Ask a Square Champion Anything: Candid Experiences on TikTok & Social Media

[Tom]

Hello Seller Community!

Looking to learn from business owners like yourself? I'm thrilled to introduce a new pilot event series: Square Champion "Ask Me Anythings (AMAs)." 

Square Champion AMAs are “Ask Me Anything” style forum discussions where you can ask real-life business owners and experts about their strategy and lived experiences. Each event will feature a different Square Square Champion  and have an accompanying theme where they're knowledgeable. On Tuesday, February 7, we focused on TikTok and social media with Sugar Lab Bake Shop.📱

Meet Ali, the biologist-turned-owner of Sugar Lab Bake Shop (@sugarlab in the Seller Community). Ali and her mother have been in business since April 2012. They've found success promoting and managing their business marketing on TikTok over the last few years — with multiple viral posts reaching millions of viewers! Learn more about how they started their business here. 🧪🍰

Ali shared her experience and shared her tips for getting started, maintaining relationships, and social media strategy.

Please note that Sugar Lab Bake Shop is not an employee or consultant of Square. The information they provide solely reflects their views and is not endorsed by Square. This Q&A is limited in scope and is only intended as a high-level overview of the topics discussed.

[WSLB]

Is there an RSVP or calendar reminder?

[Tom]

Hey @WSLB, thanks for checking in! You can get a reminder by going to the calendar here, and clicking "Yes" under "Will you be attending". It will send out an email reminder email 30 minutes before the start time.

One other note is that this AMA takes place in writing within this thread, so if you have any TikTok questions be sure to drop them in here. The answers will be written out by the host and addressed in a summary post.

[Youngmogul]

Do you recommend posting more entertaining content over educational or a good mix of both?

[sugarlab]

Hi @Youngmogul,

A good mix of both for sure! And even try to make the education contact entertaining. I sometimes have voice overs where one of my kids screams in the background. I’ll keep the voiceover and it actually causes people to comment more.

[optheal]

What do you recommend for a service based business? We carry some products but are primarily services.

[sugarlab]

Hi @optheal,

Education! Talk about your services. Can you offer something that aligns with the services you offer? For instance, if I look at my service of cookie decorating, I’m showcasing various cookie designs and briefly talking about how I decorated that design. Then I can say, hey wanna learn more about this, check out my classes. It’s more authentic than that but hopefully you get the idea.

[LousLeatherCare]

How do you get the ideas and content ideas flowing? Also, what kind of posting schedule should we start so we can be active and reach more potential clients? Thanks!

[sugarlab]

Hello @LousLeatherCare,

They just happen! I think a big thing is that we make what we sell, so I just film everything I do and turn it into content. Being a user of the platform can help too. You can see what kinds of videos are trending and performing well and try to replicate it for your business in a way that makes sense.

I’ve talked about schedules a few times here but don’t mind stressing this again. Don’t overthink a schedule and stress yourself out. Post when it makes sense to you and be consistent about it as much as you can. If that means 5 times a day for you, go for it! If it means once a week, that’s ok too.

[TheHenderson]

How can you zone in on a specific demographic or area that you want to market too?

[sugarlab]

Hey @TheHenderson,

This all goes back to speaking to your ideal customer avatar. Who are they and what do they want to see? It can feel like you’re making it up as you go, but that’s exactly what it is. Try talking to “Sally” and see if she responds.

You can use specific hashtags for your area, or for an audience. LIke for me, I use #ventura #socal #cakelovers #cookielovers etc.

[Duplex]

What kind of stuff should I show about my business to attract more customers? When is a good time to post new videos? What are some filming kills I should know? Something that I should avoid doing? 
sorry for asking so many questions, and thank you for your time 🙂

[sugarlab]

Hi @Duplex,

Just start filming everything! Try to set your phone to record in a high resolution. It’ll take up more space on your phone but produce better videos. Try a few things in the beginning: education, trends, how we make it, etc. The only thing I think you should avoid is overthinking. Have fun with it and the more you post, the more you’ll be able to see what works for you.

[CLW]

One thing I would like to know is how often (and are there certain times of day) that posts should be made on TikTok? Is the algorithm like Facebook & Instagram where timing of posts matters as much (if not more so) than the content of the post? And how do you get viewers to follow you instead of just "hearting" your posts?

[sugarlab]

Hi @CLW,

I haven’t found specific timing like I have in the past with Instagram. In terms of getting followers, ask for you. Tell people what to do. I’ll say “want to see more cake decorating? Be sure to hit that follow button” or “follow for more cake content”. It can be quick and feel awkward at first but it gives people a call to action.

[nishreenali]

Hello! Thanks for putting this together 🍰🍪

1) Roughly how much of your orders come through social media channels (versus your physical store)?

2) What's prompted the decision to offer pick-up and shipping, but not delivery? (correct me if I'm wrong, pls!)

[sugarlab]

Hi @nishreenali,

1. That is a great question! HA! I wish I knew specifics for me and it’s probably something I should know. What I do know is that the most I post on social media, the more people come in or order online. I think I definitely get more people with my specific marketing (social media and email and text) than just random people walking around the harbor.

[QuokkaCoffee]

At what point do you think you'll decide it's too much work for a smaller team to handle, and to whom do you see it being outsourced?

So excited to hear from you! 👏🏽

[sugarlab]

Hi @QuokkaCoffee,

I would say if it’s something that is overwhelming everyone to post, or it’s not happening because the shop is so busy, that might be worth looking into. Social media managers can be costly, but you can look at how much it’s saving you in terms of time. Just like when you look to add another person to the team. Some people will do the posting but you still respond to comments or DMs. Some will help you create the content. I would imagine there are plenty of packages that folks can offer.

[gourmetcakes]

I have a few questions for you guys/gals about selling online, and all this social media stuff. I read your story, and it is almost identical to mine, except I started with the Michael's class at 16 years old, and have been decorating cakes/cookies for other people (at their bakeries) since 1993... I've recently separated from a bakery I worked for for 7 years, and ended up taking the customers/recipes/equipment with me. She didn't want to do cakes anymore. I am not a spring chicken... however, I am still pretty fast. I just need help figuring out all of this social media stuff. If you have any advice, it would be very much appreciated!

The main difference is that I specialize in gluten-free cakes and goodies.

Thanks,

Darlyn

[sugarlab]

Hi @gourmetcakes,

Gluten-free is a great market! Even with advances and awareness of gluten-free products, people still have the impression that GF takes awful. Educational content can be great to showcase on your social media! Try to make a connection with your audience and show them why GF is awesome.

[sugaralamode]

How do you get more views on TikTok? Is it using hashtags, type of content, time of day posting?