Making TikTok Work For Your Boutique Business

Okay, guys, we are pulling back the curtain today big time at the Boutique Hub, and I'm going to take you behind the scenes in our company and show you how this gets done. I get asked so many times, how do I hire an intern? How do I find a social media intern that can come in and make TikToks and reels and be the stand in face of our company? And how do I make that successful? And not only that, but how do I make my TikToks and my reels even more successful? Well, today I'm so pumped because Charlie Johnston, who has been an intern with us here and is now hired on full time in a social media position at the Boutique Hub, is going to walk us through that entire experience, what it was like from her end and what it was like from our end to go through the internship process, what made the hiring and the onboarding and the training successful for both of us, and what made her feel really comfortable and want to stay on and grow in this position, but then also how she's maximized her experience with TikToks and with reels here at the Boutique Hub, and what she sees happening from the boutique owners inside the Boutique Hub that are successful that she engages with on a daily basis. So there is so much to cover. This is such a great, detailed episode that I know so many of you can relate to. So before I get started, last thing, make sure you are following the Boutique Hub, the Boutique Hub on TikTok and on Instagram so you can meet Charlie and her beautiful curly hair and her creative ideas every single day on social media. And you're going to get to meet her right now. Meet my friend, Charlie Johnston. We are going to break it all down for you right now. Let's talk about your business strategy and the juicy details of what actually works, from mainstream fashion to fashion on Main street and the entire ecosystem behind it. How do we scale your company and do it with the balance and the happiness that we all seek? Let's hear from those inside experts and strategists that actually make it happen. I'm your host, Ashley Alderson from the Boutique Hub, and I can't wait to chat. All right, guys, welcome back to the podcast. I am pumped because it is one of our very own members of the Hub team who is joining me today. Charlie, you are such a rock star on our team. And I have to just call this out from the start because video is not cooperating with us today, today. So if you're listening to the audio version of this great. That's perfect. If you love watching on YouTube and seeing video. Bummer for today. But Charlie, tell us how good you look right now because I know you look good right now.

You guys, I did my makeup, I did my hair, I did a whole hair refresh. Like it was a whole moment this morning getting ready. I have on my favorite shirt too. What? Yeah, I was, I was really excited. I wish you guys could see me. I. I can see Ashley. She looks great. And that's. That's good.

Well, the technology gods are just really frowning upon us today. But this is a good reason, Charlie, to send everybody to TikTok to get to see you so that they know who is that curly haired girl on TikTok and on the Hubs reels? Cause she's killing it. Her name's Charlie and this is her. Welcome to the show.

Yes, thank you.

Oh, you're welcome. So Charli, let's start here. We're gonna talk a lot about TikTok today. I think that's how most of our members have known you and seen you and now you've been doing trainings on tikt in the hub. So we're going to direct everyone back to those trainings. They're free in the boutique hubs library if you want access to them. But I want to start with this part of the story because one of the biggest questions I always get asked is how does the hub find such great employees? And your story is amazing. You've been with us for just about a year and this started as an internship which has now turned into a position. Tell me like your side of the fence. Tell me about finding the opening at the hub and taking a risk to come and join this team.

Yeah. So it was, I guess as soon as I started going to school and going for digital marketing, I was like going crazy because I knew I needed to work to like, you know, afford living in Los Angeles and come to school and everything. So I just applied to like a ton of internships and like random freelance positions, like anything that I can do in terms of social media because that's what I knew how to do. And then the summer came. After my first year, technically my junior year, my first year here at this college, the summer came and I was like, I need to. I need to get something. Like, let's get a real internship. Because I had never had like a. It was always like kind of freelance vibes. I needed like a real internship. So I actually found it through the hubs or. No, through my school's Job. What do you call it? Like a job board?

It was a job board. Yeah. And so. So everyone knows. Tell them what school you're at in la.

