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If you’re trying to learn the ins and outs of TikTok, whether for your business or just for fun, know that you’re not alone and you’re not too late. TikTok began to take off last year, but it’s still growing quickly, so it’s not too late to join. One of the first things you should learn after downloading the app is how to DM on TikTok. Sending direct messages is one step in developing a marketing strategy and can help you build relationships, grow your following, and improve trust with your followers on the app. Let’s take a closer look.
DM On TikTok: How It Works
Sending messages on the app works fairly similarly to sending messages on other platforms, but there are a few tips and tricks you should know about how to DM on TikTok.
How Do You DM On TikTok?
If you want to simply send a message, you’ll need to know where to go. At the bottom of your screen, you should see a little chat bubble icon immediately to the right of the plus button and to the left of the icon for your profile. That’s your inbox.
Tap there, and then in the upper right hand corner, select the paper airplane icon. That’ll take you to your direct messages. You can then talk with anyone you’ve already been DMing with, or you can use the plus sign in the upper right hand corner to start a new chat.
If you decide to start a new chat, you’ll need to search the TikTok users you want to DM. From there, simply tap on their name and start typing your message. It really is that simple!
If you want to share a video with someone, begin by pulling up the video you want to share. Then, on the right hand side of the video you’ll see a small paper airplane icon.
Tap on that and then start typing the name of the account you want to send the video to, and it should appear. If you DM them frequently, they should also appear at the top of your screen.
Who Can I DM On TikTok?
Users who are under 16 years old cannot send or receive DMs, so you’ll have to make sure you’re talking to someone 16 or older. You can also only send DMs to people you’re following on the app. It’s important to note, though, that each user can set their own messaging privacy. They can set it so everyone who follows them can send them messages, or they can set it so only their friends (people who follow them and who they follow) can send them messages. Or, they can also turn off the DM feature altogether.
5 Best Practices On Sending TikTok DMs
1. Become Friends First
If you want to DM someone on TikTok, it’s a good idea to get to know them first. They might have their messages restricted to only their friends, in which case you would need to be their friend before sending it. So if you want to DM someone you don’t know, establish a relationship first through commenting on their content, stitching their videos, or dueting them! Even if they do have their DMs available to everyone, by creating this relationship, you’ll make them more likely to recognize your name and open and respond to your message.
2. Use A Valid Phone Number
Without a valid phone number attached to your account, you won’t be able to send TikTok DMs. This is one of TikTok’s security features, so make sure your account is properly established. Besides, if you ever get locked out, you can use that phone number to re-access your account.
3. Control Who Can DM You
Remember how we said that all users can set their DM settings to control who can send them messages? That goes for your account, too. Set it to whatever level you’re comfortable with – even if that’s no one to start.
To change your DM settings, you’ll want to go into your profile, then tap the three dots in the top right-hand corner.
From there, select Privacy and then Who can send me direct messages. At this point, choose everyone, friends, or no one. If you ever change your mind, you can always go back and change the settings again.
4. Send Content You Know They’ll Enjoy
The best part about TikTok DMs is that you can easily share videos with your friends. Whether you want to share a video that made you laugh, something you found really interesting, or a new product or service you think your friend will love, send them content they want to see. Maybe you want to challenge them to a new dance or trend. Or, maybe you just want to share the newest song from your favorite artist. Perhaps you want to share content from a brand you know they love. Either way, make sure you’re sending things they’ll enjoy.
5. Be Consistent, But Don’t Spam
Finally, DM with your friends consistently. Whether it’s sending them new content or just checking in on them regularly, this is the key to building strong relationships. At the same time, you don’t want to overwhelm and spam them with too many messages. How much is too much? Well, unfortunately there isn’t really a hard-and-fast answer for that. It depends on your relationship with this person. If it’s a friend of yours in real life, you could probably send them messages everyday. If this is a potential customer or a friend you met through the app, you probably want to send them messages a little less frequently.
Time To Slide Into Those DMs
So there you have it – these are some of our best tips for how to DM on TikTok. Whether you’re a pro at making videos or you’re just starting to explore the app, being able to send direct messages makes TikTok even more fun and is a great way to grow your business. Share your favorite videos with your friends and build a community through the DMs. Have you sent DMs on TikTok to anyone before?
About the Author
Samantha is a Marketing Coordinator at InfluenceGrid with expertise in all things TikTok and social media marketing. Our passion is to help companies partner with influencers and kill it in social media!
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