If you’re reading this, you’ve probably heard about this new social media platform that is making waves in the digital world today. What does this mean for you as a business owner, and how exactly can you leverage TikTok’s popularity to help you grow your business?
First off, what is TikTok and how does it work?
TikTok is a video-sharing app that allows users to create and share short-form videos about pretty much anything you can think of.
In TikTok, you can make videos that are 15 seconds up to 10 minutes long. As a content creator, you can express your creativity by adding enhancements to your video from a wide selection of sound snippets, special effects, and filters.
Due to its entertaining (and quite addictive) nature, the app has grown in popularity since its launch in 2018. Last year, Cloudfare’s 2021 Year in Review declared that TikTok has dethroned Google as the most popular domain for internet traffic. As of September 2021, Tiktok had 1 billion Monthly Active users worldwide!
Is TikTok for your business?
Like with all other social media platforms, the key to a successful marketing campaign is to know your audience. According to the Pew Research Center, in Jan – Feb of 2021, 48% of adults in the US aged 18-29 say they have used TikTok and have spent an average of 52 minutes per day on the platform. This means that if your business caters to this age group, you could potentially be looking at a gold mine of opportunities.
Despite the majority of its users coming from the below 30 age group, there is still a significant chunk of the pie for businesses catering to more mature audiences. Because according to research, 22% of those aged 30-49, and 14% of 50–64-year-olds, say they have been on the app.
Ready to try TikTok for your business? Here are a few tips to help you get started:
1. Try it yourself first
This seems like a no-brainer, but none of the how-to guides online will make much sense if you can’t experience it on your own first. Create a personal account and navigate through the app. Browse through the videos on the For You Page and find out what’s trending in your place right now. This way you’ll get a general feel of how the platform works.
2. Create your own video
Once you’re confident enough, go ahead and create your own video. You can choose from a video you have saved on your phone, or record a video on the app itself. You can also edit the videos on Tiktok and add special effects and filters to your liking.
Editing a video on TikTok may not be as easy as it sounds, but it definitely gets easier with more practice. One way to enhance your TikTok editing skills is to look for existing videos that you like, find out the filter and/or sound effects that were added to them, and try it on your own video.
Remember, you only have a short time to convey your message through video, so make those seconds count. Videos on TikTok play automatically, this means that you only have a few seconds to capture your audience’s attention. So make sure your videos have high energy and must be entertaining and engaging. Most of all, it has to be authentic, and it allows your personality (or your brand’s) to come through so that your audience can relate to you.
If you’re happy with what you created, don’t forget to share it. Type a brief description of what the video is about, add hashtags, and mention your friends. You can also share the video on other social media platforms like WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook.
3. Take advantage of UGC (User Generated Content)
One of the best ways to promote your brand is by having your customers talk about it. Nowadays, people do extensive research online before they make a purchase, and that includes checking out your social proof. In fact, a 2019 survey from the American Association of Advertising Agencies shows that 78% of consumers trust product reviews more than they trust product ads. And reviews are one example of a User Generated Content.
To boost UGC, you may try using the Hashtag Challenge, which is extremely popular on TikTok. Whenever there’s a new challenge, it gets featured on the Discover page, allowing millions of people to see and participate in it. Think of cool ways to market your brand in a challenge. Like how Pepsi launched their #pepsicanbalance challenge. It became viral and a lot of people joined in because it was fun and easy to remember.
You can also try online promos or contests. For example, if you sell organic mayonnaise, you can create a contest online and ask your consumers to post a TikTok video of them making their own version of deviled eggs using your product and the video with the most likes wins! Or, if you own a travel agency, you can ask your clients to create a TikTok video showing the most memorable moments of their trip, and the winner gets a discount on their next tour package.
When it comes to buying products/services, most people tend to trust UGC such as reviews and recommendations than the brand’s advertising itself. So make sure you take this into account when you’re planning a marketing strategy on TikTok.
4. Use influencer marketing
It has been proven that Influencer marketing on other social media platforms works, and it also does on TikTok. Statistics show that the number of marketers in the US who used Tiktok for influencer marketing increased from 36% in 2020 to 42% in 2021 and is expected to continue to rise until 2025.
Make a list of people who appeal to your target consumers. These are the people who have amassed a number of followers and who can influence their behavior.
The most popular example would be Loren Gray. With 54.4 million followers, this 20-year-old American model, singer, and internet celebrity, currently holds the title of being the most followed influencer on TikTok. Her audience reach alone ensures that when she uses a product in any of her videos, a LOT of people are going to know about it – which can cause product sales to skyrocket!
But don’t mistake the audience reach for relevance. Influencers with millions of followers won’t be as effective if they’re not in the same niche as your target audience. Once you’ve selected your influencer, contact them to form a partnership. Offer a deal that will help achieve your goals both for your business and your influencer’s social presence.
5. Try TikTok For Business
This is a monetized feature where you can pay to have your ads shown to users. If you think that TikTok Ads are worth investing in, then you need to create a TikTok Ads account. Here you can create a campaign and choose your objective. Then you can set up the details such as the budget, placements, targeting, etc.
There are 5 types of Ads on TikTok:
1. In-Feed Ads are ads that appear on the For You Page as the users scroll through it.
2. Brand Takeover Ads are ads that appear as soon as the user opens the app.
3. Top View Ads are ads that pop up on the first In-feed post after 3 seconds and show up to 60 seconds of full-screen video.
4. Branded Hashtag Ads are ads that encourage engagement and build brand awareness
5. Branded Effects Ads are ads that allow users to use an effect or filter specifically created by a brand. This ad lasts for 10 days.
TikTok For Business allows businesses to target customers and drive results quickly. And with real-time monitoring, you can create performance-driven solutions to create a successful marketing campaign and help your business grow.
Our Verdict
What was once considered a novelty app whose main purpose was to entertain, TikTok is now a force to be reckoned with in social media. And if used properly, TikTok can be a marketing and advertising haven for all businesses out there.
If you are a business owner who wants to grow your business and build brand awareness, you should definitely take advantage of TikTok’s massive popularity. All you need is some creativity and a bit of time to leverage the platform’s full potential.
To know more about how to make TikTok work for your business, or if you’re interested in launching your own campaign on TikTok now, our team here at Be Eminent is more than happy to help you. Just shoot us an email at [email protected].