So I'm at fit. I'm fidm, the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising. I'm going for my bachelor's. I'm about to graduate. I have like nine more weeks. I've been texting Ashley nine more weeks. My. I'm getting my bachelor's in digital marketing. But anyways, I found the job through the job board and I just remember seeing like the Boutique Hub. It was a cute name. Like, it stood out to me. I looked it up and I like went on your website and I just remember seeing pink and I remember seeing your picture. I was like, she is so cute. Like, you're kidding me. I need to apply. And I just remember like going deep through like the about page and the employees and like, I was just like, wow. Like I. I have never seen like something like this, you know, a pink website or women based. And it was just, it was like empowering just looking at the website. So I just remember being so nervous in my interview. It was Beth and Shannon and I, I obviously did okay. I got the job. I mean, I would say, yeah, I did okay. But yeah, I think it started out as an internship. I was just kind of doing, I guess what Shannon couldn't. So I was doing like Pinterest and just kind of taking over things that I don't know how you like internship work, I guess you could say. And I just remember at the end of the summer, I had a meeting with you and Shannon, I think, and I was like, I'm gonna be honest. I won a full time position. Like, I wanted to be here at the Hub. I love, love, love it. And I feel like I really was able to like find my passion in creative marketing and content creating and just growing with a team. It's just been like the perfect job. Like, seriously, I love everything. I'm not just saying that because you're my boss. Like, I love it.

Oh, that means couple things to unpack. Number one, if you're like us, if you're looking for an intern, I mean, we highlighted FIDM and a couple other schools that had, we knew, like marketing programs or fashion programs. And so we just plaster things to their job board all the time. So I mean, that's. Everyone has opportunity to do that and there's always room for digital work in marketing. Like, it doesn't have to be somebody who's face to face with you. I mean, this relationship. We've now had the opportunity to meet in person a few times, but it didn't start that way. And, I mean, you've just really come in and blossomed and just done such an amazing job. And I'm not just saying that because you're on the podcast, Charlie, but I really believe that you have. So I'm curious. I know that there's boutique owners listening and brand owners listening. Who? Both. They're thinking two things. Number one, they're thinking, I have a daughter. I know someday she's going to have an internship. How can I make an internship successful? Or how can she make an internship successful? Number one. But number two, Charlie, you don't know this, but I have gotten messages from people like, hey, that Charlie, she's pretty awesome. How could I hire someone just like her to do my social media or my TikTok and be the face of my company? So number two, Charlie's not looking for a new position, so don't try to steal her. But how? I just want to hear from your side of the fence how to make an internship successful. And if someone is looking for someone like you, what should they post that they're looking for that would make someone like you attracted to that opportunity?

So I'll start with the second question. I feel like I can kind of go in order how to find an intern. I was actually thinking about this yesterday of just like, I know so many of my friends and, like, not even just in this digital marketing program, just people my age, I guess, who would love to create TikToks and get paid to do that for an internship or just, you know, get clothes in return if it's for a boutique. Like, I just feel like this today's day and age, we're all on TikTok. We're all creating TikToks. So I think it's the perfect job for like a college age student. Or if you have a daughter, one for friends. You know, this. How do I say it? Like, these aged girls. What is it? Millennials? Gen Z? I don't know the correct term. Please don't.

Yeah, kind of a tweener. I don't know, like, in between the two.

Yes. College age girls. I know so many girls who would love, love, love to do that. And even if you're on a budget and you just want to, like, do it in return for clothing, I would love to do that. That's great. And that's. I don't know, I would say first, start with colleges, just Because I know those girls are willing to do that kind of stuff. And then number two was how to make an internship successful. Right? Yeah, I would say definitely. I had a few different internships before the Hub, and I struggled at every single one because none of it was like that teamwork aspect. And I was kind of like, I felt like I was drowning. Like, they kind of put everything on me and I was like, wait, I'm the intern? And it was kind of just like, it was super, super stressful. So I guess, you know, helping them and understanding that they are an intern and if they're in school, understanding that they have schoolwork. And I feel like when I came on here at the Hub, everyone was super. You know, when I first started, I only had to do. I only engaged with other Instagram accounts. And then a month later, I was doing this. And then another few weeks later, they. I introduced this. It was very, like, it didn't overwhelm me at all. So I would say that was like the biggest, biggest, biggest thing. I didn't feel overwhelmed and I felt understood. And if I needed to ask for help, I could ask for help.

