showcase the most active chats that are held each day (or night) of the week (as measured between September 3 and October 3 of this year). Note, many edtech-oriented hashtags represent ideas, themes and campaigns that are more broad than individual conversations. We used our best efforts to mine the data to focus on scheduled chats and online collaborations. The descriptions displayed here are provided by chat moderators and founders. Enjoy!

Monday

#Edtechchat focuses on Education Technology. Co-founder says #edtechchat "connects us professionally with inspiring educators from all over the world, all of who encourage us to be better every day for the children and families we serve." Other regular moderators include Sharon LePage Plante, , Susan Bearden, Alex Podchaski, Alice Keeler, Nathan Stevens, Katrina Keene and Katrina Stevens.

Tuesday

With some of the best edtech names in education as moderators such as , Shelly Sanchez, Mark Weston, Nathan Stevens, and Steven Anderson, #Edchat is a hashtag, a movement. It is a weekly organized Twitter discussion of educators and people interested in education that meet virtually from all over the world. #Edchat serves as a conversation thread on Twitter and is also used for organized weekly discussions.

Wednesday

Moderated by , New Teacher Chat was created to provide weekly mentoring and focus on the needs of new to the profession and pre-service teachers. The chat is supportive and practitioner focused.

Thursday

Moderated by , #whatisschool is an award winning edchat space where people can express an unbiased response to questions about schooling, where educators have a voice in shaping the future through their experience, recommendations and interests.

Friday

Moderated by t and , #EngageChat is a weekly chat session that focuses on engagement in schools.

Saturday

Weekly Twitter conversation for current and emerging school leaders. Co-founders and co-moderators are Brad Currie, Scott Rocco, and Billy Krakower. #Satchat's mission is to expand educator's Personal Learning Network (PLNs) that in turn will promote the success of all students.

Sunday

A weekly chat for educators from all around the world moderated by Starr Sackstein and Jamie Murray Armin.

We would welcome your additions and comments on Twitter chats you love in the comments section below!

This post is part of a blog series titled "Professional Development: Learning Through Collaboration" produced in partnership with VIF International Education ( ). Join the conversation on Twitter using @vifglobaled . For more, check out #collaborativePD and see: Professional Development: Learning Through Collaboration

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Popular Twitter Chats for Every Day (or Night) of the Week

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By Brad Spirrison, Communications Specialist, Participate Learning It's never been easier for educators to collaborate with peers and grow their professional learning networks. Because hundreds of thousands of teachers, administrators and instructional technologists regularly participate in scheduled and "slow" hashtag-based Twitter chats, there is always somebody online who can answer a question, share an idea or recommend a digital resource for an upcoming unit or lesson plan.

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Everything you need to know.

Becoming famous on the internet has historically been like getting struck by lightning. As someone without an existing large following, and no money or connections, you can't mastermind fame, you can't force it. Going viral just happens. Sometimes. Maybe.

It's a right time right place kind of thing.

TikTok, the machine learning social video platform from China, is changing that completely. TikTok has found a way to give you an infinite number of chances at getting hit by viral lightning, and it's like nothing you've ever seen before.

While writing this article, I spent a month on TikTok. I created an anonymous account, I told nobody in my social circle, and I started creating content. In the last 28 days, my TikTok videos were viewed by over 2,300,000 people and received over 280,000 likes. I achieved this growth mostly by posting videos of post-it notes, bananas, and playing cards.

The analytics for my TikTok account. There was a glitch on one of the days in the Follower graph, not sure what that's about!

If I can do this, you can do this.

What is TikTok? How does TikTok work? How do you get views, likes, and followers on TikTok? How are brands using TikTok? What's next for TikTok? How can you become a TikTok expert?

Let me explain.

p.s. Want to know my TikTok username? Want to get regular insights into TikTok from viral creators and brands? Sign up for the foryou page.com, the newsletter all about TikTok :)

TikTok is the culmination of all social content platforms leading up to today - its mobile first, short form videos, with a heavy emphasis on music, comedy, dancing, intimacy, and trends. You can follow people, you can browse popular videos, and you can explore hashtags.
"Ok, Matt...this sounds like Instagram, YouTube, Vine... it sounds like everything. What's special about TikTok? Why are you telling me about it?"
I know, I know, on the surface TikTok sounds exactly like the different content apps you're already familiar with, but TikTok is so much different. Let me try to explain.

There are two reasons that TikTok is incredibly unique: The type of content you post and how posted content is distributed.

