When you’re on a mission to increase subscription sales for your membership plans, diversifying your outreach is key. To grow more, start creating video content on TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts. To learn more, check out our video about creating engaging social video content.

In this guide, we’ll focus on TikTok, but these strategies apply across platforms:

How to be successful with video

⭐ Takeaways: Keep it short and sweet to build a community gradually!

This material was created when producing the Hey Thangs! and Thangs Designer Builds videos for

Thangs 3D’s TikTok, Reels and Shorts accounts. It focuses exclusively on 3D Printed Models by Thangs Designers.

1. Go Vertical: The first rule of thumb — embrace vertical video. TikTok, Reels, and Shorts were built for them. The aspect ratio aligns perfectly, making your content shine. No need for fancy cameras; today’s smartphones deliver high-definition imagesa. You can then edit your videos with phone-based apps like CapCut and Adobe Rush.

💡 Pro-tip: Use the built-in screen recorder app on Android and iOS to capture footage, then transfer it to your desktop using Airdrop or Nearby Share for fast editing.

1. Keep It Short: Attention spans are short on TikTok and Reels. Aim for 10–30 seconds. Front-load your content with value to hold those fleeting eyeballs.
2. Showcase the Best: Less is more. Feature a select few products; cramming too much in a short video can confuse your message and calls to action. I suggest 1 or 2 products.
3. Master Titles: Place clear, large titles at the first and last frames of your video, always ending with a call to action.
4. Rock the Platform’s Music: Unless you have original tunes, use the platform’s music library. Trending sounds give your content a boost.
5. Play It Safe: Mind the designated safe zones for titles. Avoid the edges to keep text visible. Review a safe zone template. It’s surprising how easy this mistake is to make. [Image]
6. Waterfall Marketing: Spread your video love across various platforms. Repurpose content to reach a wider audience. Join some new platforms!
7. Hashtag Hacks: Study successful videos for hashtag inspiration. Experiment with new, relevant tags. Check each platform’s autocomplete tool for reach stats.
8. Tailor Your Hashtags: Customize hashtags and mentions for each platform. Different platforms, different vibes.
9. Call Them to Action: Don’t forget to include clear calls to action in your video descriptions. Follows will compound over time but Links to your membership signup page are best for long-term sales!

Treat video like a community building activity. Over time, you will amass a following of people who see your content multiple times, which will increase your connection with your fans. This is akin to your “mailing list” in traditional e-commerce businesses.

Paid Advertising is a short-cut to engagement

⭐ Takeaway: More exposure leads to more sales!

Findings

• In our testing, we were able to generate a positive “expected value” in sales for designers with more than >30 models when they had a good mix of both high quality, paid and free models.
• For every $25 in ads we bought on behalf of designers, membership designers received over $60 in memberships, based on $10 membership plans.
• We tested campaigns over 5–7 days and saw these trends become more consistent with time. Slight variations occured based on account history and model inventory.

Getting Started with Paid Ads

1. Setting Up TikTok Ads: Once your video is live, hop over to the TikTok Ad Management Platform.

2. Define Your Campign Goal: Start simple with the ‘Traffic’ goal; leave conversions for later.

3. Embrace ‘Automatic Audience’: TikTok’s generalized ad targeting is your shortcut to quick campaign creation.

4. Budget and Duration: Begin with a 1–3 day campaign at a manageable spend. Make sure to set an end date for the campaign!

5. Name, Call to Action, and URL: Customize your campaign, select your call to action, and drop in your Thangs.com/Designer/URL.

6. Submit and Wait: Hit submit, and TikTok will review and approve your campaign before it kicks off. Time for a break! Nice job.

7. Revel in Metrics: Dive into the data. TikTok’s audience metrics update daily, so give it at least a day to gauge your campaign’s performance.

Take a look above at this two day campaign example. For $25.47, the content made 12,330 👀 impressions. Check the Thangs membership dashboard to see how many subscriptions were added during your campaign period. What impact can you see?

8. Understanding Your Audience: Scrutinize demographics to fine-tune your content and targeting. Does your audience reflect your content choices?

9. Mastering Targeting: Once familiar with creating Ad campaigns, run both targeted and untargeted campaigns, compare results, and refine your approach.

10. Export Your Data for Analysis: Take advantage of the spreadsheet data export options to Sheets or Excel. Build your own tables or run analysis fot additional learnings.

As you venture into the world of TikTok advertising for your Membership Plan, may the algorithm always be on your side! Let us know how these tips work for you!

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