TikTok offers two versions of a ‘Pro’ account (both for free), which give you as a TikTok user a variety of additional features which make using the app for creation, brand-building, advertising, and commercial business purposes much easier and user-friendly.
The two different types of Pro accounts on TikTok are: Business and Creator. We’ll take you through what each account means, who it’s intended for, and what additional features/restrictions come with it. Read on to learn more!
If you have any further questions, or would like some additional information, please check out our FAQ section at the end of this article.
What is a TikTok Business account?
Who is a TikTok Business account for?
A TikTok Business Pro account is intended for small businesses, larger companies, and even global brands, who would like to use the app to shape their marketing and publicity initiatives, gauge how successful their marketing is, and ultimately reach a larger audience of potential customers.
What additional features come with a Business account on TikTok?
- Analytics Dashboard: a dashboard where you can keep track of the performance of your page, content, posts, and livestreams. You can use the Analytics Dashboard to see your page’s growth, the reach and impression of each individual post, and who your audience is. The Analytics Dashboard helps businesses to better tailor their content to their target audience.
- Business Creative Hub: this hub contains the advertising and marketing options your business will need to maximise the engagement of TikTok users with your company or brand. The hub gives you the option to include a link in your bio to your website, no matter how many followers you have, as well as to set-up paid ads on the platform through which you can promote your products or services.
Are there any restrictions to a TikTok Business account?
The only restriction to a TikTok Business Pro account is that you are not allowed to use copyrighted music. This is to stop you using music for commercial purposes which has not been approved for such (such as most music from recording artists). Instead, Business accounts have access to a special library of music and sounds approved for commercial use.
What is a TikTok Creator account?
Who is a TikTok Creator account for?
A TikTok Creator Pro account is intended for individuals (rather than businesses or groups) who are looking to grow their page, and get a better idea for what kind of content attracts their target audience. A Creator account is well-suited, for example, to artists, freelance creatives, and public figures who would like to better establish their brand and identity on this massively popular app.
What additional features come with a Creator account on TikTok?
- Analytics Dashboard: a dashboard where you can keep track of the performance of your page, content, posts, and livestreams. As with a Business account (it’s the same dashboard) you can use the Analytics Dashboard to see your page’s growth, the reach and impression of each individual post, and who your audience is. The Analytics Dashboard helps creators to better tailor their content to their target audience.
- Interactive Q&A Feature: with this feature a Creator TikTok account can host an interactive question and answer livestream, through which they can reach their followers on a more personal level, and maybe even grow their audience.
- TikTok Creator Fund: once a Creator account reaches over 10,000 followers on TikTok, it is eligible for the TikTok Creator Fund, through which creators can start to make money from the content they post on TikTok (brands will often promote themselves through influencers on TikTok, mostly pooled from the TikTok Creator Fund).
- Access to all music and sounds: unlike with a Pro Business account, Pro Creator accounts can still use all of the music available on TikTok that a regular user can.
Are there any restrictions to a TikTok Creator account?
The only main restriction to a TikTok Creator Pro account is that you can only include a link in your bio once you reach over 1000 followers.
FAQs
Does it cost to get a TikTok Pro account?
No, a TikTok Pro account is free to all TikTok users. Since TikTok Pro accounts simply offer slightly different analytics, insights, and options to the TikTok user, but don’t necessarily provide a premium service, there is no cause for TikTok to charge for these accounts.
Just like you can set up a Business or Creator account on Instagram for free, so can you on TikTok.
Which Pro account would be best for me: Business or Creator?
Well, this depends on you, your needs, and your goals as a TikTok user. But the most simple way to work this out is: are you a business (i.e. an enterprise which sells products or services in exchange for money), or are you a creator (i.e. a public figure or artist who, whilst perhaps also selling services, is using the app to promote their brand)?
One of the other important considerations to make when deciding between a Business and Creator Pro TikTok account is whether you intend to use TikTok for commercial purposes or not. If you wish to promote advertisements on TikTok, you’ll only be able to do so through a Business account.
If you will be selling things through TikTok, either by linking to your store’s website or by promoting products and a physical location, you will need a Business account. This is because TikTok has various policies regarding the use of their app’s content for commercial purposes. See the next FAQ for an example.
Why can’t I use the songs I want to with a Pro account?
If you have a Business Pro TikTok account, you will only be able to use songs and sounds which have been approved by their producers for commercial use. You cannot, for example, use a copyrighted song – like one from a major recording artist – to promote your perfume brand in a TikTok video ad. You would only be able to use sounds and music authorised for this usage.
If you are not a business, and wish to use copyrighted songs as a creator, then you may be using the wrong type of TikTok Pro account. Check to see you’ve not set up your account as a Business account. If you have, swap to a Creator account instead and your problem should be sorted.
How do I get a free TikTok Pro account?
Easy, simply open up the TikTok app and sign in. Next, navigate to your TikTok profile page, and then tap the ‘Menu’ icon in the top-right of the screen. Select ‘Manage Account’ and then on the next screen select ‘Switch to Pro Account’. Finally, choose whether you would like a Business or Creator Pro account, and then on the next screen fill out the various fields of required information about your business or yourself to activate your free Pro account.