TikTok is famous for short, shareable video content, but since launching its LIVE feature in 2019 many users have embraced live-streaming on the platform. For creators and brands alike, going live on TikTok is a powerful new way to engage and grow your audience through social media management, so how do you do it, and what are the benefits?
Table of Contents
What does it mean to go live on TikTok?
Why Go Live on TikTok?
How to Go Live on TikTok?
Can I Go Live With Under 1000 Followers?
Managing Engagement and Moderation on TikTok LIVE
How to Monetize TikTok LIVE?
Content Ideas for TikTok LIVE
What does it mean to go live on TikTok?
When you’re watching a video on TikTok it’s usually pre-recorded, but TikTok LIVE is a feature which allows some users of the service to live-stream to their audiences, so the video content is shown in real-time.
As well as streaming live video, creators can interact with their audience in real time, so viewers can post comments and ask questions during the stream. This creates a much more engaging experience, giving fans an opportunity to interact directly with the creators that they enjoy following.
Why Go Live on TikTok?
There are some great reasons for creators to go live on TikTok. Firstly, giving your followers a real-time experience can be more rewarding and engaging than the usual pre-recorded content, because being able to participate in an event as it’s happening is more exciting than watching the edited version of something that happened in the past.
Another aspect to consider is that streaming on TikTok LIVE gives you the opportunity to interact with your followers directly, which can build loyalty and help you to grow your fan base. Part of the reason this works so well is that fans are seeing an unpolished, unedited version of you, which can really help to convey your authenticity.
It could also be great for increasing your visibility, because although TikTok keeps the exact details under wraps, there’s some evidence to suggest that using the LIVE feature will give your content a boost from the algorithm, helping you to reach a wider audience.
Finally, because viewers are able to send you virtual gifts during a live TikTok stream, it’s a great way to monetize your channel.
How to Go Live on TikTok?
First of all, be sure that you meet the requirements for using TikTok Live:
- You must be aged 18 or over.
- You must already have at least 1,000 followers.
- No recent violations of TikTok’s T&Cs.
There are rumored workarounds which people claim will give you access to LIVE even if you have fewer followers, but it seems that most of them do not work, and it’s likely that TikTok shuts down such loopholes as soon as they are discovered.
If you haven’t reached that threshold yet, it’s a good idea to focus on working towards it. You’ll learn a lot along the way, and by the time you’re able to use TikTok LIVE you’ll be a much better creator.
If you do meet the requirements, starting a live stream is simple: just open the app and tap the Add Post button at the bottom of the screen, and then select LIVE. After that all you need to do is choose a title, filter, and any other options before hitting Go LIVE to start streaming.
You’ll now be able to stream live for a maximum of 60 minutes. At the end of your stream, the Replay will be available in TikTok Studio for 30 days, so you can download it or delete it as required.
If you do not see the LIVE option in your app, it’s probably because you do not yet meet the requirements. If you feel that you do meet the requirements, but the option is not visible to you, you should contact TikTok’s support team.
Can I Go Live With Under 1000 Followers?
There’s almost no way to use the LIVE feature unless you meet TikTok’s requirements, but if you’re lucky there’s a work-around that might help you to try the feature out temporarily.
TikTok LIVE has a multi-guest feature, which means that anybody running a stream can invite other TikTok users to join the stream as a participant, even if they do not have 1,000 followers themselves. So if you know somebody who has access to the feature, you might be able to persuade them to work with you on a joint live stream.
This won’t magically give you permanent access to the feature, but it will enable you to see how it works. Also, but running these kinds of joint streams, you’ll be exposed to a wider audience and this can help you get to that target 1,000 followers threshold sooner.
Managing Engagement and Moderation on TikTok LIVE
You can choose to allow comments on your TikTok LIVE stream, and should you enable them you’ll have a few options to help you manage engagement during the stream. This includes the ability to flexibly mute comments either for all viewers, or specific ones, for a length of time you choose.
You can also filter and review potentially undesirable comments using TikTok’s own filters as well as your own chosen keywords, and setting up an automated message to let all viewers know that comments are being filtered.
Comments can also be pinned to the top of your stream’s chat. You might find it a little tricky to manage a chat while you’re busy with whatever you’re doing on the stream, so you can appoint one or more moderators to manage the chat for you, and choose which features they are able to use.
How to Monetize TikTok LIVE?
During a TikTok LIVE stream, your audience can send you “Gifts” - virtual items which are purchased with TikTok’s in-app currency, called Coins, which they purchase with their local currency. When a viewer sends a creator a Gift during a stream, the value in Coins will be added to the recipient’s balance, which they can cash out in their local currency.
You need to be over 18 to send Gifts on TikTok, and the feature is not available in every country.
How do you convince people to send you Gifts on TikTok LIVE? Consistently create great content and build a loyal following. There are many online communities dedicated to helping TikTok creators grow their channels, but great content is always at the heart of it.
Content Ideas for TikTok LIVE
OK, so you know how and why to go live on TikTok, but what can you actually use the feature for? For a platform which shot to popularity on the basis of short, shareable video clips, live streams of up to an hour might seem like an almost contradictory change of direction. But there are plenty of great things you can do with TikTok LIVE:
Question & Answer Sessions
If you’ve built up a strong audience already, or you’re a brand or individual that people are interested in, running a live Q&A session is a great way to let people get to know you better.
Product Launches
Whether you’re a brand or a creator partnering with a brand, a LIVE stream is a great way to showcase a new product. You can tease the launch event to create anticipation, and then generate extra excitement by unveiling the product live instead of using a pre-recorded video.
Live Performances
If you’re a performing artist such as a musician, comedian, or dancer, TikTok LIVE is a great way to give your audience a raw, unfiltered experience, so they can see you at your best.
Topical Content
If you’re an influencer within a particular area such as gaming, music, or other kind of fandom, you can use LIVE to jump onto big breaking news stories in your niche, sharing your initial reactions and getting feedback from your audience.
Behind the Scenes
Live streams can be a great way to give your audience a little peek behind the scenes of your brand, or if you’re an influencer, just a more unfiltered view of the real you and all of the work that goes into creating your content.
Influencer Collaborations
Using LIVE’s multi-guest feature, you can run streams in collaboration with other TikTok users and influencers, so why not partner with creator’s in the same space as you, to benefit from your combined audience reach.