1. The Type of Content on TikTok

On TikTok everything revolves around "sounds". Sounds are little clips of audio, usually between 15 and 60 seconds long, which can range from music to tv shows to clips of conversations, that are overlaid on top of your TikTok video. When you record on TikTok you can first choose the sound you want to use and then as you hold down the record button the app will play the sound so you can lip synch, dance, or further choreograph your video to the words and beat of the sound. When you stop holding down the record button, the sound and the recording pauses, allowing you to record different shots but continuously make sure they sync to the sound.

The Sounds page on TikTok

The reason a sound will start to go viral is because someone on TikTok will shoot a video out of it that has a repeatable format so that other people on TikTok can create their own versions.

For example, if we go look at one of the sounds from the screen shot above, here are all the most popular videos people have made using the sound:
Examples of TikTok video formats:

Filming yourself doing a specific dance to the song.

Using the song clip to shoot a short video of you telling a joke. Everyone's joke follows the same format but the jokes are all specific to the video creator.

Using the song clip to shoot a short video of you telling TikTok something about yourself, for example what reasons you think people have for not wanting to date you. Not everyone's reasons are the same but the format of each video is the same.

What ends up happening is that 99% of the most popular videos on TikTok are always people doing the exact same thing as everyone else, and then over time the types of videos change as the TikTok trends change. You would think that this would be really boring, but its actually absolutely fascinating and captivating.

Up until now everyone on social media has strived to create unique content, so your newsfeed may have different content coming from different people you follow, but on TikTok everyone is making the same content so instead of the content being changed by the person, the person is being changed by the content. It's almost like living in a world where you get to see what everyone would look like if they all posted the same thing every time. Like.. imagine if you could take your favorite TV show and then watch it multiple times but every time there is a different cast, and the cast could be anyone you wanted, but you only watch the ones that you already like. It's like that except for short snappy 15-60 seconds videos.

It's weird. It's super weird. But it's also strangely addictive.

Why is it so addictive? That brings us to point #2, how content is distributed on TikTok.

2. How Content is Distributed on TikTok

Imagine if you created a new account on a social network, you had zero followers, and you posted a piece of content, and then you went viral. That would be ridiculous right?

Right, it would be ridiculous. But, that's how TikTok works.

On TikTok you don't need followers to go viral. You don't need existing clout, or distribution, or anything. On TikTok you can record a 15 second video, upload it into the TikTok void, and you will start getting views, likes, comments, and followers.

How much engagement will you get you ask? Exactly as much as you deserve.
What sets TikTok apart from anything else you have ever experienced, is that TikTok uses AI to determine precisely just how good your video is, and it ranks you on a scale of ten views to tens of millions of views.
This means that right now you can download TikTok on your phone, upload a video, not tell anyone about it, and within an 1-24 hours you will know just how good that video is, and if you're lucky you may even become "TikTok famous".

Here are the stats for my most viewed video - in a 24 hour period it was viewed by over hundreds of thousands of people, mostly from the US (and in the first week it was viewed by over 1.2 million). In one week people spent 3.39 years of time watching this video.

Crazy, right?

How does this work? TikTok uses machine learning to evaluate the quality of every video uploaded. Although the specifics of the algorithm are not shared publicly, it very likely follows something like this:

When you upload a TikTok video TikTok shows the video to a handful of TikTok users. Your video will be shown in between strings of popular videos, so the user does not get bored (For example they will see popular video, popular video, popular video, your video, and then back to popular videos).

TikTok measures the percentage of your video this initial group watches, as well as how many likes, comments, shares, and downloads, the video receives. One thing I have noticed from my own personal experience, is a video will continue to grow if it has a 1/10 conversion from a view to a like (1 like for every 10 views). With my videos, content that gets less than 1/10 like to view ratio will stop growing, ~1/10 will grow slowly, and then if you can maintain better than 1/10 it will grow a lot.

The higher percentage of video completion your video gets, and the higher velocity of likes, comments, shares, and downloads, the more people your video will be shown to in the same manner it was before. It is likely that every time your distribution grows the velocity metrics your video needs to achieve to keep growing increase - meaning that it is much easier to go from being shown from 10 people to 100 people as it is to go from being shown from 50,000 people to 100,000 people. It definitely feels like your video will get "waves" of views, almost like you are passing certain levels and then graduating to a large audience.

With over a billion people on TikTok, the number of people your video can be shown to is massive. (Bonus fact: More people downloaded TikTok in 2018 than Instagram)

If you don't already have a TikTok account, maybe now is the time for you to check it out.

" But Matt, I don't know how to create content for TikTok! "

Not a problem! I will walk you through the top tips for creating content on TikTok right now.

There are a lot of different ways to grow an audience on TikTok, some may work for you, and some may not, so be sure to spend some time deciding which you think fit your skillset best.

