TikTok is a powerful marketing tool that has revolutionized the way consumers get media.
TikTok’s initial 15-second video limit has been extended to 60 seconds and now it is 3 minutes. This was the beginning of the rise in short-form video content production. Even prominent social media platforms like YouTube and Instagram had to invent their short-form video creations to match the pioneer TikTok.
Understanding TikTok
Content must be original and creative as this platform is dominated by Gen Z/Millennials. This platform is not the place for pushy advertising, traditional marketing tactics, or sales tactics. TikTok can help you increase brand awareness without having to invest. You can do this by staying up-to-date with the latest sounds and content on TikTok’s “Discover” page. Just as importantly, give your brand a personality through its content – whether it be educational/informative or fun/playful. TikTok users prefer to be entertained or informed rather than persuaded.
Here are some fun ways to introduce your brand on the platform:
- A step-by-step video showing how your product is packaged and made
- Take a tour behind the scenes of your office workplace
- Use trendy music and actions to introduce yourself and your team.
- Describe the story behind your brand name
- A day in the Life (employee edition).
has more TikTok ideas and tips for small businesses.
Brands that have successfully mastered their TikTok personalities:
- Duolingo – 3.0m followers
- Lionsgate – 3.8 million followers
- Ryanair – 1.5m followers
- The Washington Post – 1.2m Followers
- Chipotle – 1.7m Followers
Where do I start?
Although it may seem daunting to try to grow your business using a new platform like TikTok, you don’t have to be an expert to succeed. Start by looking at competitors and the landscape. Learn from others in the industry how they are doing it. Get inspired by what works and what doesn’t. Your first TikTok video is usually “boosted” which means it has a higher chance of getting high impressions. To increase your reach and potentially grow your followers, ensure your first upload is high-quality, follows a trend, or uses a popular song. Content is the king of TikTok, as they say. Even platforms with no followers can reach a million views.
Create Relatable & Fun Content
TikTok is authentic. TikTok doesn’t require you to spend much time or money on photography or high-quality videos. Unlike Instagram, your profile’s aesthetic is irrelevant. You can keep up-to-date with the latest trends using TikTok’s Discover page. Then, work to incorporate your brand in fun ways.
TikTok focuses on sound and video, while Instagram is all images, and Twitter is all text. This allows your brand to experiment with different content and explore new possibilities without worrying about how it blends or matches with other videos. TikTok is an informal platform, so its marketing is also casual. To increase brand awareness and build a following, personalize your brand and have fun.
Engage for Engagement
Engage with other creators’ content, whether it is relevant to your business or your brand. This will help you increase your reach as an interactive platform. This tactic is used by many brands and organizations to increase their visibility on TikTok and has been very successful (see the previous examples). Commenting on the content of other users will allow them to see your brand name and profile picture. Users might view your profile and look through your videos if your comments are entertaining or informative. High-quality content is key here. You’ve gained the user’s attention, but the quality of your videos will determine if they follow you.
Collaborate With Influencers
TikTok is a great example of how influencer marketing has grown in recent years. Brand collaborations can bring your brand great exposure, thanks to the millions of views and followers that influencers have on the platform.
To increase brand awareness, however, you don’t have to partner with prominent influencers. TikTok is a great platform for marketing because even if you have few followers, your content can become viral. Partner with niche and micro-influencers who have the right content and followers to match your brand.
This will increase the willingness of influencers to collaborate and make their followers more interested in your products/services. Although many influencer partnerships are paid, many micro-influencers will accept free products to review and test a brand. You don’t need to spend a lot to be an influencer on this platform.
TikTok Ads
Your profile content shouldn’t contain advertisements for products or services. This doesn’t resonate with TikTok users. However, TikTok allows brands and individuals to place ads on the platform. Here’s a breakdown of the different types of TikTok ads a brand can run.
- Infeed Native Ad: A ad that appears in-between user content. This form of advertising has a downside: users can scroll past it quickly.
- Branded Lens A filter that your brand creates for users to use in creating videos. This can be a great way for customers to interact with your brand if done well.
- Brand Takeover When the app opens, a (brand-takeover) ad is displayed. This is the first thing that a user will see when they login to TikTok.
- Sponsored hashtag Challenge: This engaging form of advertising allows brands to promote a particular hashtag challenge for users, and then advertise it via TikTok’s “Discover” page. This could be RBC’s #RBCPodiumPose or Toyota’s #ToyotaWave Challenge. Sponsoring a TikTok hashtag challenge can be costly for small businesses. However, you might consider starting a hashtag challenge without sponsoring.
TikTok advertising is still in its early stages and is not very popular with smaller brands. Your brand may have a smaller budget so you can opt for paid advertising. Instead, focus on content, engagement, and influencer collaborations.
Conclusion
TikTok marketing differs from other social media platforms. Brands have been able to grow on TikTok by being authentic, relatable, and relevant in their content. They also engage with other accounts, collaborate with influencers, and may even run an ad. TikTok’s marketing is all about authenticity.
