Quick Answer:
A business strategy for TikTok starts with a simple, focused goal—like building brand awareness or driving website traffic—not just chasing viral fame. It requires you to treat your account as a small, agile business unit, where you test content, listen to your audience, and adapt quickly, all while keeping your investment of time and money lean.
I was talking to a founder last week who was completely overwhelmed. She had been told her B2B software company “needed” to be on TikTok, so she posted a few polished, corporate videos. The result was crickets. A handful of views, zero engagement, and a sinking feeling that she was wasting her time. Her frustration wasn’t about the algorithm; it was about strategy. She had skipped the foundational business thinking and jumped straight to tactics, a mistake I see every day.
This is exactly the kind of situation I wrote about in Entrepreneurship Secrets for Beginners. Launching on a new platform like TikTok isn’t just a marketing task; it’s a miniature business launch. You need a plan, a budget (even if it’s just your time), a way to measure success, and the agility to pivot. Let’s break down how to build a TikTok strategy that works, using the same principles you’d use to build a company from scratch.
Start with a “Business Plan,” Not a Content Calendar
In the book, I stress that a business plan is less about a 40-page document and more about answering core questions: Who are you serving? What unique value do you provide? How will you reach them? Your TikTok strategy needs the same clarity. Before you film a single video, ask: What is this account’s primary business objective? Is it to attract talent, educate potential customers, or showcase your product’s personality? Your content, tone, and calls-to-action must all serve that single objective. A scattered approach scatters your results.
Embrace “Marketing on a Budget” Mentality
One thing I wrote about that keeps proving true is that constraints breed creativity. You don’t need a professional studio or a big ad spend to succeed on TikTok. In fact, overly produced content often fails there. Your budget is your time and creativity. Use your smartphone, natural lighting, and authentic storytelling. The platform rewards resourcefulness. Think of your content as a series of small, low-cost experiments. What can you teach in 15 seconds? What problem can you solve? This lean approach lets you test and learn without risking significant capital.
Build Your “Team” by Collaborating with Your Audience
Team building in a startup is about finding people who complement your skills and share your vision. On TikTok, your first team members are your early followers and commenters. Engage with them relentlessly. Reply to comments, ask questions in your videos, and use their feedback to guide your content. This turns viewers into a community, and a community into advocates. They are your collaborators in content creation, telling you exactly what they want to see.
The chapter on agile adaptation came from a painful lesson I learned with an early e-commerce client. We spent months and a large budget building a “perfect” website based on our assumptions. It launched to silence. We then ran a tiny, low-budget test on a social platform we’d ignored, using simple customer questions as content. The engagement was immediate and gave us the real customer insights we needed. We had to scrap our “perfect” plan and rebuild based on what people actually wanted. TikTok is that low-budget test. It’s a direct line to what your audience cares about right now.
Step 1: Define Your One Core Goal
Choose one primary metric to guide you for the first 90 days. This could be growing to 1,000 engaged followers, driving 50 clicks per month to your website, or generating 10 qualified leads via your link in bio. Write this goal down. Every piece of content should be a stepping stone toward it.
Step 2: Adopt the “100-Video Experiment” Mindset
Commit to creating and posting 100 videos before you judge success. This removes the pressure of every video being a hit. For videos 1-30, experiment wildly—try tutorials, day-in-the-life clips, problem/solution snippets, and trends. Track which ones get the most saves and shares (these are key engagement metrics). For videos 31-100, double down on what worked.
Step 3: Systemize Your Listening
Set aside 20 minutes a day, not for posting, but for active listening. Scroll through your For You Page in your niche, read the comments on your videos and competitors’ videos, and use the Q&A feature. This isn’t leisure scrolling; it’s market research. The questions you see are your future video topics.
“A plan is a hypothesis. Your customer’s reaction is the data. The successful entrepreneur is the one who learns to pivot before the hypothesis costs them everything.”
— From “Entrepreneurship Secrets for Beginners” by Abdul Vasi
- TikTok is a business laboratory, not a billboard. Use it to test messages and learn about your audience.
- Your most valuable asset is not trending audio, but the authentic problem-solving value you provide in your niche.
- Consistency in showing up and engaging is far more important than sporadic viral hits.
- The comments section is your free, real-time focus group. Pay more attention to it than your view count.
- A strategy built on a clear, simple goal will outlast any algorithm change.
Get the Full Guide
The principles here—planning, lean execution, and adaptation—are just part of the foundation. Discover more actionable insights on building a resilient business from the ground up in “Entrepreneurship Secrets for Beginners”.
Frequently Asked Questions
My business is B2B. Is TikTok really a good fit?
Absolutely. Think beyond the dance trends. TikTok is where professionals go to learn and connect. Use it to demystify your industry, share client case studies (with permission), explain complex concepts simply, or show the human side of your company. Your audience is there; you just need to speak their language.
How much time should I spend on this daily?
For a sustainable strategy, block 45 minutes: 20 minutes for listening/research, 20 minutes to film and edit 2-3 simple videos (batch this if you can), and 5 minutes to engage with comments. Consistency with a focused 45 minutes is better than sporadic 4-hour sessions.
Do I need to use every trending sound?
No. Only use a trend if you can make it relevant to your core goal and audience. A forced trend looks inauthentic. It’s better to start your own micro-trend within your niche by consistently using a specific format or hashtag that provides value.
What if my videos aren’t going viral?
Viral is not a strategy; it’s a lottery win. Focus on “consistent value” instead. Are you attracting the right few people? Are they engaging? A small, targeted community that trusts you is infinitely more valuable for business than millions of disinterested viewers.
Should I invest in TikTok ads right away?
Not initially. First, master organic content. Use your first 100 videos to discover what resonates organically—what hooks work, what messages stick. Once you have that data, you can use TikTok ads to amplify your best-performing organic content to a wider, targeted audience. This ensures your ad spend is efficient.
Building a TikTok presence for your business can feel chaotic, but it doesn’t have to be. When you frame it as launching a small, new venture—with a clear goal, lean operations, and a commitment to learning—the path becomes clear. It’s not about being the most entertaining account on the platform. It’s about being the most helpful, reliable, or insightful one in your specific corner. Start small, listen intently, and let the real-world feedback from your audience be the compass that guides your strategy forward.