Yeah, that's a good point. And really, if I'm being honest, we've had a history of fire hosing people like, oh, hi, thank God you're here. Okay, do all the things. And I think most small businesses feel that way. Way, like, oh, my gosh, I had an. I have an intern. I'm going to give them all these, you know, these crap things and take it off my plate and get it done. But we have to remember that interns are here to learn. Like, you're here to grow, and you have expectations, too. So that really is a delicate balance. And I give Shannon on our team, who those of you who follow us on Instagram. Shannon runs Instagram, does a tremendous job. She coaches other boutique owners how to do a tremendous job on social media as well. She really, like, worked one on one with you and just like, one step at a time, trained you to help you be successful, which is good for all of us. It's good for you, it's good for her. It's good for me because it's a slower process. So that's a good note to call out for sure.

Yeah, I remember, too, during my interview, it was so new to me. I think it was one of them, Beth or Shannon, they asked me, what do you want to learn from this internship? And I had never gotten asked that in, like, an internship interview. It was always like, how much work can you take on, like, how much do you have? Like, and I really appreciated how you guys just approached it of, like, okay, where does she want to learn? And even me. And you were messaging the other day, and you said, where do you want to, you know, what do you enjoy about your job? Where do you want to expand? And I really, really appreciate that. And I think that's something to know. I think for any employee, you know, just taking into consideration where they want to grow. Yeah.

You know, we talk a lot, Charlie, and Retail Bootcamp, about any business when they're hiring. The most important thing is that you have the right people on the bus and then you can arrange the seats at any time. And I feel like our team, like, we have a freaking amazing team. I'm not scared to just, like, brag about it, you know, because our team, they're all awesome. We've got the right people on the bus. But I feel like our team is always a moving puzzle piece. Like, you're going to be shifting here, and Bridie, our other intern, is going to be shifting in over here, and. But I think it just starts with getting the right people there. So I appreciate you calling that out. That's really good.

Yes.

All right, well, let's talk about your daily tasks at the Hub as it relates to boutiques and probably one of the biggest, I mean, I'd say opportunities, but also it's a pain point for a lot of boutiques today, and that is TikTok. It's intimidating if you did not grow up with it, if you were, like, if you had a MySpace account, if you're of that generation, like, you just feel old and overwhelmed. And that's me, too. So I'm right here with you guys. So let's just start with, why do you think TikTok is so important for business owners today? Why do you think everyone should be a part of what's happening on Tick Tock?

So I will. I have a few points. Like, I'm very passionate about Tick Tock. I think everyone needs to be on Tick Tock. I will start by saying there is so much potential for viral marketing, and that's kind of what makes it unique, too. Like, unlike any other platform. Let's take Instagram, for example, those big influencers that we all know, they've been on there for years since the platform started. Whereas TikTok, you can start an account today and next week, have an account, have a video, go viral, and your business has changed overnight. Like, there is just an incredible amount of potential and with that, you can reach an entirely new audience. Like I know here for the hub, we've had a few videos go like mini viral and we've gained like 400 followers in a day. That's 400 new people who we wouldn't have been able to reach otherwise without this platform. So those two points in itself is like, there's just so much potential. Another point is you can show off your brand's personality. I always say this. If you go on a brand's LinkedIn or Facebook page, you're gonna get a totally different vibe than if you're on their TikTok page. Because on their TikTok page they can show off their humor, they can show off their personality and actually give the customers a reason to want to shop with them. They can resonate with their customers. They can leave an impact on them without that hard selling. And another point is it's just a huge player in the game right now. It surpassed, I'm gonna get like analytical on you guys. It actually surpassed Google as the world's most popular web domain. And Facebook has admitted that they are a huge competitor. And we all know Facebook's kind of like the granddaddy of social media. No one competes with Facebook. So that right there is just kind of like, you know, we need to hop on. And you know, you look at all these other platforms, Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube, Pinterest, they've all introduced some SoR of short form content that resembles TikTok. So if you're gonna, you know, try to stay relevant on these other platforms, you might as well do it on the native platform. So those are just a few points. I'm like, everyone needs to be on it. I need to sell everyone.

