TikTok: the next marketing platform for brands
TikTok is an app that is expanding all over the world. It is used by everyone, starting from teenagers, to reach adults.
When it first appeared in 2016, it was called Musically, you could only perform funny videos, singing or dancing; and it was known by few.
The app has transformed over time, starting from the name, which has passed from Musically to TikTok. The creators have added effects in order to make videos with variable speeds: slow, medium or fast, facial effects like Snapchat, change the saturation. The app has added the ability to like, comment, share in direct, tag people and add a short description in the profile, just like Instagram.
As a result, we can see its growth, which to date has led it to be one of the most used social media by the world's youth population.
Thanks to its fame, it is also used a lot by actors, influencers and singers, who use it to make funny videos, convey something to their followers, but above all to advertise a certain product of a brand such as "YOYO" pasta. , where to advertise it they invented a challege.
Sad videos mostly adopt them for POV. POVs are descriptions of what one thinks or feels at that moment, in order to create a scene, based on what the song one has chosen expresses.
Another idea of Tik-Tok is the possibility of creating duets with the person you want. They consist of recreating the same video that the other person made. The end result can be fantastic.
What does it mean for brands and how can companies maximize their TikTok marketing?
Why should brands leverage TikTok?
The number of users on TikTok and the app's growth potential should be reason enough for brands to join with a mobile marketing strategy.
But there is reason to seriously consider whether it is worth joining the app. For one, the majority of TikTok users are Gen Z, with a few millennials listed for good measure.
If your target audience is Gen Z, TikTok may be the next platform to try while Instagram and Snapchat cater to this demographic too, TikTok is all about them.
A presence on TikTok could help you easily increase reach within this demographic group.
On the other hand, if you're not exclusively into Gen Z, even though most marketing trends suggest you should, TikTok may be superfluous to your social media strategy.
Also, take a look at the importance of video content to your marketing strategy. Ask yourself, are you creating videos for your channels on a regular basis? If so, then TikTok might be a good choice.
You also need to check if your niche will be well represented on TikTok as the app is very entertainment oriented and takes a whimsical approach to content.
Can you mimic that tone in your content and will it be appropriate for your audience? If you answered, “yes” to those questions, then you should join TikTok.
How to market a brand on TikTok
Now that you have decided that TikTok is the platform for you and that it will help you reach your target audience under the age of 30, how do you market your brand on the app?
It is difficult to define a TikTok strategy. However, there are some engagement methods that you can use on the platform which we will outline below.
1. Behind the scenes
TikTok is a great channel to show life behind the scenes, take your followers through an intimate look at how your organization works.
Numerous entertainment and news brands are making TikTok videos of their brainstorming sessions or writers' rooms.
You can show how a product is conceived and goes through the stages of production until it is finally ready to be launched for customers.
Note. You may want to consider how you want to do this without providing crucial or business sensitive information.
TikTok is about entertainment. If you can make this content fun and wacky, you can gain views and followers on TikTok. If you can't achieve this, don't post content on the app.
2. User collaborations
A handful of TikTok users are constantly creating such fun and unique content, which has already gained millions of followers. These creators are similar to influencers on Instagram and Snapchat, and it's worth trying to create collaborations with these people.
Brands are still considered intruders on TikTok, which is why the creative individuals we mentioned are the real plus.
Instead of trying to appropriate the platform with content that may not be suitable for the audience, partner with creators who already know the ground for making promotional videos.
3. Duets
Another type of collaborative content that brands can create on TikTok are duets. These are videos where users can add a new video to existing content. The final product looks like a split screen video. When done right, the result can be incredibly fun.
Creating a video that can easily be inserted into another is a great way to increase engagement on the app and improve your follower count.
4. Hashtag challenges
By far the most popular way to engage users on TikTok and go viral is to join or run hashtag challenges.
These challenges are social media contests usually based on a particular topic or topic, and users are encouraged to submit responses to the challenge as quickly as possible.
TikTok's hashtag challenges attract millions of users and views - if you have a challenge creative enough to share, you can see serious engagement.
5. Paid Advertising
TikTok advertising is still a new concept, but some big brands like Nike and Disney have already managed to create successful advertising campaigns on the platform.
However, TikTok advertising may not be suitable for everyone, ad campaigns require businesses to spend at least $ 500, and the cost of a campaign could run into the hundreds of thousands.
You can see why only mega brands have tried it, making it so far for small business, native video, and challenges that may be the way to go.
If your business has the budget for a TikTok advertising campaign, you will need to create a TikTok Ads account.
Once verified, you can set parameters for your ad, similar to how you would create a Facebook ad campaign.
6. Reaction video
Similar to duets, TikTok reaction videos are another way to create interactive and engaging content. These videos elicit reactions from people, who they can share via video.
Unlike most other platforms that only offer users the ability to leave comments or likes as reactions to posts, TikTok allows users to create a reaction video that can be incorporated into the original content.
Creating content that will elicit strong enough reactions for users to leave a reaction video is a good way to increase your follower count.
7. Branded stickers
Snapchat has had branded stickers for a while, and TikTok recently released the ability to make your own stickers, as well as import them from Giphy.
Branded stickers, such as branded emojis on Twitter, can improve brand awareness on the app. They don't need to be elaborate, just fun.
However, try to keep the stickers as relevant as possible to popular TikTok hashtags to increase the likelihood of them being used.
Bottom Line: TikTok is new and exciting, but it may not be for everyone. With a large Gen Z following and their bizarre video release, TikTok is as niche as a social platform can get.
Brands need to ask themselves if this is the audience they need to reach and if they can commit to creating the type of content that is popular on the app. Because TikTok is gaining popularity every day and it caters to the crowd who know what's trending before anyone else knows. TikTok could be the channel that sends your marketing strategy across the stratosphere.
