With all the tools available online, there’s no limit to how you can advertise your eCommerce brand to consumers. With over 12-24 million eCommerce websites across the globe, what matters is how well you leverage these tools to help your business stand out from competitors.

There’s no better way to boost your online presence than with Google, responsible for handling nearly 8.5 billion queries each day. Google’s intuitive marketing tools, such as Google Ads, are trusted by more than 7 million marketers worldwide. If you’re running an eCommerce website, however, you need to be using Google Shopping Ads.

What are Google Shopping Ads?

Launched in 2012, Google Shopping is designed to help online retailers showcase their products visually. If you’ve ever gone looking for a particular item on Google, chances are you’ve come across them at the top of the search results page, lined up horizontally. There’ll be an image, product description, price, and store name. These are Google Shopping Ads.

Google Shopping Ads vs. Google Search

Google Ads and Google Shopping Ads serve different purposes. Google Shopping Ads are essentially product listing ads that help consumers easily learn about a product and where exactly to purchase them. Google Ads (or Google Search Ads) are text-based, relying heavily on copy, while Shopping Ads include images. Google Ads have a much broader scope since you can advertise anything using them, whether they be products or services. Google Shopping Ads can only be used to promote specific products.

The Benefits of Google Shopping Ads

Since Google Shopping Ads are typically displayed at the very top of search results pages, they will be the first thing consumers see when they search for products. This means increased brand visibility for online stores. By the same token, this type of ad can also help retailers reach out to a more specific demographic.

Since Google Shopping Ads collect product information, they can directly target the right audience for your line of business. Studies have also found that Google Shopping Ads achieve 30% higher conversions compared to traditional text-based ads, therefore ensuring better ROI.

4 Ways to Make Google Shopping Ads Work for your Online Business

Having explored the history and advantages of Google Shopping Ads, let’s dive into how you can include them in your eCommerce marketing plan to help you achieve online success:

1. Prioritize Product Feed

When creating Google Shopping Ads for your online store, it is imperative to include key information about your products. Google Shopping Ads highlight product names, images, descriptions, and categories – all of which are vital to your customers being able to find your products easily. For your product titles and descriptions, you may incorporate keywords that can make it a whole lot easier to search for specific items. Using appealing and high-resolution product images can give your website a boost in terms of click-through rates. Don’t forget to include prices.

2. Leverage Customer Reviews

When you look through Google Shopping Ads, you may notice some of them have star ratings. This is because Google allows retailers to display customer reviews in their ads to help promote their products. Studies have found time and time again that 93% of consumers check product reviews before proceeding with their purchases. Posting customer reviews can aid customers in making informed decisions and show them that your brand is trustworthy.

3. Optimize Campaign Structure and Product Groups

To see improve your ROI, you can try optimizing your campaign structure. This helps you manage your campaigns easily since it involves organizing certain aspects of your business such as product types and target customers. Organizing your products by categories can also help the Google algorithm accurately find the right items shoppers are looking for.

All you have to do is simply create different ad groups for different products. For example, if you’re running a clothing store, you can make a specific ad group solely for a specific kind of pants and aim them toward shoppers who are in need of this particular product. This will help your ads drive higher conversion rates and sales since they will only be seen by those who are interested in them.

4. Add Negative Keywords

As with search, one of the many features included in Google Shopping Ads involves the use of negative keywords. Negative keywords are phrases that prevent search algorithms from displaying results that are unrelated or irrelevant to what people are actually looking for. This feature increases search accuracy and makes it way easier for shoppers to find your products.

5. Categorize Ads By Demographics

Whether you wish to expand your reach or target a specific audience, it would be wise to organize your ads according to demographics. Collect pertinent customer data such as location, gender, age, shopping habits, interests, and frequent searches – this information can help you best determine what type of ads your audience will be inclined to engage with. Once you have these details, you can effortlessly target your ideal audience and promote your products among them.

