‘Follow Me’ program will “empower more small businesses to dive into TikTok”

By uploading videos to TikTok, small business owner Jacob Zander was able to add another zero to the number of orders he received. Now Zander, who runs the apparel and footwear brand Feel Your Soul, is looking to pass along the lessons he’s learned from TikTok to a new generation of small business owners.

Zander and Cassie Sorenson of Tassel Amor are the two creators who will serve as “Ambassadors” for Follow Me, a new program launched by TikTok. Through workshops, lessons, and webinars, Zander and Sorenson will educate their fellow small business owners on the best ways to utilize short-form video as a promotional tool. The culmination of the program will be a pair of “ask me anything”-style sessions, in which the two Ambassadors will answer their pupils’ burning questions.

Follow Me will begin on July 11 and run for six weeks. During that time, participating businesspeople will follow a roadmap that will lead to their first campaign on TikTok. As part of that process, they will be encouraged to set up a free Business Account, access the Creative Center, and learn the ins and outs of TikTok’s Ads Manager and its Promotion features.

If small business owners are hesitant to dive into the Follow Me program, TikTok hopes to convince them to join by portraying its platform as an easy-to-use and safe hub for brand campaigns. In a blog post accompanying the announcement of the initiative, TikTok cited a study in which 81% of small businesse

s said TikTok is fun and 73% of them said the platform is easy to use. Meanwhile, anecdotal evidence from creators like Zander shows the amount of growth a well-executed social video strategy can provide.

@feelyoursoul_ Shipping labels or CVS receipt? 🤯#smallbusiness #smallbusinesstiktok #unboxing #smallbusinesscheck #onlineshopping ♬ original sound – Feel Your Soul 😊

“All of us at TikTok are thankful to be a part of what makes small businesses successful, and we’re excited to help them connect with communities and thrive,” reads the introductory post. “With Follow Me, any business can integrate the diverse and creative formats available on TikTok into their marketing strategies to involve, connect, and engage with the massive audience base available on the platform.”

Follow Me resembles the Small Biz Day YouTube hosted last year. That event also positions its sponsor platform as an invaluable hub for brand promotion, with several top creators — including  Cassey Ho, Molly Burke, Erin On Demand, and TheDomesticGeek — offering their words of wisdom.

If you’re interested in embiggening your brand’s TikTok presence, you can sign up