Last updated - November 23, 2023
Marketing is no longer what it used to be. Brands and businesses must constantly adapt to emerging trends and stay on top of them if they wish to be successful. Today, social media platforms are enormously powerful and can be leveraged to take businesses to the next level and increase their reach. One such platform that is perfect for marketing needs is TikTok.
What makes TikTok so popular and impactful is its short-form content format. You can make or break the success of your brand in just 15 seconds. Compared to YouTube, TikTok users look for engaging and fast videos to capture their interest. And that is where your business can step in.
TikTok marketing can be a game-changer if you want to expand your business’s reach and engage with a younger demographic. Here, we will outline how this platform can help you put your brand on the map.
What is TikTok Marketing?
TikTok, launched in 2016, is a social media platform that allows users to create and share short videos. TikTok marketing uses the platform as a strategic tool to promote products, services, or brands. The platform has snowballed and boasts over a billion active users globally. Even more fascinating is that it took Instagram approximately six years to achieve the same number of active users, but TikTok did it only in three years.
But what makes this platform so popular, and how can you use it for marketing? For starters, TikTok is filled with Gen-Z and millennial users. While Facebook may be for your mom, aunt, or neighbor, the Chinese app is where all the cool and latest things happen. This makes it easier for brands to find their target audience on TikTok, primarily if it is exclusively directed toward the youth.
But nothing comes without a challenge. Successfully doing TikTok marketing will require you to understand and bend its features to your advantage.
Why Should You Consider TikTok Marketing?
You are thinking that you have got your bases covered. You have marketing on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and you can restart TikTok.
But, if you are looking for your brand to really blow up, there is no better destination than TikTok. The reason? Everyone wants fun and relatable content nowadays, and the platform is the right place to create such content.
High Engagement
There are 167 million videos viewed on TikTok every minute around the globe. That is a considerable number, and it would be stupid not to use that kind of engagement for your business. TikTok’s short-form videos and addictive content format result in high engagement rates. Users spend significant time scrolling through their personalized “For You” page, providing businesses with ample opportunities to capture their attention.
Additionally, TikTok’s algorithm promotes content that resonates with users, increasing the chances of videos going viral and reaching a broader audience. You can nail down your target audience and connect with them more closely with TikTok.
Trendsetting Platform
TikTok has become synonymous with trends and viral challenges. Nowadays, almost every new trend originates from TikTok and disseminates to other platforms. By actively participating in these trends, businesses can showcase their creativity and relevance, positioning themselves as trendsetters in their respective industries.
It helps to generate brand awareness and attract the attention of potential customers. Let’s face it: the youth does not like outdated brands that are not keeping up with the times. If you want to learn and use the latest trends to your business’s advantage, TikTok can help you.
Influencer Marketing Opportunities
TikTok is all about influencers who have massive followings. Collaborating with these influencers allows businesses to tap into their established fan base and benefit from their influence and credibility. Influencer partnerships can help increase brand visibility, drive engagement, and boost conversions.
Influencer marketing is taking over almost all social media platforms, not just TikTok. But TikTok is the center of influencer marketing with big names that users hold in high regard. So, don’t be afraid to use that.
Active Feedback
As a brand, you always wish to improve. But you can only do that with feedback. TikTok has a highly active and engaged community of users who like to comment on videos. The precise number is 54%, according to Influencer Marketing Hub. You’ll get feedback and an opportunity to interact more with your customers and bond with them.
You can get feedback on TikTok in other ways too. For instance, you can ask your customers to shoot unboxing videos or upload reviews. And, as a return, you can give them discounts. With offers like this, you can generate visibility and awareness quickly without being too heavy in your pocket.
Create a Brand Persona
In today’s age, having a brand without a solid personality can be detrimental. TikTok allows brands to experiment and be creative. Take brands like E.L.F Beauty or Duolingo, for example. TikTok users love their content because it is entertaining and relatable. Duolingo’s mascot, the big green owl, is the main star of all the videos, and it offers laughs and steals hearts with entertaining videos.
Similarly, the #EyesLipsFace challenge by E.L.F Cosmetics is one of the biggest TikTok challenges ever, generating almost 7 billion views. So, TikTok encourages users to express themselves authentically and creatively. It aligns well with businesses looking to showcase their brand personality and connect with users more personally.
How to Use TikTok Marketing for Your Business?
Now, we come to the real question: how to leverage TikTok marketing. Well, it’s easier than you think. Let us go over some strategies.
Create Impressive Content
It all boils down to one thing: how well your content is. It doesn’t matter if you explored all the avenues; it is only of much help if you have compelling content. And how can you do that?
- Use Trends: TikTok thrives on trends, so stay updated with the latest challenges, dances, and memes. Attempt to go viral by using trending music or films/shows that are popular that week.
- Showcase Creativity: TikTok is all about being creative and authentic. Experiment with unique video effects, music, and editing styles to make your content stand out from the crowd. Do not fear putting your twist into the mix, even when trying out trends. The Adult Swim trend is the most significant example of that.
- Keep it Short and Snappy: Users are not going to TikTok looking for descriptive videos; they have YouTube. So, keep your videos short. Focus on delivering your message concisely and capturing viewers’ attention within the first few seconds.
Use TikTok Ads
While you can create compelling content and do well, sometimes you have to take the help of ads too. TikTok primarily has four types of ads to offer.
- In-Feed Ads: These ads appear in the “For You” feed of users as they scroll through content. In-Feed Ads allow you to reach a broad audience and can be customized to suit your marketing goals. Moreover, they are the most affordable option.
- Brand Takeovers: These ads appear as soon as users open the app. Compared to other ads, they stay on your screen until you can continue. Since they are relatively more intrusive, TikTok only offers a few spots for this kind of ad, and consequently, they are expensive too.
- Branded Hashtag Challenges: This ad format encourages users to participate in challenges related to your brand. Someone films themselves doing something and encourages viewers to repeat the same. Then, a chain of videos can follow.
- Influencer Marketing: You can also advertise your products or services through influencers. Partnering with popular TikTok influencers can amplify your brand’s reach and credibility.
Build a Social Media Team
In 2023, your brand can only operate with a dedicated social media team. Understanding social media platforms and correctly using them for marketing is no joke. So, therefore, build a team that is fluent in the intricacies of social media and also understands your brand image.
Find a video content creator who can offer great video ideas and film them accordingly. Get your brand a social media specialist who knows TikTok’s ins and outs and can provide you with ideas to improve your performance. They will review data on your views, interactions, and audience demographics, which allows them to measure how effective your content is. Consequently, you can use it to make data-driven decisions.
Post Regularly
You can improve your TikTok performance even more when you post regularly. Being active and regular on TikTok increases your chances of going viral and being seen by your target audience. Users prefer brands that only post once and disappear for a month. Moreover, don’t simply post videos and think you are done.
Engage with the users on the post. Reply to comments, make remixes, and so on. You can also share the videos on your platforms and urge people to check out your TikTok profile.
Take the Help of Influencers
TikTok, as powerful as it is, is also scary. It is an entirely new and different territory, and users may not want to trust your brand immediately. A friendly face of an influencer followed and trusted by many, can help your brand have the kickstart it needs.
Presently, this is one of the most effective marketing strategies on TikTok. But choose the right influencer relevant to your brand’s niche.
Final Thoughts
Thanks to TikTok’s rapidly growing popularity and enormous user base, companies have several chances to market their offerings. Businesses can successfully utilize the marketing potential of TikTok by making appealing and exciting videos, utilizing the platform’s advertising possibilities, and participating in the community. Use the opportunity to engage a younger audience and grow your company using TikTok marketing.