6. Adjust your Bidding Strategy

Since you’re investing resources into creating your ads, it’s important to determine how much you’re actually willing to pay for them. If you’re able to maximize your Google Ads bidding strategies, you can help your brand rank better in search results. Here are some of the popular bidding strategies you can give a try:

• Target Cost Per Action (CPA) – for improving conversions by targeting a specific CPA
• Target Return On Ad Spend (ROAS) – for improving conversions by targeting a specific ROAS
• Maximize Conversion Value – for optimizing conversion value without targeting ROAS
• Maximize Conversions -or optimizing conversion value without targeting CPA
• Maximize Enhanced Cost Per Click (ECPC) – for automatically adjusting manual bids

If you post videos and want more people to spend more time watching them, then you and TikTok have a common goal. That’s why I cringe a bit when I see people talking about hacking the TikTok algorithm for more likes and views.

You don’t need to trick it; you just need to know how the TikTok algorithm works. Once you understand its basic principles, you’ll know what and when to post for your best shot at TikTok virality.

But what about the potential US TikTok ban? TikTok has 148 million active users in the US. To paraphrase Samual L. Jackson’s character Nick Fury in Marvel’s Avengers, “Until such time as the world TikTok ends, we will act as though it intends to spin on.”

Let’s get into the weeds of TikTok’s algorithm, see how it suggests videos to individual users, and find ways to get your content on more viewers’ screens.

Contents

What is the TikTok algorithm?

The TikTok algorithm is a recommendation engine that decides which videos to suggest to each individual user.

On TikTok, recommended videos appear on your For You Page (FYP) when you first open the app.

Everyone’s For You feed is unique and will change over time. TikTok pays attention to the videos you watch, where you post comments, and the accounts you follow. Each interaction is another signal the algorithm uses to refine your FYP—showing videos you’ll probably like while keeping videos you won’t off your feed.

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How does the TikTok Algorithm work in 2024?

If you’ve ever sent your friend a cake recipe link because you remembered they love to bake, you get the gist of how the TikTok algorithm works.

Of course, TikTok’s proprietary algorithm is infinitely more complex than yours (no insult intended). It analyzes thousands of signals to determine which videos belong on your FYP. Let’s look at a few of the most influential ranking factors.

Factors TikTok uses to rank content

We’ll probably never know what every TikTok ranking factor is, but thanks to this post from TikTok itself, we do have an idea of a few ranking categories.

User interactions

Your behavior in the TikTok app is the most influential signal for the algorithm. Whenever you like a video or follow a particular account, TikTok uses that to understand your preferences further.

These are some of the user interaction signals TikTok will track:

• Watching full videos
• Following or hiding accounts
• Liking or sharing videos
• Commenting
• Reporting a video as inappropriate
• Adding videos to favorites

TikTok also uses what you say you are and aren’t interested in when you first join the app to guide its suggestions.

Other users’ interactions on a video can also determine whether you get it on your feed. If many people who share your interests watch and like a post, there’s a bigger chance you’ll see it, too.

Video information

On the flip side of the equation, TikTok reviews certain characteristics of the videos you’ve interacted with to see how they match your preferences. That’s important for creators to know since these are the things we have the most control over.

Here are a few of the video and post characteristics the algorithm looks for:

I’ll go into how to optimize your videos for TikTok marketing using these characteristics in a bit.

Device and settings

Device and settings are also user-specific actions the algorithm uses to recommend content. If you’re registered as a US user, you’ll see a lot more content made in the USA. But unlike user interactions, these are one-time signals that don’t typically change over time.

A few device and setting signals that may nudge the TikTok algorithm include:

• Language setting
• Country setting
• Device type

TikTok factor weighting

TikTok’s algorithm weights ranking factors based on how directly they indicate viewer preferences. Direct user actions, like watching a full video, carry much more influence than geographic location.

This means that while it’s good to be aware of all the ranking factors, your focus should be on posting content that your audience will want to watch and share.

Factors that don’t help (and could hurt) your content ranking

In its post, TikTok says it won’t give creators a boost based on past performance. Someone with a high follower count and previously viral videos won’t get preferential rankings over a smaller account with more relevant content.

Additionally, there are some types of content that TikTok will de-rank (show less or not at all) in your FYP. These include:

• Videos you’ve already seen
• Content that’s considered spam
• Duplicated content (like a second post of the same video)
• Videos with restricted content (like graphic medical procedures)

To be clear, some of this content will still be available if you search for it. It just won’t pop on your FYP.

How to reset the TikTok algorithm

TikTok’s algorithm finds the type of content you’ll love based mainly on what you’ve enjoyed in the past. Sometimes, the recommendations don’t keep up with your changing preferences, and your feed gets stale.

