TikTok Business vs Creator Account: The Influencer’s Guide to Choosing When to Upgrade from Personal

Despite some uncertainty surrounding TikTok’s future in the United States and abroad, the popular short-form social video content app remains as influential as ever. It’s also one of the best platforms for those looking to launch their brands and careers.

Yet, despite the ease of use to get started, many decisions go into launching a TikTok that you might not have thought about before. Questions like “should I make my TikTok a business account?” or “what’s the difference between a TikTok business vs creator account?” might pop up from time to time.

To help you make the best decisions as to whether a TikTok creator account vs personal account vs business account is right for you, let’s go over everything influencer accounts need to know about these two options and how you can pick the one right for you and the future of your brand.

Should I make my TikTok a Business Account?

As you might expect as an answer to this question, the differences between personal and business accounts on social media have to do with whether you consider yourself (or your brand) as a business or an individual.

The area in which most creators and influencers get confused is when they acknowledge that while they are an individual, they often fail to recognize that their brand is a business. This can be confusing because the lines between personal and business accounts can be a bit gray, especially when influencers and creators start their careers.

When should I make my TikTok a business account?

At the heart of this decision between creator accounts and business accounts—whether on TikTok or any other social media platform—comes down to a simple question: Am I making money from this account?

If the answer is yes, then the answer is easy to find. Once you look into the guidelines and terms of service for most social media platforms like TikTok, you’ll find that these apps are very definitive about their rules for businesses and creators.

Personal accounts are meant for personal reasons; for example, a regular account is used for a person to share photos, videos, and updates about their lives so that their close friends and family can interact with them. The goal is not to create content to promote businesses or brands, even if those businesses or brands are themselves.

How do you know if you need a business account?

The line between those needing a business account and a creator account is blurred and poorly defined. But even with there being some gray area between the two, from a legal standpoint, it makes sense that you’d always want to err on the side of caution.

It’s also worth pointing out that regardless of how you classify your brand and channel, you’re still liable to find yourself in legal trouble, irrespective of what you claim to be doing.

Business accounts offer a slight bit of protection that creator accounts don’t, but—more importantly—they also provide more tools, analytics, and insights than regular creator accounts. Another reason for choosing a business account is that it is always a great and safe choice for brands and creators of all sizes.

How to start a business account on TikTok

TikTok is still one of the most popular social media platforms for influencers and brands. If you want to start a business account on TikTok, here are the steps you’ll need to follow.

1. Download and Sign Up:
   If you don't have it, download the TikTok app from the App Store or Google Play Store. Sign up using your email, phone number, or social media account. 
   1. Switch to Business Account:
   2. Open the TikTok app and go to your profile. 
   3. Tap the three dots (Menu) in the top right corner. 
   4. Select "Settings and privacy," then "Account," and then "Switch to Business Account."
2. Choose a Category:
   1. Select the category that best describes your business. 
3. Complete the Switch:
   1. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the switch to a Business Account. 
4. Manage and Optimize:
   1. Once switched, you can manage your business account through the TikTok for Business platform. You can also optimize your profile with a professional photo, a clear bio, and a business website. 
      
      

You can find more information about TikTok Business Accounts on TikTok’s website here.

The difference between TikTok Creator and Business accounts

Similar to Instagram, TikTok offers not just one, but two professional account options outside of your standard personal accounts. The differences between business vs creator accounts on TikTok have to do with what type of brand you are and what you want to accomplish on the platform.

TikTok creator accounts are designed for individuals and public figures looking to build their own personal brands, connect with communities, and simply develop their audience. Business accounts on TikTok are more tailored for brands and organizations looking to promote their products and services through advertising. Many business account users are also looking for advanced analytics and marketing tools, which they can find in the TikTok for Business suite of features.

Brands should look for these things when partnering with influencers

Looking at things from the other end of the brand and creator equation, it makes much more sense for brands, larger companies, and agencies to prefer working with business accounts over personal ones. The main reasons for this are due to liability and how copyrights work. 

Looking at music specifically, all social media platforms like TikTok have defined rules regarding what music can be used for commercial purposes. A good thing to keep in mind is that if you’re using music (or any other creative assets) that you didn’t create yourself without correctly licensing said assets, you’re liable to have your content be muted, taken down, or potentially have your account banned—as well as leaving yourself open to social media copyright infringement cases.

To combat this, it’s highly recommended that you use music properly licensed through trusted music licensing websites like Soundstripe. We can help you find excellent TikTok sound effects and also learn more about how to use copyrighted music on TikTok in our blog articles

How to use Soundstripe with your business accounts and influencers

To get started with Soundstripe and properly license music and sound effects for your brands’ and influencers’ business accounts, here’s a helpful guide on getting started with a Soundstripe enterprise plan.

If you’re unsure what plan might suit you, contact a Soundstripe sales representative directly here. 

We can walk you through the custom pricing and term contract options and help you choose the right plan to license and protect you and your company.