Should You Have a Creator or Business Account on TikTok?
When you sign up for TikTok, you have a choice of account type. Should you create a creator account or a business account? 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. I 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.
There are two types of accounts on TikTok: Creator accounts and business accounts. 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, also known as personal 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, trending sounds and popular music, a creator 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 creator TikTok account. This includes access to TikTok’s Creator Fund, Creativity program and Creator Next, just a few of the TikTok programs in which creators can monetize and get paid for views. 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 the Promote feature (similar to IG boost.)
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
However, there are some 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 creator 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. Most people have their DM's turned off in the privacy settings by default, so it sliding into someone's DM's is not easy on Tiktok. However, this could change in the future.
Another con is that you have to have 1K followers to get a website link in your bio, so if you don't want to wait to start generating leads or sales when joining TikTok, you might want to choose the business account.
TikTok Business Accounts
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 in the USA, UK or South East Asia. Social commerce is going to be an even bigger part of TikTok and they are pushing this feature and videos out to the FYP as of Sept 13, 2023 when it was officially launched in the USA.
Another pro is the ability to add a "Learn More" button on your profile page. It also acts as a link on your videos that gives direct access to a form for lead generation. See the images below.
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 monetization tools in any of the official TikTok creator funds.
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, like the ability to add clickable links in your livestreams, you definitely should think about how that might impact your business’s bottom line!
If you’re ready to improve your TikToks and start racking up the views, you can book strategy sessions by filling out the contact form on my website and get weekly trends updates here. Whether you’re brand new to the platform or you’ve been making short videos for years, I’m here to help you stay on top of the trends!
