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Hello Reader! Your favourite Digital Marketing blogger has been busy setting up Woocommerce on her website so I couldn’t be happier to feature a guest blogger this week. And he’s a man who needs no introduction.
Over to Deepak…
I’m Deepak Shukla. I run Pearl Lemon, which basically grew out of trying things, breaking them, fixing them, then doing it again. Not some neat, polished system. More like a series of experiments that happened to work.
Outside of that, I’ve done Ironmans, and I tend to document things while they’re still messy. Mid-process, not after everything’s been wrapped up into a clean takeaway. That same habit sort of spills over into how I approach TikTok marketing as well.
Because it’s not just somewhere people mindlessly scroll to switch off anymore. It still does that, sure, but that’s not the whole picture now. People are searching. Properly searching. And once you notice that, it changes how you approach content. Even if nothing else about the platform looks different at first glance.
TikTok Isn’t Just Social Media Anymore
TikTok has started acting like a search engine. Not obviously. It still looks like an endless feed of videos. But behind the scenes, it’s trying to figure things out. What your video is about and who it’s for. Whether it should show up when someone types something in, or whether it belongs on the For You Page based on how people react to it.
So you’re not just posting something and hoping it lands anymore. You’re answering something. A question someone has already asked, even if you never see them ask it directly. And if your video lines up clearly enough with that, TikTok has a reason to push it. That’s the bit most beginners miss.
Searches on TikTok look surprisingly familiar too. Things like:
how to start running
easy recipes for beginners
how to grow on TikTok
Nothing groundbreaking. But the shift from scrolling to searching, that’s the part that changes everything.
Why Most Beginners Don’t Get Views
Most people start by guessing. Fair enough. You think of something, record it, post it, then wait. And when nothing really happens, it feels random. Maybe even a bit frustrating.
But it’s usually not random. It’s just not connected to anything people are actively looking for.
A caption like “Watch this…” doesn’t really tell anyone anything. Not the viewer, not the platform. Compare that to something like “Beginner running tips if you’ve never exercised before.” Now it’s clear. There’s a person, a situation, a problem.
So instead of asking “what should I post,” the better question becomes… what are people already trying to find that I can actually help with?
How to Actually Get Found on TikTok
If you’re a total beginner, you can use these step to help you started.
Start With What People Are Searching
Those suggestions that pop up on the search bar aren’t random ideas. They’re based on real searches happening right now.
Type something broad like “running” and you’ll see it branch off into specifics. Beginner routines. Weight loss angles. Simple starting points.
At that stage, you’re not guessing anymore. You’re working with demand that already exists.
And if you click into those and scroll for a bit, patterns start to show up. Not in a neat, obvious way, but you’ll notice how direct people are. How quickly they get to the point. What kind of phrasing keeps coming up.
Use Simple, Repeatable Formats
This is the point where people start tying themselves in knots a bit. Trying to be “original” just to be different, which sounds good on paper but usually doesn’t land.
If you actually pay attention to what’s doing well, the same formats keep popping up. Over and over. It’s easy to follow and people get them straight away.
You’ll see things like:
3 mistakes beginners make
how to start without quitting
what I wish I knew before
Nothing fancy. But clear. And clarity tends to win.
Get to the Point
A solid idea can fall flat if it takes too long to get going. People decide fast. Sometimes within seconds.
So instead of easing into it, it usually works better to just say the thing upfront. Let the right person immediately recognise that this is for them.
Long build-ups sound nice in theory. In practice, they lose people.
Be Clear, Not Clever With Keywords
“SEO” tends to make people think they need to cram keywords into everything. Which isn’t really how TikTok plays it.
It’s more about how you actually talk about what you’re doing. The way you’d explain it to someone, not some over-optimised version of it. The platform is picking up your caption, yes, but also what you’re actually saying in the video.
So if you’re clear, genuinely clear, it has a much easier job understanding where your content fits. And who it should show it to.
Match Your Caption to Intent
There’s a temptation to be witty or vague in captions. Make it sound interesting instead of obvious. But most of the time, obvious works better.
If someone would realistically type a phrase into the search bar, and your caption matches that, you’re reinforcing the intent. You’re not dressing it up. You’re just meeting it directly. It might feel a bit plain. That’s fine. Plain works.
Use What You’re Already Doing
Running out of ideas doesn’t really happen once you shift how you think about content.
Because most of it can come from what you’re already doing. Things that didn’t work. Things that worked better than expected. Things you’d change next time. That’s more than enough to keep going.
Consistency Over Perfection
Some videos will do well. Others won’t. Sometimes there’s a clear reason. Sometimes there isn’t.
Don’t over analyse every post. It’s usually more useful to notice small patterns. Which topics get traction. Which formats feel easiest to repeat.
A simple structure helps here. Something like:
one thing you learned
one mistake
one small result
You don’t need all three every time. Even one is enough.
Zooming Out
TikTok isn’t as complicated as it feels at the start. Most of it comes down to clarity and consistency over time.
Make it obvious what your content is about and who it’s for. TikTok’s job is to decide whether people respond to it.
And most people don’t struggle because it’s too hard. They struggle because they stop too early. Usually right before things start to click. Which, annoyingly, tends to happen later than you expect.
Thank you Deepak! Which social platforms have you had success with? Comment below or find out how you can be featured on the All About Digital Marketing blog.
To feature on All About Digital Marketing, about any marketing or business expertise, please check out the guidelines blog and get in touch. And don’t forget to subscribe.
Louisa Guise is a Digital Marketing and Communications Professional and the author of How to Leave a Group Chat, a book about communication and smartphones which is also available as an audiobook. Subscribe to All About Digital Marketing for more gems like this.
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