Yeah, I think it, I think that's true. And really it's not, it's not just a certain age demographic either. Would you say, like, do you feel like you've seen a wider like age variety of users on TikTok as well?

Oh, so many. I know. I, we follow a lot of, we, we follow a lot of our members on the Hubs Tick Tock account and there is so many different. Like I see some boutiques that they have, you know, they, they hired someone to do their Tick tock. So it's a younger college girl, she'll do their TikToks. There's other boutiques where it's kind of a mixture of like the boutique owner and the younger girls. And it's just, it's not, I feel like it's a, that's a huge misconception, I guess, that TikTok is only for Gen Z or only for college age students. No. Follow other boutiques on there, you know, get on the platform, follow other boutiques, follow similar accounts and you'll like. It'll make you more comfortable, I guess, seeing people your age and in your niche doing it. And I don't know that that is definitely a huge misconception. It's for everyone, you guys.

Yeah, I would totally agree with that as well. Here's a big piece of pushback. I get a lot, Charlie, from people asking like, oh, is TikTok really worth my. How is about translating TikTok into sales? And I know you've been working with a ton of boutiques on this. So tell me, like, do you think that TikTok actually will translate into sales?

Yes.

And traffic beyond TikTok.

So it is a little bit different, I would say, than other platforms. First of all, it's a lot more of a casual feel, like it's super obvious. You log into the account, you go on your for you page and it's a ton of like random shrek, like filters, like literally the most random stuff. But that's the beauty of TikTok because it's not a hard selling platform. And you know, this is why brands have the potential to seek succeed so much because they're not focused on hard selling. They're focused on connecting and relating to their customers and telling a story. And TikTok makes it really easy to do this. You know, you can take a trending sound of like Kylie Kardashian or sorry, Kylie Jenner saying like, I'm not feeling like myself again. I just did that sound. I connected it to Summit, you know, soft selling, a summit ticket. And it's relatable to the customer. It's enjoyable to watch. And boutiques do that so well. I know, I see boutiques do this all the time where you tell a story, you relate to your customers and you're soft selling. You're not, you know, hard selling. Buy this shirt. It's, it's relating to your brand and it's telling a story. And that's where like the real marketing and the real connections come.

Yeah, that's so important. We always talk about there's three general types of content that boutiques use to be successful. There's branded content, there's engaging content and then there's sales content. And if you just sold all day long, it's like getting punched in the face repeatedly. Nobody wants that. They're not always ready to buy, so you have to have soft selling. How else would you say TikTok is different from other platforms? Like, are there preconceived ideas when people come to TikTok that it's supposed to be one way, but really it's different.

So I would say I think all social media platforms are kind of going towards this wave, but like, you know, just the less curated content, the more relatable content. But I really think TikTok had like a impact on that. You know, they're paving the way for us and a lot of social media platforms are taking after TikTok in that more casual, less perfected way. That's probably my favorite part about TikTok too. Just like you can have, you can do that fun content. You can show like those funny moments in your store or the warehouse. Like I seen Tori Gerbic, the CEO of Pink Lily, she just uploaded this video of like goats running around her warehouse and she was, it was like bring your goat to work day or something like that. And that's like a perfect example of the type of content that's like, you can slide on. That can slide on TikTok. You're not, you're probably not going to post that on LinkedIn or Facebook, but on TikTok you're going to post that. And it just, that like stuck has stuck in my mind for like a week now. And now I like want to shop on Pink Lily because I know the fun environment and it like, it leaves like a lasting impact. So just like that random, funny content is. It makes it stand out. It leaves something that's so good.

What other type of content do you think is great for boutiques and brands on TikTok?

So I have to push the small business marketing bundle here. This is a shameless product promo. There is a ton of like real content, TikTok content, everything but just a few different ideas that like boutiques and brands can do. You can do like a day in the life, a try on how to style an office tour. Share your story, you know, get personal with your audience. A behind the scenes of a photo shoot. Share your business hacks. There are a ton of different content ideas and if you are ever feeling uninspired or unmotivated or just kind of lost as to what to do. I promise if you just scroll through your for you page, look at other boutique owners, what they're doing, you are going to get a wealth of inspiration. Like the possibilities are endless on TikTok and it's kind of scary. Like, kind of diving into that. But I guess that's where, you know, following other accounts and getting inspiration from them. That's where that comes in.

