How to make a live on TikTok for the first time
Sign up for Mojo Teams and start creating professional content for all your business needs
Similarly to other social media platforms, TikTok’s live sessions are a means to interact in real time with your followers and potential customers.
Live sessions boost engagement, brand awareness and customer trust. If you’re ready to get a slice of that, we’ve got all the information you need about how to make a live on TikTok for the first time.
And since we always want to make sure your TikTok marketing is on point, we’ll also give you tips on how to make a great TikTok live video.
First, are you eligible to go live?
Unfortunately, not everyone can go live on TikTok. You have to put a little work in first. Otherwise, the live option won’t even be available on your account.
Make sure you meet the TikTok live requirements, which are:
- You are over 16 years old
- You have more than 1000 followers
If you’ve met the criteria, great! If not, check out our other articles about how to boost engagement with TikTok hashtags and how to gain traction using TikTok influencers.
How to make a live on TikTok (for the newbies)
Once you meet the criteria, TikTok will give you the option to go live. Here’s how to do it on an eligible account:
- Open the TikTok app.
- Click the white “+” button at the bottom of your screen.
- Click the “live” option.
- Give your live session a title.
- Add filters and special effects to look great.
- Tap “go live” when you’re ready!
- End the session by tapping the “x” button.
Later, if you want to save, rewatch or download your TikTok video, here’s what to do:
- Go to “settings and privacy” on the TikTok app.
- Tap “live replay.”
- Download your live, rewatch it or delete it.
How to make your TikTok live rock
For regular TikTok users, TikTok lives are just fun (and sometimes random) sessions to interact with other people.
As a business, your TikTok lives should be a strategic part of your social network marketing scheme… so they need to serve your business by providing more engagement, better conversions, whatever!
Follow these tips to make an awesome TikTok live
Hosting a TikTok live can be nerve-racking for the first time. With a little prep - and maybe some practice - you can host a TikTok live session that’s worth your while!
Above all, TikTok lives should create a fun, supportive and positive environment for all users. For more information, we encourage you to read the Community Guidelines, Terms of Service and Privacy Policy at TikTok.
Plan out your session
Avoid the awkward silences and fumbling to think of topics to talk about. You can either plan out your live session (and stick to it) or get a little spontaneous, without being unprepared.
Just in case things go awry, here are some directions to take your TikTok live:
- Talk about your product or service
- Take your audience “behind the scenes”
- Do a trendy viral challenge
- Let people ask you questions
- Ask people questions (AKA free market research)
- Interview someone of interest
- Educate your viewers about a related topic
- Tell them your origin story
- Promote an influencer you work with
- Give away freebies or prizes for live participants
- Debunk myths related to your industry or product
- Conduct a product demo
Commit to a TikTok live series
The more you practice TikTok lives, the better you’ll become. With each session, you can increase TikTok live followers and get higher engagement.
Consider starting a TikTok live series. Now, that may sound overwhelming if you have yet to make your first TikTok live. However, think of it like an email welcome series. You’ll consistently get in front of your audience, and they’ll know what to expect each week from you.
Break down your series into small topics that you’d like to dive into. Mix it up with promotional content, educational content and things to boost your brand trust.
And the best part: Starting a TikTok live series for your business doesn’t have to consist of 30 or 60 minute sessions! Even 10-15 minutes per session is more than enough - as long as you entertain or give value to your viewers.
Promote, promote, promote
Build up some excitement for your live session. Blast it on social media ahead of time, but not too far ahead of time.
Give your audience a sneak peak into what they can expect in the live session, and encourage them to join you. If you’re offering a freebie or prizes, be sure to tell them in a post ahead of time.
Look like a pro
Set yourself up for success by hosting your live in a well-lit room or outdoors in the sunlight. If you don’t have professional lighting, face a window and let the outside light hit the front of your face.
Be sure to eliminate as much background noise as possible. Use ear buds or a microphone to capture your voice, rather than the traffic outside.
Oh yeah, and make sure your wifi is strong!
Be interactive
The main draw to TikTok lives is the ability to communicate with your viewers in real time.
At the start of the session, take a few minutes to welcome people by name and ask them questions. This is always a great way to stall until more people jump on.
Be personable, enthusiastic and yourself. Start your TikTok live session full of energy and gratitude for every one of your viewers.
End with a CTA
A CTA (or “call-to-action”) should close out your live session. Encourage viewers to follow your page, visit your website or purchase your product. For example: If you’re a musician, encourage people to download your music from TikTok.
Directing your viewers to the next step will help you grow your following and boost conversions. Be clear and concise about what you want them to do. Give them one “next step” - don’t ask them to do anything complicated.
And hey! Here’s our CTA: If you want to transform your posts into powerful animated videos, download the Mojo app.
Looking to upgrade your social content? Subscribe to Mojo Pro today and get started!