TikTok has built a way for you to scrub its algorithm so it starts from scratch. Then, your interactions moving forward will influence the content you get on your personal FYP.

Here are the steps to refresh your FYP:

1. Open the TikTok app and tap “Profile”
2. Go to the menu at the top and choose “Settings and privacy”
3. Tap “Content preferences”
4. Tap “Refresh your For You feed”
5. Tap “Continue” and “Continue” again

You can’t go back once you finish the process. But only your FYP will be affected. Your “Following” feed and profile won’t change.

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9 ways to use the TikTok algorithm to your advantage

Knowing how the TikTok algorithm works is half the battle. The other half is publishing engaging content that makes it easy for TikTok to find, categorize, and suggest your posts.

1. Hook viewers quickly

You have a fleeting second or two to grab a viewer’s attention and convince them to watch your video. Keep their thumbs from scrolling by adding an attention-grabbing hook that’s relevant to your audience.

A great hook should give the viewer just enough information to make them want more. Try these tactics for your video hooks:

• Make a bold claim
• Ask a question
• Share a surprising fact
• Hint at a secret

Make sure each hook is relevant to your audience, and use emotional words to catch their attention.

2. Create niche content

It’s hard to gain footing with very popular topics on TikTok since many creators are already fighting for precious FYP placement. However, you can use the algorithm to your benefit by finding niche topics to post about.

For example, cooking is a super popular topic on TikTok. There are plenty of accounts dedicated to whipping up the best dishes. But Bobby Hicks of @theretrorecipekitchen uses his account to trial dishes from days of old. Many of the recipes he tests look tasty, while others look like…a veggie gelatin stack?

It may seem a little odd, but by focusing on one corner of a popular topic, Hicks has grown his account to over 150k followers.

Review the topics you’d like to use, and if they seem a little crowded, find a subtopic your audience would appreciate. That’ll leave you with fewer competitors in the race for the FYP. It’ll also make your content more relevant to a specific audience, which the algorithm loves.

3. Use TikTok SEO

Search engine optimization isn’t just for Google. Pretty much any time there’s a search function, you can optimize your content for it, and TikTok is no exception. Plus, even Google admits that TikTok is becoming a popular search engine in its own right.

In addition to the other tips in this guide, you’ll want to use keyword research to boost your TikTok SEO. Like on search engines, people use specific words and phrases in the search bar to find content on the app. Your job is to figure out what those words are.

Keyword research is easy on TikTok. Make a list of things your audience might search for that are relevant to your business. If you’re an esthetician, “skin care” might be one of them. Then, enter those words into the TikTok search bar and see what it auto-fills.

You’ll see options like “skin care for men” and “skin care routine.” Once you’ve gathered a list of keywords, plan out your content calendar to cover each term. Don’t forget to add keywords to your TikTok bio, too.

4. Tailor content to the platform

It’s smart to repurpose content for multiple platforms. But when it’s time to post it on TikTok, make sure it fits the app’s best practices.

First, produce and edit full-screen, vertical videos with a 9:16 ratio. That will fill the entire mobile screen while matching how most people view TikTok content.

Second, keep most of your videos short. While there’s no ideal duration for every video, in 2021, TikTok suggested that the optimal length should be 24 to 31 seconds. The platform has pushed for longer content, but many viewers find videos longer than one minute to be stressful, so it’s safer to keep them under 60 seconds.

Finally, for the best chance of your TikTok videos going viral, keep them positive in tone. Semrush evaluated a large collection of viral TikTok videos and found that those with a positive, funny, or happy vibe did best.

Follow these best practices to get more early engagement, which the algorithm will use as a signal that your video belongs on more FYPs.

5. Post at the right time and frequency

The TikTok algorithm doesn’t really care what time or how often you post—at least not directly. But it does look at how much engagement an individual video gets. Knowing when and how frequently to post can give your videos a little engagement boost.

The right time

The best time to post on TikTok depends on when most of your audience will be on the app. The goal is to publish content a little before the peak potential viewing time to get them indexed and ready for your followers.

You can find that information in your TikTok analytics.

The right frequency

Consistency is essential for success on any social media platform. You don’t want followers to forget about you, and you want more chances to reach new viewers. But how do you quantify “consistency?”

