Is TikTok Organic Legit? Real Stories of Organic Growth on TikTok

April 26, 2024

TikTok organic reach is legit. But, it requires creating high-quality, engaging content and adapting to the platform's algorithm. This Reddit user shared that they made $2K in one day with a conversion rate of 1.2%.

is tiktok organic legit

TikTok ads delivered zero sales, 0.73% CTR and 0.6 CPC. This experience shows that TikTok organic is a legit strategy to make a profit  - without having to spend money on ads.

However, Mediakix suggests a decline in organic reach overtime. They report that the average viewership for branded content on TikTok has dropped from 17.9% in 2020 to 5.9% in 2023.  And, the fast-paced nature and changing trends of TikTok trends makes it difficult to maintain consistent organic reach. Thus, staying relevant can be time-consuming and unsustainable.

We found TikTok organic growth stories and strategies, detailing how different strategies can drive sales and increase followers without paid advertising. We have also compared the effectiveness of organic versus paid strategies. Finally, we introduce a lucrative and sustainable business model that surpasses TikTok Organic.

3 Legit Experiences with TikTok Organic

1. TikTok Organic Marking: A Legit Way to Move rom $0 to Success

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An entrepreneur from Reddit scaled a dropshipping business to $3,600 in sales using TikTok's organic marketing, starting from $0. The strategy focused on finding a trending product. It aimed to improve its online presentation with a great Shopify website and engaging content. The content mimicked viral trends. They maximized TikTok’s organic reach by posting videos. They included a shop link in their bio after upgrading to a business account.

The main challenges were standing out in a saturated market and operating without an advertising budget. They prioritized high-quality branding and content innovation, differentiating their product from competitors. Doing well on TikTok's algorithm without paid ads needed constant content updates. It also needed understanding viewer preferences.

2. Strategies for TikTok Growth in 2024: Achieving a 200,000 Follower Increase in One Year via Legit TikTok Organic Strategies

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Rachel Peterson lost 200,000 followers after experiencing a manic episode, during which she rapidly posted hundreds of TikToks. The spree of excessive and likely unstrategized content posting disrupted her growth. It hurt her engagement with her audience, causing a big decline in her follower count. Rachel Peterson regained and expanded her TikTok following by adopting effective strategies. She posted more often, at a rate of three to five videos per day. She used text overlays and emojis for viewers who watch without sound.

Rachel's "3 by 3" hashtag approach targeted specific audiences. Jump cuts and short videos improved retention. She used SEO tools like EMrush, vidIQ, TubeBuddy, and AnswerThePublic for better searchability. And crafted compelling hooks to grab viewer attention . Her content mix included valuable, themed information and personal stories. Active engagement with other users' content also boosted her visibility and engagement.

3. A TikTok Shop's Legit $4M Organic Growth in 30 Days

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Keila Shaheen achieved success by selling The Shadow Work Journal on TikTok. She generated over 205,000 sales within 30 days. She grossed about $4 million in sales at a price of $20 per journal. But, discounts for first-time buyers at $8 suggest some cases had lower revenue. Keila expanded her sales channels to Amazon and Shopify, where she continued to generate significant revenue. This indicates a multi-platform strategy that enhances her earnings.

Keila’s strategic use of TikTok’s shop feature allowed her to drive sales without any advertising spend. Keila made simple, organic videos. They were integrated with TikTok's shopping features, which made in-app purchases easy. This approach maximized exposure and sales conversions. The TikTok Shop's incentives motivated content creators to promote her journal. This amplified its visibility and virality on the platform.

Key Takeaways

  • Optimal Use of TikTok Shop: Adding TikTok Shop to organic content makes buying easier. It also boosts product visibility and user engagement in the app.
  • Creator Incentives Boost Visibility: TikTok’s strategy of offering affiliate commissions motivates creators to promote products. This amplifies the organic reach and effectiveness of marketing efforts.
  • Content Virality from Simplicity: Short videos go viral. They show that TikTok success doesn't need high production value. It needs relatability and clear shopping integration.
  • Multi-Platform Strategy Increases Earnings: Selling on platforms like Amazon and Shopify diversifies sales and reaches new markets. This also shows the strength of a TikTok-based organic marketing approach.
  • Professional Online Presence: Having a professional and appealing website, proving that even saturated products can achieve remarkable sales with innovative presentation.
  • Strategic Content Creation: Substantial revenue can be generated by aligning content creation with consumer trends, without the need for upfront advertising costs.

