Despite stereotypes of it being quirky and for young people, there is actually no boundary for ages or styles on Tiktok. But to perform well there, it is important to find your own video storytelling style and understand how the platform works.

DOs:

• Be authentic. What makes TikTok unique is that users prefer an informal approach. Reporters should be natural, relatable, unpolished and just themselves. They should explain their work as they would to a friend at dinner.

• Define what kind of content people can expect from your account. It doesn't have to be just one kind. Based on your newsroom style, you can maybe think about different types of content that could work. For example, for The Intercept we came up with these ideas based on its strategic goals and style: 1) Teaching the TikTok audience things that journalists know; 2) Presenting summaries of The Intercept articles; 3) Presenting evergreen articles from The Intercept archive; 4) Debunking misinformation that spreads on TikTok and other social networks.

• Grab attention in the first five seconds. Get straight to the point. The start of the clip is crucial because the user has the option to scroll away at any second. This is a major constraint of the platform.

Reporters on TikTok should explain their work as they would to a friend at dinner

• Post regularly. Making TikTok videos should become a regular part of a story's rollout strategy.

• Follow/react to TikTok trends. One of the easiest ways to identify trends is to browse via the Discover tab, which will feature a variety of trending sounds or topics. Another way to spot trends is by following the #trendalert hashtag. TikTok also shares trending songs and hashtags in its Creative Center.

• Track analytics. TikTok’s business version allows creators to check their insights and analytics. This is a useful way to understand the audience and figure out what resonates with them.

• Engage with audiences. TikTok provides an excellent opportunity to build your brand and audience. The platform has a feature that allows you to respond to a comment with a video, giving your account more mileage as users will stay on your page longer.

• You just have to start. No one nails TikTok on their first video. It’s an app that rewards growth and exploration. There’s no way to know what style will perform best until you try them out.

No one nails TikTok on their first video. It’s an app that rewards growth and exploration

DON'Ts:

• Don't repurpose YouTube videos. The two platforms are miles apart in their format and content. TikTok’s algorithm also recognizes which content has been repurposed and does not give it traction.

• Don’t spend too much time perfecting your videos. It's better to produce more videos in a timely fashion than to spend time polishing the script or the graphics too much. Especially on TikTok, authenticity is highly valued and videos don't need to be perfect. You can always tune your strategy based on feedback.

• Don’t mimic someone else’s strategy. There is no one best way to do TikToks, and what works for someone else won't necessarily work for you. Finding your own style is key.

• Don’t set it and forget it. Reading the comments and feedback from users is important to keep improving and better engage your audience.