These tips are for individuals and brands who are looking to dedicate time to growing on TikTok.
Tips for going viral on TikTok:

1. Use good lighting, a tripod, and make sure your video quality is clear.

2. Shoot your video to be perfectly in synch with the sound you choose (AKA make sure lip synchs, transitions, and movements are all happening to the beat and words).

3. Post new TikTok videos 1-2 times a day.

4. Create original content. Be inspired by what others are doing but don't copy them exactly, put your own spin on it.

5. Look through the For You page to see what dances, jokes, and sounds are trending. Save sounds and like videos that you may want to use or reference later.

6. Find a trending dance and practice doing it yourself. Practice until it is as perfect as you can get it, and film yourself doing it to the sound associated with that dance.

7. Find a trending sound that people creating joke videos for. Create a joke of your own and shoot a video. Keep in mind that even if they don't look like it, the best TikTok videos are planned out before shooting.

8. Create a video that has an elaborate build up, but before the video climaxes tell people to follow you to find what happens next. For example if you were to shoot a video creating the largest water balloon ever, then holding it above an unsuspecting person's head as if you were about to drop it, and then telling your audience to follow to see what happens next.

9. Do duets with popular videos. Duets is a feature on TikTok that allows you to take a TikTok video that you find and then film yourself split screen with that TikTok video. Your new video you are filming appears on the left half of the screen and the original appears on the right. For example imagine the original TikTok video has a person giving a high five to the side of their screen, and now imagine that you did a duet with this video, putting your video next to theirs, and you gave a high five to the side of your screen making it look like you are giving each other a high five. You have now created a new piece of content by creating a duet.

10. Use hashtags relevant to your content. Search on TikTok for hashtags you think are relevant to the type of content you are creating. TikTok displays the number of videos and total views each hashtag has, making it easy to spot large and growing audiences to distribute your content.

11. Advanced: If you are really advanced, you can shoot a video with your own audience and then get others to use your audio as a sound. Every video that is shot with original audio becomes available on TikTok as a sound. This is the most difficult strategy to master, especially if you aren't a musician, but it can be the most viral if you do it right. Your audio doesn't just have to be music, it can be noises of any kind.

12. Last, but not least, have fun. TikTok is not a place for people to make fun of each other, its not a place to talk politics, it is a place to be yourself and have fun. Embrace it!

Like every other content platform, TikTok is an evolving ecosystem where the tactics and strategies are evolving all the time. Take these tips with a grain of salt, and watch TikTok content yourself to get ideas and inspiration. ( To get even more tips, checkout theforyoupage.com)

In the first few weeks of my time on TikTok, my videos would only gets hundreds of views, and then sometimes thousands. Towards the end of my first month I had evolved my video styles to the point where I started consistently getting tens of thousands of views per video and even a few that got hundreds of thousands of views. I believe if I keep posting I could consistently get hundreds of thousands of views if not millions.

If your video isn't getting more than 100 views in the first hour, it's probably not going to grow any more. Experiment with different formats and don't give up because things aren't working. You got this!

" Matt, thank you for these tips! But I'm wondering, what are brands doing on TikTok? "

Great question! Here's what I've seen so far.

With over a billion people, you would think that brands would be all over TikTok.

But they're not. Not yet at least... and I think this is a huge opportunity.

"When Instagram celebrated their one-year anniversary in October 2011, they boasted over 10 million users. In comparison, TikTok was pushing 800 million by year one and is continuing to climb. Not only should brands be creating their own original content, but there are millions of influencers salivating for sponsored posts. As such, brands should be aggressively looking for ways to support and sponsor user generated content. The barriers to entry are low and the engagement rates are faster, cheaper, and higher than ever before."

- Cameron Manwaring, Viral Strategist

"Since I've been on TikTok (Feb 2019), we've seen a dramatic mainstreaming of the app. Many more celebrities and brands have made their first TikToks, and businesses have become eager to figure out how to capitalize on the TikTok audience. Ads have morphed from being about obscure random social apps, to being able Apple (Apple advertised its new 3 camera phone)."

- Carmel DeAmicis, Editor at Figma

I spent some time looking up random brands that I thought might be posting content, and here's what I found: A content ghost town.

This isn't going to last though. At this very moment there is likely a brand reading this article deciding to start creating TikTok videos. Brands are going to be all over TikTok and it is going to happen fast. I can sense the rise of TikTok gold rush, and first mover advantage is going to be real.

If you are a brand and you're not on TikTok yet, I encourage you to create an account and experiment with the suggestions in this article. You might not nail it the first time, but I know a bunch of you are ridiculously creative and you're going to catch on quick.