What are the Challenges of TikTok Organic Growth?

The challenges on TikTok for organic growth includes the strict algorithmic demands where content must secure significant engagement to go viral. Censorship is increasing and reach is decreasing for smaller accounts. This forces creators to invest in promotions, which strains budgets.

CydonianKnightRider comments on the challenges to for content to go viral. They point out that it takes heavy shares and watch metrics for TikTok content to go viral and that it takes 1-2 days before these metrics accelerates.

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YNWAYoungBoy said that increased censorship on TikTok is making it extremely difficult and unappealing to create content. According to them, the platform is limiting the reach of smaller accounts to push users into spending money to promote content. This makes it difficult for brands who are operating on tight budgets and solely rely on organic traffic.

YNWAYoungBoy

TheAftermathDailyPod also shares that short form content and reels are unsustainable as the main focus of the platform is shifting to long form content. They state that TikTok isn't created or known for that. This makes it challenging for brands who uses the short form content as this might result to TikTok prioritizing content creators who are pushing long videos in the platform.

TheAftermathDailyPod

Is it Possible to Measure TikTok Organic Reach?

Yes, you can measure organic reach on TikTok, but it's not a single, definitive number. TikTok Analytics shows how many people your videos were served to, and engagement metrics like views, comments, and shares indicate how well your content is resonating. Follower growth also suggests your reach is expanding. By tracking these metrics, you can get a good idea of how far your organic content is traveling on TikTok.

Annsalinas states that it's important to consider your audience, where they are in the funnel, type of content, and timing your post. This will help you measure your content engagement. They advised the community to use a calculation as a general guideline. The formula is: average engagement rate per follower = total number of likes + shares + comments divided by number of followers.

Although they also other users that it is not an end-all-be-all metric. It only tells you how many people saw/or interacted with your content.

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To accurately measuring organic reach remains a challenge, as TikTok's algorithm and data accessibility are not fully transparent. Many creators and marketers rely on a combination of TikTok's analytics and third-party tools to get a more comprehensive understanding of their organic performance.

Is TikTok Organic Reach More Effective Than Paid Reach?

No, TikTok organic is not more effective than paid reach because it relies on creating viral content and reaching the right audience through the algorithm. Paid reach offers guaranteed exposure to a targeted audience and faster results. It's ideal for specific goals like driving sales or promoting a new product launch. However, it requires budget investment and might not resonate as organically with viewers.

Reddit user CitiesByDiana shares that paid reach is never worth it on TikTok. Since paid promotions yield few viewers. They generate around $5 for only 300-400 views. And, those viewers are unlikely to engage further. They also add that using paid promotions may lead TikTok to limit organic reach. This would push users towards paying for visibility.

CitiesByDiana

User BlackberryDefiant499 expresses frustration with the inconsistency of paid promotions on TikTok. The video gained 300 new followers from a promoted video that did well. But, later content did not do as well. This shows that paid reach has diminishing returns. This experience has led the user to consider stopping paid promotions. They advise the community that if the algorithm does not favor your content, paid strategies are not sustainable.

BlackberryDefiant499

5 TikTok Organic Marketing Strategies that Led to Real Success

1. Creative Freedom

Creative freedom is one of the most appealing aspects of TikTok without the confines and costs of paid promotions. Other platforms feature paid promotions and polished content. But, TikTok thrives on spontaneity, authenticity, and grassroots creativity. 88% of TikTok videos play with sound. This highlights the platform's focus on creative expression through music and sound. This freedom to experiment is crucial for discovery. Unlike other platforms, you don't need a massive following to go viral. The algorithm prioritizes engaging content.

Brands create content for the TikTok algorithm by following several strategies that leverage the platform's unique features and user behavior patterns. They create short, informative, or entertaining videos that ride trending hashtags and sounds. Use trending hashtags and sounds in your niche. The top 100 hashtags on TikTok can each get over 5 billion views, according to Influencer Marketing Hub. These hashtags and posting helps the algorithm show the video to the right people. 

What is TikTok Creativity Program?

