Best practice for publishing podcast clips to TikTok

Before we post…

Before we even get into how to post on TikTok, let’s talk about something important: Location.

TikTok uses location data, among other things, to decide who to show your content to. So if you’re located outside of the US, but your target audience is Americans, then you might want to look into getting a VPN to change your IP address. If that made no sense to you, don’t fret! Here’s an easy way to understand what I just said:

An IP address (Internet Protocol address) is the unique address that identifies your device on the internet or a local network. A VPN (Virtual Private Network) can change your IP address to look like you’re in a different place than you actually are. Meaning that in this context, with a VPN you’ll be able to look like you’re in the US even if you’re not physically there. Magic, I know.

There’s a ton of VPN services readily available nowadays so try looking into some if you need one.

Step by step posting guide

When it comes to TikTok you have the option of posting on mobile or desktop. We recommend using the mobile app over the desktop web version because there’s more features available on the mobile app. A big feature that’s only available on mobile is the recording & editing feature meaning if you have any additional clips you want to add or edits you want to do, you’ll only be able to do it on mobile. However, if you already have everything that you need baked into the video file that you’re about to post, desktop is fine too! We’ll show you how to do both, so choose the method that fits your needs.

Mobile (5 min)

If you’re using a VPN, make sure to turn it on and select the country you want to “be” in.

1. After opening the app, click on the middle plus icon as shown in the picture.
2. A camera screen will pop up. But since you have your video file already, click on the little square on the right as shown in the screenshot. This will take you to your photos gallery. From there, select the file that you want to upload. Make sure that your video file is at least 3 seconds and below 10 minutes since that’s the video requirement on TikTok.
3. This is where you can add text and music to your video if you want, but if your video is already created, just press the pink Next button.
4. Here, you’re prompted to write your caption including hashtags and mentions to relevant people.

Skip to the next section where we go over some important caption writing tips before you hit that post button.

On desktop (5 min)

If you’re using a VPN, make sure to turn it on and select the country you want to “be” in.

1. Navigate to the TikTok website and make sure that you’re logged in. Then click on the Upload button on the top right corner of the page.

2. Next, you’ll be prompted to upload your file from your computer.

3. Now, you’re prompted to write your caption including hashtags and mentions to relevant people.

Before you hit that post button, let’s go over some caption writing tips in the following section!

Caption tips

Don’t forget your CTA!

The best CTA, or call to action, depends on what you’re trying to do. Here are a few examples:

• Want your viewers to interact with your future content? Ask them to hit that follow button!
• Want them to check out your service or product? Ask them to check out your link in bio! Note here though that not everyone has access to the link in bio feature. So if you can’t link them directly, let them know where else they can find you (potentially other social media accounts that can link to your website).

TikTok CTAs are a little tricky since you can’t always link directly to your service or product. But it’s important to include an action item for your viewer so that they can take action when their interests are piqued! Make it as easy, and pain-free as possible for them to find out what they want to know.

On the CORRECT way to use hashtags

Hashtags are a great way to help the TikTok algorithm categorize your content correctly. So make sure to use hashtags that are relevant to what your content is about.

Pro Tip: Mix in trending hashtags within your niche or topic to get more reach! But make sure it’s relevant!! Don’t just hop on a trend for the sake of hopping on.

We recommend adding your hashtags after your CTA because the latter part of your caption gets cut off in the default view. (Your audience can see the full caption if they click on it.)

Now you’re ready to post!

When you’re ready to post, click on the pink Post button at the bottom right of the screen! Congratulations, you’ve posted your podcast clip for the world to see!

What now?

Before you click off and forget that you ever posted anything, remember to schedule in a time to check back in with your post. If you get any comments, you’ll want to reply to them in a timely manner to boost engagement. More engagement means more interest, making your video perform better in the algorithm so don’t skip this step!

Examples

20 VC: https://vt.tiktok.com/ZSFMFpnCE/ (2.6M views)

The Diary of a CEO Podcast: https://vt.tiktok.com/ZSFMFamwy/ (14.1M views)