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TikTok has exploded in popularity around the world, with over 1 billion monthly active users. This massive global audience presents a huge opportunity for affiliate marketers looking to promote offers internationally. However, TikTok's algorithm typically shows users content based on their location and language settings.
For example, if you are located in Cyprus, TikTok will show your content mainly to users in Cyprus. So if you are an affiliate who wants to promote an offer targeting a foreign country, for example, the USA, you need to optimize your account in a way that the content you upload is seen by audiences in your targeted country.
So how can you effectively target and engage foreign audiences when you don't actually live in those countries?
The answer is to use geo-targeting. A clever tactic to trick TikTok's systems into thinking you're located somewhere else. With a few simple but important steps, you can virtually transport yourself to your target country and gain access to an entirely new set of local users.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll walk through exactly how to set up geo-targeting on TikTok to tap into lucrative overseas affiliate marketing opportunities.
Why Geo-Target on TikTok?
As of January 2022, TikTok has an enormous 136.5 million monthly active users just in the United States, according to Statista. But other countries also have tens of millions of users each. Indonesia has 99 million active TikTok users, Brazil has 74 million, and Russia over 50 million. The potential to reach such huge audiences in foreign countries is massive for affiliate marketers seeking more sales and conversions.
However, TikTok’s algorithm and default settings make it difficult to target other countries and cultures organically. Your content will be suggested primarily to users near your actual physical location. Trying to break through in a different country can feel impossible. This is where geo-targeting comes into play. By tricking TikTok into thinking your account and traffic are coming from a specific target country, you gain immediate access to that local user base. Your content will be optimized for people in that region without expensive paid ads.
It’s an ingenious tactic for affiliate marketers who may be based in one country but want to direct their efforts elsewhere. Huge profit margins can be achieved when you tap into high-value foreign traffic. But geo-targeting takes some finesse and technical manipulation to work properly. You have to be strategic to outsmart TikTok’s systems.
Let’s look at the step-by-step process.
Step 1: Disable Location ccess
The first thing TikTok does when you sign up is ask for your phone number. This allows the app to pinpoint your location primarily using your SIM card and phone number country code.
So the very first step is preventing TikTok from tracking you via your device’s GPS.
On both iPhones and Android phones, go into your main device settings outside of the TikTok app. Find the page that shows all the apps with permission to use your location data.
On iOS you can simply turn off the Allow Tracking permission.
On Android, look for TikTok and toggle the location access off. This stops TikTok from automatically pulling your GPS coordinates and other identifying location data.
Step 2: Clear App Cache and Data
After restricting TikTok’s access to your live location, the next step is to clear out any location data TikTok may have already cached from when you first installed it.
Inside the TikTok app, go to your profile and tap the three-line menu icon in the top right corner. Choose “Settings” then select “Cache”, then clear the cached data. This wipes the stored app data.
For good measure, you can also go into your device settings again and clear the TikTok app data entirely. Then uninstall and reinstall a fresh version of the app.
Step 3: Use a VPN and Set the Location
The most critical step for truly masking your location is using a virtual private network (VPN). This encrypts your internet traffic and allows you to select what country you want to appear to be connecting from. There are many VPN services out there, both free and paid. For geo-targeting, a paid service tends to be more reliable. Do your research and find a VPN that has servers in your target country.
Once set up, connect to the VPN app and choose a server in your desired foreign country. This assigns you a new IP address from that location.
As an extra precaution, choose a static server that keeps you connected to the same IP rather than switching around. Consistency is key.
Step 4: Sign Up Using Local Phone Number
The surest way to cement your new virtual identity in your target country is to sign up for your TikTok account using a local phone number. TikTok checks the SIM card and country code associated with your phone number upon registration. There are services like Dingtone that let you rent a foreign number online specifically for verification purposes.
Purchase a local number, then provide this when creating your new TikTok account.
Step 5: Disable Device GPS
As one final backup measure, make sure GPS and location tagging are fully disabled on your mobile device. Even if TikTok itself can’t access your location, geotags on content could give you away.
Go back into your device settings and toggle off anything related to location, GPS, and geotagging on photos/videos. This guarantees no slip-ups that expose your real coordinates.
Set Up Multiple Accounts
Once you have your first foreign TikTok account established, it’s advisable to create multiple accounts targeting the same country. The more accounts and content you have optimizing for one audience, the better.
TikTok’s algorithm rewards engagement. So the more accounts you have that follow, like, comment on, and share each other’s content, the more TikTok will show them to real local users.
This amplification effect is powerful when done properly. Just be sure to avoid overdoing promotions and conversations between your own accounts, as TikTok may flag that as inauthentic behavior.
Create Localized Content
Now that TikTok believes your accounts are genuine users from your target country, it’s time to start creating content adapted for that specific audience.
Study trending sounds, effects, hashtags, and challenges popular in your target country. Join in local cultural conversations and produce videos tailored to what resonates most in that market.
Your geo-targeting efforts will be pointless if the content itself feels irrelevant to the local users you want to reach. Do your research and ensure your videos reflect the tastes and trends of your target demographic.
The more you can blend in as a native creator, the better. TikTok will detect high engagement and share your content far and wide.
Ride Trending Topics
Keep an especially close eye on what topics and sounds organically go viral in your target country. Local events, public figures, celebrities, and other cultural phenomena that capture attention are prime opportunities.
Quickly creating related content while a topic is surging in popularity can get you in front of massive amounts of target users. You effectively ride the rising tide of current events and news unfolding in that market.
The key is speed and relevance. Don’t force connections — only jump in if you can add a genuinely interesting or entertaining local perspective.
Set Up Your Profile
Along with crafting locally-tailored content, your TikTok profile also needs to look authentic. Provide a description and bio in the language of your target audience.
Show off your new virtual location. Follow top creators in the country, use local slang and terms, and generally blend in. The more native your profile appears, the more credible TikTok will view your account to be.
Add Your Affiliate Offer/ Landing Page Link on Your Bio
When it comes to actually converting your new foreign audience into affiliate sales, there are some finesse tactics as well. Don’t directly spam links to your offer in posts or ask people for clicks.
Subtly add a link to your website or landing page in your profile description. Use a link shortener and redirect to hide the ultimate destination. Or promote your Instagram or Telegram handle, where you can then share affiliate links.
Engage with commenters and have conversations to build interest. If you diligently create value for local users first, conversions will come much easier down the line.
Follow Local Account Limits
While running multiple accounts to target one country can work in your favor, don’t go too extreme. TikTok has limits on how many accounts can be registered from the same device and IP address.
Start with just 2-5 accounts as you test your geo-targeting strategy and see what content resonates best. You can slowly scale up over time. But avoid suddenly mass registering dozens of accounts, which could trigger red flags.
Maintain Consistency
Consistently producing relevant local content across your accounts is what will ultimately make geo-targeting successful. You must keep up the illusion day after day.
Don’t switch your VPN location around erratically. Produce content daily across accounts to stay active in the algorithm. And closely track analytics to see what topics and angles are performing best.
With persistence and consistency, TikTok will embrace your accounts as authentically belonging to the target country. Then you reap the rewards of that highly engaged foreign audience.
Pro Tips for TikTok Geo-Targeting
To recap, here are some professional tips for maximizing your success with TikTok geo-targeting:
Apply these best practices, and your geo-targeting efforts will pay off tremendously. Just be sure to comply fully with TikTok’s terms of service and local rules. Never use deceptive or illegal tactics.
With the right strategy, you can tap into TikTok’s international user base and direct your affiliate marketing efforts worldwide. Geo-targeting opens up game-changing possibilities to maximize your reach and profits.