Just like timing, learning how often you should post on TikTok will take some trial and error. TikTok says you should post up to four times per day (of course they do). More realistically, most brands post content to TikTok around two to four times per week (depending on which study you follow).

Here are a few tips to find your perfect TikTok schedule:

• Consider your creative capacity: Posting more often is great, but not at the expense of quality.
• Review other creators: Spy on your competition to see how often successful accounts in your niche post content.
• Watch your analytics: Vary your posting frequency over several weeks and see how it affects your views and engagement.

6. Incorporate hashtags

Using hashtags on TikTok can help you succeed in two ways. First, hashtags help the TikTok algorithm understand your content so it can better match it to user preferences.

Second, TikTok users use hashtags to search for content, so when your video is tagged, it may show up in their search. As we know, when more people see your content, the algorithm will show it to more people with similar interests.

You can find which hashtags are trending in TikTok’s Creative Center.



Here are a few tips for using hashtags on TikTok:

• Don’t use too many: One to four hashtags will usually do the trick without making your post look spammy.
• Use different types: Combine branded, topical, popular, and niche hashtags for the best mix of reach and relevance.
• Include seasonal and holiday hashtags: Adding seasonal hashtags like #hellospring and #Holloweenscares lets you ride the wave of attention during peak times of the year.

7. Add popular audio clips

Audio clips work similarly to hashtags on TikTok. If an audio clip gets popular, and you like videos that use that clip, there’s a greater chance you’ll get more videos with that audio in your FYP.

Head back to the Creative Center to find trending songs.

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Look in the Popular tab to see which tunes are already getting a lot of play. Then, check out the Breakout tab to catch the next audio wave early.

8. Add captions

Many people don’t watch videos with the sound on. Adding captions to your posts lets those people follow along. But captions don’t just help you appeal to a broader audience. TikTok’s algorithm can learn more about your videos from the text of its caption.

TikTok makes it easy to add captions. Tap the Captions icon, and the app will automatically generate them.



Make sure you use the keywords you dug up in your video script. The algorithm will read those in the captions and know who should see your videos.

9. Jump on trends

One of the best ways to leverage the algorithm to get views is by following TikTok trends. A trend is a theme, idea, or trait of a video that already has mass appeal. That might be a common song or a dance.

Trends can also be challenges, like this one where one person holds another so they look like they’re in the iconic scene from the movie Titanic.

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When viewers get hooked on a trend, TikTok sends them more videos to view. If you’ve jumped on the trend, the algorithm will put your video in that mix.

Work with the TikTok algorithm to go viral

The trick to social media marketing is remembering that social platforms want you to succeed. If people love the content you post, they’ll spend more time on the app—which is a win-win for everyone.

The key is learning how the TikTok algorithm works to make it your partner in success. Instead of fighting against the algorithm, find ways to leverage it, and you’ll leap-frog ahead of all the accounts trying to trick or hack it.

Here’s a recap of nine ways you can use TikTok’s algorithm to your advantage:

1. Hook viewers quickly
2. Create niche content
3. Use TikTok SEO
4. Tailor content to the platform
5. Post at the right time and frequency
6. Incorporate hashtags
7. Add popular audio clips
8. Add captions
9. Jump on trends

There are 33 million small businesses in the US alone, and 5.5 million new businesses are started every year. And yet, the beauty of this ever-growing world is that there’s always room for one more business. So if you aspire to start a business, we support you!

And if you need a little help with ideas and planning, you’re in the right place. In this article, we’re sharing nine ways to brainstorm business ideas to help get you off on the right path.

Contents

1. The problem-solving approach
2. The personal inventory approach
3. The market research approach
4. The competitive analysis approach
5. The business name approach
6. The influencer approach
7. The networking approach
8. The freelance website approach
9. The Gen Z approach

How to brainstorm business ideas: 9 ways

The best part about brainstorming is that there doesn’t have to be a formal process. You can use one of these approaches or a combination of any of them. The goal is to get the juices flowing and see where they take you!

1. The problem-solving approach

This approach is centered around pain points. Put your pain point glasses on for a day and pay attention to every little thing that you find even the slightest bit inconvenient, cumbersome, challenging, boring—basically any negative adjective you can think of. Then brainstorm ways you can solve those problems. The more common the task, the better, because the greater the need.

For some inspiration, check out these creative products you never knew you needed by Lifehack.

An umbrella cupholder? I’d buy one.

