Ask a Super Seller 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: Super Seller "Ask Me Anythings (AMAs)." 

Super Seller 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 Super Seller and have an accompanying theme where they're knowledgeable. This week, we're focusing 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. 🧪🍰

We're glad to have them share their tips for getting started, maintaining relationships, and social media strategy.

Ready to participate? Post your questions to this thread now. Ali will share her experience and address your questions on Tuesday, February 7, from 1 p.m. – 2 p.m. PST.

Not sure what to ask? Here are some example questions: 

• What's the right kind of content I should create and share for my business on TikTok?
• What three things did you wish you knew before you opened up a TikTok account for your business?
• Oh no, my post went viral — I can't keep up with orders! How do you manage customer expectations and online orders?
  
  

Click 'Reply' below to ask your question ahead of time, and we’ll answer every question on Tuesday, February 7. We're looking forward to hearing from you!

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.

[Lovewell]

This is so exciting!! We LOVE Ali! We use @sugarlab for all sorts of fun seasonal cookies and treats and she always makes our vision come true!! Will definitely be tuning in to watch this! Yay Ali for being the first Super Seller AMA!!!!

[sugarlab]

Aww shucks! Answers will be typed and then responded to on the 7th but I'm currently trying to figure out the easiest and most helpful way to do a Live video content that could be posted later too. 

[Memors]

Hello!

Is there a way we can do collaborative work with you to promote our businesses and maybe even a brick and mortar Collab to bring @sugarlab to my community? I'm sure integrating @sugarlab in my Cafe and new TikTok account would help me bring in a youthful crowd. I'm just wondering what it would take for me to convince you?

Guillermo Rubio 

Kerrville Health Food Store/Carrot Patch Cafe

141 West Water St., Kerrville, Tx 78028

https://www.kerrvillehealthfoods.com/

https://www.carrotpatchcafe.com/

https://www.facebook.com/Kerrville-Health-Foods-Carrot-Patch-Cafe-400613364036228

https://www.instagram.com/khf_cpc

@khf_cpc

[newlinecheckout]

This is great info @Lovewell about Ali, just wanted to add up that you can also leverage TikTok to spread love about your mobile app. By this, you can not only make sure your customers are aware of your app and its features, but you can also create a connection with them through your branded app. This connection can help build brand loyalty. As a small business owner, it’s important to stay ahead of the curve and make sure your customers are able to access your products and services quickly and easily. One of the best ways to do this is by having a mobile app that allows ordering.

[Doran]

What equipment do you use to make videos and how did you figure out a good posting schedule?

[Stacelyn24]

This is incredible...one day when my business really starts scaling I hope to be featured...that would be a big accomplishment for me.  In the meantime, congrats to Ali and her mother.  I have a couple questions:

1.  What are the best time to post to TikTok?  I know it can be based off location but there has to be a general rule of thumb...what hashtags do you use use (if any)?

2.  Can you auto post to TikTok?

3.  How do set up your content calendar to have time to create and post these viral sensations?

[JUYBoutique20]

Is it better to have a business account or an influencer account?  I started with a business account and the music options are horrible.  I changed to an influencer account, and I now have all the top music releases.   

[Dzignermom]

I was coming to ask the same thing!

[JUYBoutique20]

I switched over...this year I want to start doing tik toks but I want to make sure I'm doing it the right way.

[phillipsrw]

What kind of apps do you use if any to enable simultaneous posting on Tic Toc and across the SM platforms, instagram, FB etc

Also we have found using SM for our business very time intensive with little tangible commercial return for our effort. Do you find SM for your business delivers a real measurable uplift in sales or just a nice to have allowing you to communicate with your followers what you have are doing and that you are still trading?

I really need to find out if I should keep putting the effort in or direct resource to areas of the budiness we know can deliver commercially.

Thank you 😊 

[newlinecheckout]

Hi Phillip! You are totally right that posting on SM one by one is very time consuming and doesn't have a clear return. Many businesses have given me feedback that SMS can be an even more effective channel because it is more direct to your loyal customers. But the following is key to get more results from SMS:

1. Your SMS must be automated. If you send them one by one, it is hard to know when to send them or what to say. Automated SMS lets you stay connected to your customers without having to keep working on it, like with social media.

2. It is critical to give 100% of your customers an easy way to give you their phone to get SMS marketing from you. SMS is a numbers game so the more phones you have the better. A common way to easily get phones from every guest is with self-ordering kiosks. With SM, it is hard to convert all your customers to follow you since the process isn't integrated to your ordering workflow.

3. SMS is most effective when paired with push notifications. This way customers get repeat exposure to your message on the most valuable piece of real estate your brand can get: their mobile phones! Feel free to check out the Orda mobile app builder for Square other tips on different marketing channels that may be helpful for you!

[SMArcher]

How long did it take to get a large following on tiktok?

Do you pay someone to do your tiktok posts?

What tips do you have to get started?  

[rjonin]

I love this @Tom!

[bela2]

How does having a business account compare to having an influencer account? Is it better to have one of each?  It seems like there aren't any music options for the business account I started with.  It was a great experience switching to an influencer account, and now I have access to all the top releases in music.   

[JUYBoutique20]

Yessss.....My question as well....

[301drinks]

Love this

301drinks.com

[Indolentlynx]

Has anyone become profitable using their square online website? 

Just finished setting my site. It took a year to build and I haven't gotten actual sales from it.

My website: https://www.indolentlynxgift.com/

[phillipsrw]

Unfortunately for the majority of online retail businesses there is a lot of marketing required to firstly drive awareness of your business, so reaching your target audience and secondly to build confidence in your business ie you are reputable and reliable etc.

So now you have the technical aspect with the help of Square Online nailed, it's time now to market your company to get those customers landing on your site whether that is through social media, mailing lists and newsletters or more traditional marketing methods. 

Also SEO may be worth working on to get yourself better visibility with the search engines.

Good luck 👍 

[JUYBoutique20]

Last year I had a real boost with people going to my website but like @phillipsrw said it was because of marketing.  I put my website on everything...business cards, banners, flyers, social media, etc...

[HollywoodPhoto]

Hello. I’m a local photo studio. So I need local clients come in the store and I work with them face to face. How do you focus your reach to local clients. We don’t use TikTok because of how time consuming it looks but if we could benefit locally, could be one way to drive business. ( is that almost two questions:)