Scotts Flowers hasn’t had many sales from TikTok, but it is still an important piece of their marketing strategy, says Taylor Choi, product marketing associate at the New York City flower shop.

The social media platform had 78.7 million users in the U.S. last year, 37.3 million of whom are Generation Z (born between 1997 and 2012), according to Statista. Gen Z usage on TikTok is expected to top 48 million by 2025, and TikTok is expected to be the social media platform of choice for the generation, surpassing Snapchat and Instagram.

Since Scotts Flowers began actively using TikTok in August, the account has grown to 20,800 followers and nearly 225,000 likes. The florist sees TikTok as an effective way to create brand awareness for the next generation of customers, Choi says.

“ overall strategy is to reach that younger audience that might not know about us,” she says.

If you’re considering trying TikTok, here are six things to remember when getting started.

1. Have fun with it

Sarah LoBue, AIFD, co-owner and designer of Main Street Florist and Gifts in Carlinville, Illinois, started using TikTok in 2020 as a way to entertain and distract herself during the COVID-19 pandemic. She’s taught herself and learned a lot along the way, but the most important lesson is to have fun and experiment with the platform.

“I think for anyone starting out on TikTok, the biggest thing is just to make as much content as you can because it’s going to give you more practice, and you’re going to see what sticks,” LoBue says, adding that the more content you’re creating, the more chances people have to see you.

LoBue says their series, “Let’s talk about…,” which highlights different flowers, does well, but she aims for a mix of educational, inspirational and entertaining video content. Most of all, she wants to show her followers there’s a real person behind the business.

2. Post consistently — and stick with it

To be successful, be consistent, Choi says. Since summer months are a little slower, she’s consistently posting two to three videos per week, and creating so much content has improved her skills. “Our first posts were really rudimentary. It was a lot of photo collages synched up to some music with some text over it,” says Choi, who took over the Scotts Flowers’ TikTok account last summer.

An avid TikTok user, Choi learns from watching other videos and tries to apply some of the techniques and content ideas she sees to Scotts Flowers’ account. Along the way, she’s acquired some new videography and editing skills, that have also helped her create content for the shop’s other social media accounts.

3. Use those hashtags

Something that distinguishes TikTok from other social media sites is that it prioritizes and presents users’ content based by topic rather than connections or friend status. Make content more discoverable by using popular hashtags. Also, take note of what other flower shops and florists are tagging.

For a how-to video about flower arrangements, LoBue would use the hashtags #floristsoftiktok and #diyflowerarrangement. Choi says she also uses location hashtags such as #newyorkcityflorist, #nycflorist and #nycflowers to appeal to local users.

4. Follow the trends

After about six or seven months of consistent posting, Scotts Flowers had a video take off. Choi says that was a bit of an accident because she inadvertently created an autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR) video with sounds that are pleasing to the ear.

Choi has since learned to capitalize on those types of trends. Choi’s content strategy is for videos to fall into one of three categories: fun and trendy (such as lip synching that they can tie back to Scotts Flowers or the floral industry); showcasing the shop’s offerings and collections (which can also be pushed out as an ad); or other content that can reach a larger audience, such as a video tour of New York City’s flower market.

In addition to watching content trends, Choi also recommends paying attention to trending sounds because TikTok gives personalized video recommendations to users based on past viewing history.

5. Treat TikTok differently from other social platforms

Both Choi and LoBue say they will cross post select, relevant content from TikTok to other platforms. When they do, it’s well received in part because competitor platforms Facebook and Instagram are also encouraging — and even rewarding — creators for producing short-form videos and stories or reels.

But Choi and LoBue suggest treating each platform separately because they have different audiences and reaches. They say their TikTok content is often goofier and features people more often because the behind-the-scenes aspect is embraced. It also makes the content feel more authentic and creates an air of transparency.

Still, there are opportunities to work smarter, not harder, with several platforms to manage. “I think for anyone getting started, it feels overwhelming to think, ‘Oh, I have to post on all these sites,’ but you can repurpose your content,” LoBue says. “You’re usually talking to a different audience, so you might just be filming something once and then tweaking it to fit each platform.”

6. Don’t stress

LoBue acknowledges that for some people, TikTok might not make sense. In fact, she says that for her local business it’s not a necessity, but she enjoys it — and she finds that making those videos inspires her to be more creative on Facebook and Instagram, which can drive sales to her shop.

“If somebody was saying, ‘I don’t have time to do this, it stresses me out,’ well, then it’s not worth it,” she says. “There are a thousand other things we can be doing as business owners to make our businesses be the best they can be, and I wouldn’t stress over TikTok if it causes you stress and angst. But I think dipping your toe in the water and seeing what other people are creating in your industry can be inspiring, regardless of whether you’re creating content or not.”

Nicole Stempak is a contributing writer for the Society of American Florists.