There are three main ways your brand can engage on TikTok:

1. Pay TikTok for advertising. TikTok will show your ad when people load the app and when scrolling through the endless feed.

2. Create video content that is original, uses sounds, and follows trends.

3. Pay TikTok influencers to create content that includes your product or tags your brand TikTok account.

"When I talk to friends and clients who have six-figure followings on Instagram or other social media platforms, and I ask them how they got there, the #1 answer is 'by getting in early.' Don't dismiss TikTok as 'just for kids', because in five years, TikTok will have grown up, and its early adopters will have six or seven-figure followings. I registered for my account last week. It's early days, but brands should use TikTok as a way to present their personality with behind the scenes content and humor. Don't try to sell, focus on engagement."

- Kurt Elster, Host of The Unofficial Shopify Podcast (over one million downloads)

Everyone is now a content creator. Everyone can go viral on TikTok - it's a level playing ground (vs algorithms on other social networks).

TikTok is working on an improved advertising platform as well as a way for users to shop without leaving the app.

My recommendation? Do what you can now to grow your audience before every brand is on the platform trying to vie for eyeballs.

TikTok isn't about friends, or social circles, at least not in any way that we're used to. TikTok is about content. The TikTok AI is trained by the billion people watching, liking, sharing, and commenting, and then the AI trains the creators on how to create content that the viewers will engage with.

TikTok is a pure system that seems to work really well. Because of this, I believe it's nowhere near done growing.

In the future I think the following things are likely to happen on TikTok:

Every brand will have a TikTok strategy.

TikTok will be used by people of all ages.

TikTok will become a hub for ecommerce transactions.

If we look at Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok (owned by the same $75 billion+ company ByteDance), we can glimpse what a potential future of TikTok looks like. On Douyin, videos are commonly tagged with products that viewers can purchase by tapping the shopping cart tag on the video.

This will then take the viewer to that brand's product page where the purchase button then takes you to the Alibaba owned shopping app taobao where the purchase is then completed (Thank you to Wilhelmina Yan for sending these screen shots to me and walking me through the Chinese version of TikTok).

"Douyin gives people the opportunity to become overnight sensations. It has created an entirely new marketing channel for small businesses by giving them continuous waves of new influencers who can who can direct targeted clientele to their businesses and product online. If TikTok follows the business model of Douyin the next step would be for the app to collaborate with websites like Amazon and Yelp to provide multi-purpose interface for its users."

- Mina Yan, Managing Editor of beijingkids

With the rise of deep fakes for video and audio (where AI can make any face look like its doing and saying anything the computer wants it to) I also expect that more and more content in the future will not only be curated by AI but will be created with the use of AI. We've only begun to scratch the surface of this type of content where apps use AI to show you what you would look like old or as a different gender, in the future this could be a part of every piece of content you consume. I could see TikTok playing a big role in bringing AI created content tools to the world.

If you're not sure what I mean when I say deep fakes and AI created content will completely change the face of content, watch this video. This is going to blow your mind. This is just a glimpse into the future.

This is a deep fake video where AI replaced Keanu Reeves with Will Smith in scenes from the Matrix.

I'm excited to continue playing around with TikTok and seeing how big I can grow my account. Posting the videos is fun, and getting the real-time indications of whether the video is resonating with TikTok's audience or not is addicting.

If you are interested in learning more about TikTok, whether you are a creator looking to monetize, or a brand looking to grow an audience, I invite you to subscribe to my newsletter: theforyoupage.

I send regular updates with behind the scenes information and advice from top TikTok creators, brands growing on the platform, and my own experiences as a TikTok creator.

As social networks evolve, and more people in the world are connected online, channels like TikTok are enabling humans and brands to go viral faster than ever.

I am completely fascinated by the impact on culture, business, and humanity, that TikTok is having and will continue to have. I think we are only at the beginning of what this platform will become and I am excited to be on this journey with you.

If you're not on TikTok yet, I challenge you to see what happens when you download it and start scrolling it's "for you" page. I bet you won't be able to put your phone down.

Learn more or subscribe now.

I wish you luck on your journey to grow an audience on TikTok! If you want to learn more, subscribe to my newsletter to follow along with my journey on TikTok, or contact me here, or follow me on Twitter!

Are you a brand on TikTok or thinking about being on TikTok? I would love to hear from.

p.s. When I'm not on TikTok I spend all of my time building automation technology for brands as CEO of Octane AI. You can learn more about what we do here and here.

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Becoming famous on the internet has historically been like getting struck by lightning. As someone without an existing large following, and no money or connections, you can't mastermind fame, you can't force it. Going viral just happens. Sometimes. Maybe. It's a right time right place kind of thing.