Yeah. That's so good. And I agree. Thank you for the shameless plug, by the way. But we'll link it up in the show notes. The small business marketing bundle does have a bunch of ideas, but I would say probably something you do. I know, I do. This too, is I scroll through, find other videos I like, but then it's about saving the sound. Yeah. And just having a bank of sounds to come back to. How do you go about that? What is the best way to go? Find trending sounds or things that you think might work for you?

So, yeah, that's. That's literally my favorite way. I do it every single day, whether it's a weekend, middle of the night, early morning, and I do it. It's very intentional too, because it's super easy to, like, get lost in the TikTok scroll. I know we've all been there, but I will log into TikTok with the intention of finding inspiration for work, and I will only do it on the Hubs account. You know, I'll stay very, I guess, professional. I'm doing, like, the quotation marks with my hands. You know, you have to go in with the intention of not getting lost on, like, the cooking page or the. The cute puppy page. Go in it with intention. Yeah. Save the account or save the sounds. Even if you don't, like, have an idea that you're connecting with that sound, just save it. And then when it is a content creating day, when I am ready and I have, you know, the tripod set up, I'll literally sit there sometimes for like 10 minutes listening to a sound over and over and just like, how can I apply this to the hub? Or how can I apply this to my boutique? Like, you know, it takes that brainstorming time, but it ultimately comes down to, like, taking the time to be intentional with scrolling and getting that inspiration and actually saving the sounds.

Yeah. Okay, Walk me through a content creation day. Because we're big on batch creation, we do everything, we schedule everything, we talk about everything on our Monday meetings. What does that day look like for you when you're like, okay, I'm going to film today.

So as a girl, I obviously, I get ready. I do my makeup working from home. I don't do my makeup every day. So if I'm doing my makeup, it's a content or meeting day for sure. I'll get ready. I usually have like a random list somewhere on my iPad or some like random sticky note. I'll have a list of like ideas that I'll have like on the weekend or in the middle of the night, like, oh my God, I need to do this sound with this trend and sell this or whatever. So I'll get that list out. I will literally pull out my phone and go through that saved sounds list. And sometimes it's 30 minutes, sometimes it's 10 minutes. And I will just sit there and like brainstorm ways of how I can apply this down to my niche, you know, and if you're a boutique owner, how can you apply this down to your audience and soft sell a T shirt or soft sell why they should buy with you? For us it's how can I soft sell membership? How can I soft sell our planner, small business marketing bundle, whatever it is. And then I set up the tripod and I record and I try to do a mix of 50, 50 of like recording with me in those like funny, relatable soft selling videos. And then after about an hour or two or however long it takes, I'll literally sit down and then it's like, okay, it's editing time and I'll edit like 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 tip videos and those are the ones that you always see. And it's just, it's a lot of time on my phone for sure. But I'm working and you have to be very intentional. It is, you know, working with TikTok, it gets so easy. It's literally the most addicting platform. But you know, just being very intentional with your time. And I'm here to work, I'm here to get inspiration and yeah, that's a content day. That's so good.

So it's not just for TikTok though. I mean, you and Shannon and Sarah and everyone who's been a part of the marketing team, like you've been very intentional about reusing and repurposing content. So we're always working smarter and not harder. What is your strategy and your cadence for that? For not just posting it on TikTok but also using it other places?

