TikTok Business or Personal: How to Choose

So you’ve been putting it off for months, but you decide it’s time to take the plunge and join TikTok…But how do you decide between a TikTok business vs. a personal account?

It may sound straightforward, but actually, there are benefits to both account types. We’re taking a closer look at TikTok’s business and creator accounts to help you choose the right one for your needs.

If you’re just using TikTok for fun, this answer is easy! But if you’re using TikTok to grow your business, the answer isn’t so obvious. We get this question a lot, and there are a few things to consider. Which one you choose really depends on your goals and what’s important to you in an account as both have access to very different features and tools. Depending on what your goals are, you might find that one type of account works better for you than the other.

Creator TikTok Accounts

The vast majority of TikTok accounts are creator accounts. These are great for your average content creator, and come with numerous benefits and tools. This includes access to the Creator tools, which we’ll go over momentarily.

Pros of a creator account – Creator accounts have access to the full music and commercial library of sounds. If you like making content within TikTok trends, a personal account has access to the whole library of sounds. You also have the ability to duet and stitch other TikTok content, meaning that you can easily do reaction videos or side-by-side videos.

Access to the creator programs is also a major pro of the personal TikTok account. This includes access to TikTok’s Creator Fund, which allows you to monetise your TikTok content through TikTok, and Creator Next, which allows you to receive tips from your audience. It also includes opportunities for brand collaborations on the Creator Marketplace. These are not available for business accounts. You also have access to other features like Promote.

Promote is a powerful new tool that allows you to push posts out to a larger audience. You can only promote public videos with original sound or a sound from the commercial library. It’s a feature that will let you grow your community and connect with an even bigger audience.

Cons of a creator account – There are a few restrictions… Messaging is one of these, and if you want to use your TikTok to promote your business, this is important to think about. On a personal account, you can only DM your friends. This means that non-friends can’t send you messages. If you’re using your TikTok for business, this means that your customers likely won’t be able to communicate with you within the app. Another con is that you have to have 1K followers to get a website link in your bio. It can take time to build up that following…

TikTok Business Account

Business accounts are ideal for brands or business owners. If you’re a well-established business owner who wants to expand your marketing reach, or you’re making the jump from social media like Instagram to TikTok, a business account might have just the features you need.

Pros of a business account – As of January 20, 2022 TikTok changed the business account settings. Previously when you signed up for a business account you would automatically get a website field to share your links. However, with the massive amount of spam accounts on TikTok the requirements have changed. In order to receive your website field you must first register your business with TikTok or wait until you reach 1,000 followers.

Other benefits include more advanced messaging capabilities. You can set up an automated DM when somebody messages you, and you don’t have to be friends with someone to directly communicate with them. Business accounts also have access to the Promote feature, just like creator accounts.

One of the biggest advantages of a business account is the sales features. You can set up TikTok shop features with a linked Shopify site, and you can have a product page on your profile as well. Social commerce is going to be an even bigger part of TikTok soon, as seen by the launch of the TikTok Shops feature and by the rise in shopping streams.

Cons of a business account – There are some disadvantages to having a business account. Business accounts can’t access the full music library and only have access to the commercial sounds created by TikTok. There’s also a limited ability to duet or stitch to other content if it uses copyrighted sounds. Business accounts also are not allowed to use the creator monetisation tools in the Creator Next program.

Which One To Use?

Ultimately, the type of account you choose depends on your goals. However, if you sell products, the business account might be for you. Since TikTok is releasing many new features to boost sales. You definitely should think about how that might impact your business’s bottom line!

Need help setting up and managing your TikTok accounts? Get in touch and let’s talk social!