💡 Once you’ve identified your business idea, you need a strong value proposition. Learn how to create one in our free guide >> How to Create a Unique Value Proposition From the Ground Up

2. The personal inventory approach

This is the tried-and-true approach to coming up with small business ideas. Take a personal inventory of what comes naturally to you. Consider:

• Your passions: Things you care about
• Your core values: Standards you live by
• Your best skills: What you’ve become good at with practice
• Your talents: What you’re naturally good at without any practice
• Your hobbies: Things you could do all day

List these out and see what kinds of ideas arise from them. I personally recommend this as the top way to brainstorm business ideas, because the more aligned your business is with your core self, the less friction you’ll experience in starting, running, and growing it.

There are several ways to map out your personal inventory, like this one.

3. The market research approach

This is the more practical approach to take when brainstorming business ideas, and one you should incorporate into any of the other approaches. After all, you need to make sure you can actually go to market with your idea and be positioned for long-term success.

Consider industry trends, emerging technologies, and consumer behavior so you can get an idea of the competitive landscape, identify unmet needs, discover niche audiences, and more. Market research encompasses a broad range of strategies, including surveys, social media listening, reading research reports and surveys, using market intelligence tools, and more.

Source

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4. The competitive analysis approach

Competitive analysis technically falls under market research, but these are so effective that they’re worth calling out as their own approach. In short, a competitive analysis systematically examines the key components of other businesses like yours so you can identify gaps to fill and how to best position yourself. You can look at strengths, opportunities, weaknesses, and threats (SWOT analysis) or use any other criteria that works for you.

This approach is great for once you’ve got a clear picture of the type of business you want to start but want more guidance on coming up with the details of that business (like your target audience, buyer personas, value proposition, etc.).

For help with this, use our competitive analysis templates!

5. The business name approach

This, of course, should not be your only approach, but it’s a good strategy to throw in when you need a break from all that market research. Creative business names can give way to creative business ideas, and vice versa.

Do a business naming brainstorm session—use our list of creative business names to start! Just remember, there’s a practical process for naming a business, so be sure to check out our post on how to come up with a business name so you can be prepared.

6. The influencer approach

The right way to come up with a new business idea depends on what’s driving you to start a business in the first place. And if it’s simply that you have an entrepreneurial itch, but no prior experience, then take the time to expose yourself to some entrepreneurial inspo!

Read books written by entrepreneurs, listen to small business podcasts, and start following inspirational business owners on social media. You’ll open yourself up to a wide range of concepts, perspectives, approaches, and mindsets that can give way to great business ideas.

Everett Taylor is one of many inspirational entrepreneurs you can follow on social media.

7. The networking approach

In addition to following popular entrepreneurs on social media, it’s also a good idea to network with “regular” entrepreneurs. The influencers can provide inspiration but talking with people just like you will give you an added level of practicality to your ideation process.

Find networking events and discussions happening in your local community and even virtually. Here are some broader small business networking groups to start with.

SCORE is a great place to find local networking events in your area.

8. The freelance website approach

Who says your new business has to be unique? If you’re looking to start a freelance business, take a look at popular websites like fiverr and Upwork. You can find business ideas that use skills and talents you already have, or ideas that require you to develop new skills to reach growing markets.

For example, take a look at fiverr. The navigation menu and “popular services” section alone can give you a starting point from which to generate ideas.

• Website development
• Logo design
• SEO
• Architecture and interior design
• Social media marketing

fiverr’s homepage alone is filled with business ideas based on demand or skillset.

9. The Generation Z approach

Generation Z is the upcoming generation of consumers, and they are known for being partial to brands that name specific core values and stand for them. If you’ve got a cause you personally care about or specific set of values that you live by, let this serve as the foundation of your business idea.

Examples include sustainability, civil rights, individuality, accessibility, and more. Similar to the personal inventory approach, starting a business out of something you’re personally connected to tends to reduce friction throughout the business’s evolution. Check out our post on Gen Z marketing strategies to see if you have anything in common with them!

Start brainstorming business ideas now

Like I said at the start, even with so many businesses already up and running, the world is always growing and changing. Its many facets—consumer needs, industry trends, personal passions, and more—form a dynamic ecosystem that is always producing opportunities. Use the tips in this post to brainstorm business ideas that align with these opportunities!