Yeah, so definitely I will just comment on that. It takes a while to edit a TikTok, you know, especially those tip ones that I do or, you know, even if you're just standing in front of the camera, it's uncomfortable to stand in front of there. If you're doing your makeup and standing in front of the camera and recording that, taking the time to edit it, to add a caption utilize the time, make the most of your time. Publish it on every single other social media platform that you have because they're all favoring short form video content right now. So I will just put that out there. Make the most out of your time. A way that you can do that. There are a ton of apps that me and Shannon use that actually. So we post it to TikTok and then as you know, it saves it with like the watermark. And other platforms have a fit about that. You know, you don't want to. You don't want a TikTok watermark on an Instagram reel. So there's a few apps, I don't remember the exact names. It's like SaveTick CC, if you literally just look it up. How to save a TikTok without Watermark, there's like three different apps that you can use and they all work great. You can use the same thing for reels. So if you're recording it on reels, you post it to Instagram and you want to save it and like post it on TikTok. There's an app just for that too. I forget the names, but I can maybe send it to Ashley to send in the show notes because it's super, super helpful. Just like pull that content without the watermark, have it for all platforms. But yeah, that's that. I mean, you can even screen record it before you post it just to get it without the watermark. But that's a big thing, pulling it without the watermark and getting the most out of your time, maximize that reach. Not everyone who follows you on TikTok follows you on Instagram. And I know, I know we've said it here in like our meetings. You have to assume no one's seeing your content just because you posted that shirt or that reel yesterday. You know, assume no one saw it because the way the algorithms are working, it's crazy. You know, you gotta post it again, post it on the other platform and get it out there as much as you can.

Yeah, that's so true. So do you. Well, first, number one, those apps, if you could look them up, we'll put them in the show notes. We'll put all the app links and everything in the show notes. But is that what you normally do? Do you save it as a draft on tikt and then you publish it, download it, use the app to remove the watermark and then take it to reels? Is that what you normally like or is it the other way around?

Reels?

Download it, put it on TikTok I.

Usually just, I'm just in the habit of screen recording. I did, me and Shannon didn't find these apps until I want to say like a month ago. So before that it was all like, if you don't screen record it, you're screwed. And we were like, it was a screen recording thing and then we would send it to each other. So I'm just used to screen recording every single piece of content before I post it, no matter what platform it's on. But yeah, like, we'll share some UGC from like our members and stuff and we'll definitely utilize those apps. But there are times like if I make something I forget to screen record. That app comes in handy because like before that we would be like, oh, we're never gonna post it again. Like that's that. So I will definitely. We'll put those in the show notes for sure.

Yeah. So one thing you just said that I just want to make sure everybody understands is we'll share some ugc. Explain today what does UGC mean and how do you think boutiques could do the same thing?

Yeah, so UGC is user generated content and it is basically, it's a great way to boost engagement. You know, if your audience members are seeing that you are posting other customers and their stuff, like they're gonna want to post you too and tag you in their stuff. So basically a way that boutiques can do this is like encourage customers to share your branded hashtag or you know, every time they come in the store, be like, you look cute. You know, if you, or if you know someone who does TikToks. Like if you have a customer who does a lot of TikToks, encourage them to make a TikTok with your thing or with your products and repost it. You know, use these apps, utilize them and ultimately increase your engagement. And that really just gets your audience excited. Like I know if I shopped at a boutique and I saw them, you know, posting reels with my friends, I would. Or reposting my friends reels. I would want to post a reel with their clothes and tag them and get posted on their page. And it just, it's fun overall. It's fun for everyone. Yeah.

And I mean, tell me your thoughts on this. On. On maybe influencer status versus just collaborating with customers. But I would say the majority of people who are on TikTok, they want that kind of collaboration. They want to see themselves on somebody else's account. I think about the stuff Hadley will watch sometimes, like I'll give her my TikTok to scroll once in a while, and she will watch these things where women are, like, dishing out some, like, rocks or some candy or some freaking weird God knows what and putting it in a surprise bag and mailing it. And they're like, oh, Samantha, you know, I'm dishing up your order. And Samantha's at home just, like, drooling. She's so excited. She got her name called and she got to see her order being packaged. And there's so much opportunity for that to collaborate with other people on the platform, right?

