The main difference between a TikTok business vs. a personal account is the unique platform features that they can access. For example, business accounts have a complete view of their analytics, while personal accounts only have a basic overview of these metrics.
That said, this doesn’t automatically mean that you need a business account. If you’re new to TikTok and are wondering which account type to use, keep reading!
In today’s article, we’ll discuss each account’s advantages and disadvantages and offer expert tips to help you choose the right one.
Let’s jump right in!
TikTok Business vs. TikTok Personal Account
When comparing a TikTok business vs. a TikTok personal account, you’ll find that they share some features but have completely different functions. So, if you’re trying to determine if a TikTok business or personal account is better for you, it’s best to think of how you are going to use the app.
For instance, if you plan to use TikTok for business, you will benefit from the marketing features of business accounts. Meanwhile, if you are an aspiring TikTok influencer who wants to achieve fame or generate revenue on the platform, then a personal account is best.
To help you get a better idea of their differences, here is a simple comparison of TikTok business vs. personal accounts:
| Features | TikTok Personal Account | TikTok Business Account |
|---|---|---|
| Account privacy | Public or private | Public only |
| Sound access | Full access to the music library | Commercial sounds only |
| Analytics capabilities | Basic access only | Complete access to all metrics |
| TikTok account verification | Yes | Yes |
| Post scheduling | On desktop only | Yes |
| Third-party integrations | Yes | Yes |
| Ads Manager | No | Yes |
| Business Center | No | Yes |
| TikTok Shop | Available for affiliates only | Yes |
| TikTok Series | Yes | No |
| Creator Rewards Program | Yes | No |
| Creator Marketplace | Yes | No |
| Best For | Individual users and content creators | Brands and businesses |
What is a TikTok Business Account?
A TikTok business account is an account type perfect for brands and businesses that are planning to leverage TikTok for marketing. Unlike personal accounts, business accounts have several features that can help you build an online presence.
For one, having a TikTok business over a personal account means that you can easily schedule posts on all devices. This feature helps you maintain a consistent posting schedule and reach a wider audience.
Business accounts also have full access to TikTok analytics, which provides a comprehensive view of all your performance metrics and can help improve your content strategy.
5 Key TikTok Business Account Advantages
In addition to the features we already discussed, there are also multiple advantages to having a TikTok business vs. personal account, such as:
#1. Profile Optimization
Choosing a TikTok business over a personal account means that you can fully optimize your profile and add important details about your brand, such as your business category and information, to make it easier for potential customers to contact you.
If you have a TikTok business account, you can also add a clickable link to your bio to promote an external website. You can even add custom call-to-action (CTA) buttons to your bio or videos to highlight your link and encourage your audience to take action.
#2. Access to Marketing Tools
Another advantage of a TikTok business vs. a personal account is access to the app’s full set of marketing tools, such as the Ads Manager and Business Center. A business account allows you to create and manage ad campaigns on TikTok so you can reach your target audience more effectively and maximize impact on the platform.
TikTok is also one of the best social media platforms for advertising, as according to data from Wolfgang Digital, it’s cheaper to advertise on the platform, and users are more likely to engage with ads.
#3. Unlimited Messaging Capabilities
Business accounts allow you to message any TikTok user, which can be extremely useful for customer service purposes and community building. Personal accounts, on the other hand, can only message their friends on the platform.
#4. Social Commerce Opportunities
The popularity of online shopping has rapidly increased in recent years, and if you want to capitalize on this trend, you may want to choose a TikTok business over a personal account to access the app’s social commerce tools.
Business account users can create a TikTok Shop or a virtual storefront and sell their products directly on the app. According to TikTok, 3 in 4 users are likely to buy something while on the platform. By making it easier for your audience to purchase your products, you can encourage more followers to convert into customers and drive sales.
#5. Third-Party Integration
One of the best advantages of a TikTok business account is its support for third-party app integrations. You can easily connect your profile to social media scheduling tools like Publer and supercharge your marketing efforts.
Publer provides access to even more social media KPIs and allows you to plan and schedule all your content effectively. Our tool also helps determine the best times to post on TikTok so that you can publish videos with maximum visibility and engagement.
Connecting Publer to your TikTok business account costs nothing, so be sure to take advantage of this feature to elevate your social media strategy.
3 Crucial TikTok Business Account Disadvantages
While there are several advantages to choosing a TikTok business over a personal account, this account type also has some drawbacks that can significantly impact your decision.
These include:
- Limited access to the music library. If you plan to leverage TikTok trends in your strategy, a business account has a great disadvantage, as its sound choices are limited to the app’s Commercial Music Library. Popular music is often used in social media challenges, and having a business account means you won’t be able to participate in them.
- Lack of direct content monetization opportunities. While one advantage of a TikTok business over a personal account is its access to TikTok Shops, this is also their sole monetization option. Business accounts can’t directly monetize content through the platform’s monetization schemes, like TikTok Series or the Creator Rewards Program.
- Limited dueting or stitching options. Since business accounts have restricted access to sounds on the platform, they also have limited options when it comes to videos that they can duet or stitch. These features offer a simple yet effective way to get more views on TikTok, so it can be a key factor when deciding between TikTok business vs. personal accounts.
What is a TikTok Personal (Creator) Account?
A TikTok personal account is the default account type you get when you first sign up on the platform. This can be set to public or private and is ideal for individual TikTok users, creators, and influencers who only plan to use the app for social networking and content creation.
The platform used to have a TikTok creator account specifically designed for content creators that came with similar capabilities to business accounts. However, TikTok merged the personal and creator accounts in 2021 to provide all users with access to more features, such as platform analytics and monetization opportunities.