The TikTok Creativity Program is designed to reward creators who produce high-quality, original, and longer video content on TikTok. This program provides monetary incentives for creators who make videos longer than a minute. It aims to encourage creators to earn more and unlock more opportunities. They can do this by sharing longer content. During the beta, the community gave feedback to ensure the program met creators' needs. This initiative has since been renamed the Creator Rewards Program.

2. Optimal TikTok Video Practices

The optimal TikTok video practices are:

  • High-Quality Production: Viewers appreciate crisp, clear visuals. Invest in filming in HD or even higher resolutions if possible. Use a good microphone or invest in an external one for clear and professional-sounding narration or background music.
  • Optimal Video Length: Attention spans can be short online. Tailor your video length to the platform. Short and punchy works well for social media (think 15-60 seconds for Instagram or Twitter), while longer, in-depth content thrives on YouTube.
  • Reel viewers in: Start with a strong intro, a captivating question, or something visually interesting. Create a narrative arc, even for short videos, that draws viewers in and makes them want to see how it unfolds.
  • Accessibility and Engagement: Make your videos inclusive for everyone by adding captions and subtitles. This caters to viewers who are deaf or hard of hearing, those watching in noisy environments, and non-native speakers.
  • Embrace the Platform: Most audiences will be watching on mobile devices, so maximize the full screen real estate. Shooting in vertical format allows viewers to watch on their phones without turning them sideways.
  • Don't Forget the Call to Action: The goal of your video is not just to entertain or inform. Have a clear call to action (CTA) at the end. It could be subscribing to your channel, visiting your website, or trying a product.

3. TikTok Content Strategy Using the 80/20 Rule

The 80/20 rule suggests that 80% of your content should provide value to your audience, while only 20% should focus on promoting your brand or product. This balance helps ensure that you offer valuable content. Organic reach is low, at 2 to 7 percent of your audience for any given post. But, using this rule can enhance how you maintain and activate your community.

This principle also applies to finding which parts of your efforts bring the best results. It suggests that 20% of your content could generate 80% of your outcomes. This approach involves organizing content into categories, like funnel stages and evergreen material. It involves evaluating performance with tools like Google Trends to optimize impact.

4. Effective Use of TikTok Hashtags

Hashtags play a crucial role in making your content and tiktok presence discoverable. When someone searches a hashtag, they're looking for videos related to that topic. When someone searches a hashtag, they're looking for videos related to that topic. Adding hashtags to your captions tells TikTok's algorithm, "This video is about X!" This raises the chances your video shows in search.

Adding trending hashtags to your videos can put you at the forefront of the action. It will attract viewers interested in the latest happenings. Sprout Social found that videos with relevant hashtags receive 23.6% more average views compared to those without. While TikTok allows up to 30 hashtags, it's better to stick to 4-6 that are super relevant.

5. Engage Authentically with Your TikTok Audience

TikTok organic reach is affected by engagement by the platform's algorithm. When users engage with your content by liking, commenting, sharing, and finishing it, TikTok sees this as a sign of high-quality content.

Statistics show TikTok has an average engagement rate of 5.69%, higher than other social media platforms. This means users are more likely to be glued to your video and take action. When this happens, TikTok is more likely to show your video to a wider audience. It will reach new viewers beyond your followers.

Why Local Lead Generation Surpasses TikTok in Gaining Organic Reach

Local lead generation surpasses TikTok in organic reach because it allows for precise geographic targeting. It targets users with high purchase intent. They are actively searching for services like plumbing or electrical work in their area. This focused approach boosts conversion likelihood a lot. It beats the passive scrollers on TikTok. For instance, local SEO leads convert at 14.6%. This means about 15 paying customers come from every 100 inquiries. In contrast, TikTok’s organic reach has a conversion rate of only 1-2%. This results in 1 or 2 paying customers per 100 viewers. This difference highlights that local lead generation is efficient. It drives profits to your business.

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Local lead generation also benefits from strong community ties. Word-of-mouth and referrals drive organic growth. In contrast, TikTok is global and focuses on viral content. This does not fit the local targeting needs of local businesses. So, it is less effective for reaching a specific local audience. Local lead generation employs established channels such as direct mail and local publications. And networking events that have proven effective over time in reaching local audiences. These methods are already familiar to local consumers, increasing the business model's effectiveness.

TikTok organic has a huge potential audience. But, turning them into paying customers is hard. Local lead generation offers a more targeted approach with a higher chance of converting organic traffic into revenue.

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