Yes, definitely. Especially with the stitch and duet features. So the stitch feature is basically you can take. Take someone else's video and, like, clip it. Like, so you can clip the first 30 seconds, add it to your video, and it's kind of hard to explain without the camera on or, like, without showing you guys visually, but you literally stitch a part of someone else's video and add it to yours. And the duet feature is when it's like, I'm sure you've seen it side to side. So when you're, like, watching someone else's TikTok, I'm, like, showing you guys, I'm not even on the camera. Those two features are really, really great. Just don't. Number one, get up engagement. But to do those, like, collaborations without, you know, the formal influencer contract and all of that. And Yeah, I think TikTok is just a very. You don't have to. I think the. The traditional influencer lifestyle of, like, let's do a contract and I'm gonna pay you this much or whatever. I think it's definitely dying down, especially with platforms like TikTok, because like you said, everyone, you want to see yourself on your favorite boutiques page and you want to, like, hear your name being called and see her packaging your order that you just ordered. Like, that excites people. So I think, you know, don't be afraid to, like, just have fun with that kind of content and reach out to your local content creators or even just your regular customers. Like, hey, you look really cute in that. Let me take a quick little try on video of you.

Yeah. Oh, so easy. You know what I think we need to do, Charlie, is we need to have you, like, once a week do a TikTok tip for boutique owners on TikTok. Like, hey, here's how to do the stitch feature, here's how to do the duet feature, or here's three quick TikTok ideas for boutiques that would be so helpful.

I would love I'm actually going to do another product plug right here, you guys. If you remember, you haven't downloaded the app. I have recorded like five 60 second smarter videos. If you don't know what that is, you need to download the app. That's all I'm going to say.

Oh, that's so good. Yes. If you have not downloaded the. So the Boutique Hub is an app in case you haven't heard yet. But you need to download it because these 60 second smarter videos are only for people who have the app app and they're really freaking good. And Charlie, I know you're all over that.

Oh yes.

Okay, so if I am, I'll say first question is, if I'm a brand new boutique owner on TikTok, like I'm a, I'm a boutique owner, I've been in business, but I'm brand new to TikTok, what's the first video I should create?

I would say, well, the possibilities are endless. I'm going to keep saying that, but I would say if I was a boutique owner just starting out a tech talk, I would do a very personal like this is my story. You can even do like a montage with like a motivational song in the background of like you just starting. And I know they're cheesy, but I love that content and I know so many other view, so many other users on the platform do too. Not only your customers but like other boutique owners. Like that's super inspiring to see someone else's story and that's a great way to like, I guess just break the ice because I know it's, it is scary to like post your first video because it's like, I don't know, I feel kind of like embarrassed or like is someone going to judge me? But getting out there and being personal and like getting that stuff out of the way, telling your story, it's really going to connect with people and like resonate with people. I know if I saw a boutique do that and that was their first video, I'm going to follow them for sure. I'm going to support them and that's going to be the start of a journey for sure.

So good. Okay, second question related to this is if I have been on TikTok for a while, but I just feel like eh, like I'm just kind of stagnant. Like it's falling flat for me. What is something you would suggest to help somebody immediately boost their engagement? Is it a type of content? Is it something they should review or edit or analytics they should look at like what's the thing to help them really break through to the next level on TikTok.

So I will say there are a few things here. Number one, in regards to analytics, I would definitely, definitely take a look at your analytics. If you have a business account, which I 100% recommend. If you are a business, obviously you have access to every single analytics for every single video. And the number one thing that you need to be looking at is your watch time. This is like, this unlocks so much information. So your watch time is basically how many on average, how long viewers are engaged in your video. So if you have a seven second video and your watch time is three seconds, I'm sorry, that's going to tell you that you're not engaging your audience for that long. If you have a 20 second video and your watch time is 30 seconds, that's insane. You're great. So I would say definitely take a look at your watch time. If it's super short, you need to work on those engaging, you know, hook your viewers within the first three seconds and it's really going to tell you the truth. Like it's going to either be super, super good or it's going to be brutal and you're going to be like, okay, let's revisit our content plan. Yeah. Number two, I just have to throw this idea out there because I saw one of our members, members do it and I can't think of her name. If you, if you're commenting, if you're watching and you can comment, comment below. If this was you, she did this video and she was literally like comment down below a number and I will respond with a product that we have of that price. And she got so many comments of like random numbers and I thought that was the coolest idea so I just had to throw that out there. And I wish I could give her credit, I cannot think of her name right now, but she got so many, so many comments. And I just thought that idea was like, I had to mention it on here because it was, it's a great idea.

It's so good because it's really like if you think about, you know, an algorithm of any type on any platform that's going to reward you for time spent watching the video. Number of hearts and likes or number of comments and that's such a great way to, I mean it's really gaming the algorithm. Yeah, cool idea, super cool idea.