4 Vital TikTok Personal (Creator) Account Advantages
Choosing TikTok personal over business accounts comes with several advantages that can be a game-changer for creators on the platform.
Let’s go over these benefits below:
#1. Complete Access to the Music Library
The availability of TikTok sounds is one of the main differences between a business and a personal TikTok account, as the latter has complete access to the app’s music library.
While this may initially seem like a minor consequence, music is one of the most important elements on TikTok, and having limited access to sounds can greatly hinder your growth on the platform.
According to a report by Kantar, “sound is essential to the TikTok experience” for over 88% of users. With business accounts limited to commercial sounds only, this can be a key deciding factor when choosing between a TikTok business vs. a personal account. After all, you want to be able to capitalize on all the trending sounds on the platform to boost your presence.
#2. Profile Privacy
Unlike business accounts, TikTok allows personal accounts to be set to private if needed. This is especially useful for creators who want to share their content with only approved followers. By limiting the accounts that can see and engage with your videos, you can maintain a closer-knit community and avoid any unwanted interactions.
#3. Eligibility for the Creator Rewards Program
Arguably, the best advantage of TikTok personal vs. business accounts is the ability to monetize content through the Creator Rewards Program. This is the platform’s main monetization program, which rewards eligible creators who publish high-performing content and is a great way to earn revenue on the app.
Aside from the Creator Rewards Program, personal account users also have access to TikTok Series, which is a feature that allows creators to set up a subscription service for their premium content on the platform.
#4. Opportunities for Brand Collaborations
TikTok personal account users can collaborate with brands and benefit from influencer marketing opportunities on the Creator Marketplace. Brand collaborations are one of the best ways to make money on TikTok, aside from the platform’s main monetization scheme, and can do wonders for reach and engagement.
3 Major TikTok Personal (Creator) Account Disadvantages
Despite the excellent advantages of TikTok personal over business accounts, especially when it comes to monetization opportunities, it also has some disadvantages, such as:
- Limited analytics capabilities. While personal accounts have access to some metrics, these are limited to views, comments, and audience demographics only. Without a comprehensive view of your content’s performance, it can be difficult to determine the effectiveness of your current strategy.
- Restricted post scheduling. Personal accounts can only schedule TikTok posts on a desktop, which only allows you to add sounds or trim clips before posting. This means you won’t be able to utilize all of the platform’s features in your posts, which can affect their engagement. Fortunately, if you connect your account with Publer, you can easily bypass this issue.
- Lack of marketing features. Another disadvantage of TikTok personal vs business accounts is that the former has limited marketing tools for promoting external websites. For instance, if you have a personal account, you can’t add CTA buttons to your videos and you need to have over 1,000 followers to add a link to your TikTok bio.
How to Switch From a Business Account to Personal and Vice Versa?
To switch from a business account to a personal account and vice versa, you need to access your profile on the TikTok app or website. Fortunately, the process is the same for both mobile and desktop.
Here is a simple step-by-step guide to switching account types on both devices:
#1. Switching from a Business Account to Personal
If you have a business account, you can switch to a TikTok personal account at no cost. To do this on a desktop, visit the TikTok website and log in. Then, hover over your profile picture in the upper right corner and tap Settings from the drop-down menu.
Under Manage account, scroll down until you see Business account.
Simply toggle the switch and confirm the following prompt to convert to a personal account.
Note: If you’re switching from a personal account to a business one, you’ll need to choose a business category after toggling the switch.
#2. Switching from a Personal Account to Business
To switch from a personal account to business on mobile, all you need to do is open the TikTok app, go to your profile, and tap the downward arrow in the upper right corner.
Then, click the gear icon to access your account settings. On the following page, tap Account.
From there, click Switch to Business Account and follow the on-screen instructions.
Note: If you’re switching from a business account to a personal one, you’ll find Switch to Personal Account in this section instead.
You’ll need to choose a category for your business and provide some optional details, like a business email and a TikTok bio. When done, click Next and you’ll have successfully converted to a business account.
How to Choose Between TikTok Business vs. Personal Account
Choosing between a TikTok business vs. personal account will depend on your goals and priorities on the platform. While there is no objectively better option, as both account types have their own advantages, here are a few tips to help you decide on the best one for you:
- Define your goals. Your goals on the platform will help guide your choice between a TikTok business vs. personal account, so it’s important to have a clear idea of your objectives before deciding. Think about what you want to do on the platform and which features can help you achieve those goals.
- Weigh the pros and cons. When deciding between a TikTok business vs. personal account, assess whether their pros outweigh their cons. For instance, with business accounts, you get extensive access to analytics but lose the same privilege for the app’s music library.
- Try both account types. What better way to determine the most suitable account type for you than to actually try both options? You can start with the default personal account and then switch to a TikTok business account later on.
Make sure to explore both types fully before committing to a decision, as TikTok doesn’t recommend switching between account types often, especially if you already have an established profile. So, if you’re still unsure of which account type is best for you, consider making separate business and personal accounts to benefit from both their features.
Key Takeaways
- TikTok offers two account types: Business and Personal, and each comes with specific features that can improve your experience on the platform.
- A TikTok business account is designed for businesses that are looking to market their brand on the app. This account type offers full use of TikTok analytics and its marketing tools but restricted access to the app’s music library and monetization opportunities.
- A TikTok personal account is ideal for individuals and creators who want to use the platform for content creation or personal use. This account type provides excellent opportunities to monetize content through brand collaborations and the Creator Rewards Program but has limited analytics and post scheduling capabilities.
- You can switch from a TikTok business account to a personal account, and vice versa, by going to your account settings and following the on-screen instructions.
- To choose between a TikTok business vs. personal account, you need to consider your goals on the platform, weigh the pros and cons, and try both account types.