And I wish I could give her, I really wish I remember her name but that, that idea was Just like such a great idea and I think just those like, super creative, out of the box thinking and I know it's so much easier said than done, but like, that's why I say stay on the platform, get that inspiration. I wouldn't have got that idea if I wasn't scrolling. You know, that's what it comes down to, being intentional with your scrolling and getting that information. Inspiration from other creators.

Yeah. All right, here's shout out. Shout out time. Shout out time. I know you follow a ton of boutiques on TikTok. Do you want to name. You want to name some of your favorites that you follow and maybe some that our listeners today could go and also follow for inspiration?

Yes. So I have a few of my favorite accounts. Not my favorite. I shouldn't say that all of our members are our favorite, but these just are a few that stand out to me and I think they do a really great job at just like trying out different types of content. They don't stick to one type of content and that's why these accounts stick out to me. So just to name a few, there's a Black Sheep boutique. They always make me laugh at Boutique. They again, just do so many different types of content. Catering to a boutique owner, catering to their customers. Buddy Love is a brand that does really good. Also. Tori Gerbig, CEO of Pink Lily, she. Her content is just really fun to watch and it just gets you motivated. Honestly, I love her content. And then if you are a business account and you are needing trending sounds and you can't use like the radio songs, like creator accounts can altego music. They are DJ remixes with popular sounds. It's L A L T E G O music. They just have like really fun music that you can save and like use for dance TikToks or you know, just like background music. Me and Shannon really like that account and I just had to shout them out.

We'll have to link it up. We'll link it up. Are there other inspiration or like business? Maybe it's not a boutique owner, but just, just again, business inspiration. Accounts that have been helpful like that.

I know we follow Shopify and that's a really, really good account. Like we. I get so much inspiration for them just for like from like the hub profile and also so random. But the target, target TikTok. I just got an idea and I copied it from them. I haven't posted it yet, so I'm not gonna say what it was. But I, I got like so much inspiration from them the other Day. And those two are just. They do like the corporate TikTok so well. And yeah, they're like, professional about it, but also still really funny and just very strategic. And I get so much inspiration from those too.

I love it. All right, Charlie, you have dumped a ton of tips today, so thank you for this as we wrap up our time together. First, I just want to remind everybody that you have done, I think you've gone live a couple times in the Hub. We have all those videos saved in our training library, so please go there for more from Charlie. Obviously, you can follow the Boutique Hubs account to see Charlie in person. Yes. Although you can on this podcast. You'll see her in her favorite journey and makeup, and you're in the Hub anytime. So if someone has a Tik Tok question, can they tag you in the Boutique Hub?

Yes, please do Instagram, Facebook, whatever. Yeah, I will say if. Yeah, I guess just tag me. Tag me. I'll answer any questions.

Perfect. All right, well, let's wrap up our time together with just final. What do you think most successful stores on TikTok have in common? What's your, like, last minute takeaway tips?

I'm gonna say I have two tips. Is that okay?

Yep.

Okay. Number one, stay active on the app. Don't just post and go. You know, I like, like, I like to call this TikTok research. I keep saying, be very intentional with what you're doing. Do what other creators are doing, other accounts in your industry, what's working for them, what's not, what trending sounds are going around. Engage with your audience. Like, seriously, just be active on the app. And I know it's. It's also fun to do, you know, so if you're laying in bed, you can't sleep. I know it's not the best thing for your mental health, but TikTok is. It can be great for your business. So, you know, save those sounds. Have fun with it. Tip number two, I just said it. Have fun with it. Show off your brand personality. You know, your audience wants to connect with you. And TikTok has a more casual and personal feel. So it is the perfect platform to connect with your audience. You know, give them that reason to shop with you, to resonate with you and just have fun with it.

I love it.

Perfect.

Charlie, thank you so much for being on the podcast today. Thanks for making the boutique hubs TikTok account happen. You and Shannon are crushing it, as always. Thank you. You're almost on a year anniversary here at the Hub and we're so thankful to have you. So kudos. Great job today.

Thank you.

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