In part three of our “Tapping Into TikTok” series, we take a look at a number of ways that businesses, big and small, can increase their chances of success when using TikTok to promote their brand and products.
Due to its extensive in-app capabilities and rise in popularity, TikTok is changing the way we perceive marketing and commerce. New features have allowed brands, big and small, to effortlessly promote, buy ads, track performance and scale revenue. TikTok Business is the suite that has made this possible and has become a huge feature on the app for brands to effectively manage “Ads that entertain” and “campaigns that connect”. This, coupled with TikTok Shop, an innovative new shopping feature, has made buying and selling seamless and even more accessible than ever. Brands and retailers can sell products, services, and experiences directly through in-feed videos and LIVE’s where users can purchase items that feature in a video with just one tap.
1_ CONSISTENT CONTENT.
Engagement on TikTok isn’t guaranteed. For brands this makes it a particularly difficult marketing platform to navigate, but this unpredictability is actually something that users love most about the app. The algorithm doesn’t favour videos based on who the creator is. It gives videos an equal chance to ‘go viral’, regardless of the creator’s or page’s popularity. In fact, TikTok prioritises content from creators you have never seen before, and once you engage with that content you will continue to see it. So to ensure your content continually appears on the ‘For You’ page of millions, you need to consistently create videos so TikTok can serve them to users that are new to your account’s content. Once you neglect TikTok as a source of promotion, new content creators will take your space, putting you back at square one.
2_ INFLUENCERS.
Influencers can be one of the most effective forms of marketing for your B2C brand, whether that be on YouTube, Instagram or TikTok – but they do often come at a high price point, especially if you’re looking to use a creator with hundreds of thousands or even millions of followers. Charging upwards of £10,000 for just one post or video is not unheard of. It’s almost guaranteed that whilst scrolling through TikTok for even a few minutes you will be sold to or introduced to something via an influencer, whether you wanted to or not. However, what’s refreshing about influencers on TikTok they can be more personable and authentic in contrast to IG’s influencers who can sometimes appear distant in their polished photo posts. The nature of TT’s content adds more credibility and instils trust in your brand, as if a friend is recommending a product or service. What’s more, by working with an Influencer you can instantly achieve a wider reach by tapping into the demographics of their followers.
3_ TRENDS, TRENDS, TRENDS.
Trends are found in every industry, from bathrooms to beauty and everything in between. Very often they are a driving force of a business, determining what sells and what doesn’t. TikTok is an app built on trends, whether that be trending sounds, effects, topics, challenges, or people. Videos using a trending sound or transition, for example, will achieve higher reach and thus, further exposure. But simply copying a trend or other user’s video alone won’t maximise your content’s success, nor will it necessarily feature on the discovery page. You need to find your niche and tailor the trend to your specific audience and brand. For example, since the release of a simple but now viral video of a child, known as the ‘Corn Kid’, explaining why he likes corn, thousands of videos have been made using that particular sound, spanning across various industries and reaching millions of people. Creators/brands need to really understand the culture of TikTok and forces that shape the viewing behaviour of its users.
4_ BE TRANSPARENT.
People love people. Customers wants to see ‘what’, or rather ‘who’, is behind a brand. Playing into the idea people are seeking more ‘real’, more authentic influencers, the same is true for brands. This could be achieved in several ways. A brand could use its platform on TikTok to show “behind-the-scenes” content that shines a light on its inner workings and the employees behind the brand, revealing a more human façade. Lounge Underwear are a really good example of a brand offering insight into their inner circle by regularly posting fun and informative ‘meet the team’ and ‘day in the life of’ videos. ‘Pack an order with me’ is another really popular content-type that can rack up millions of views and likes with just one video. This is especially successful with smaller, more local brands that do actually hand-pick and pack each order they receive. These types of videos all allow more meaningful relationships to develop between brand and customer which is so important when creating a community around your brand.
5_ BE ORGANISED.
No, we’re not talking about the addictive and super-satisfying organisation videos you can find all over TikTok, we’re talking about the actual organisation of your page. Whilst it’s important for consistent content to be created, videos can often get lost. A fairly new feature enables the creation of folders, making it easier for users to find the content they want when browsing through your channel, especially if it’s to find a particular product or service. Secondly, hashtags seem a thing of the past but certainly where TikTok is concerned they couldn’t be more relevant, putting your content into specific search categories, reaching the right people, and pushing your content further. But this isn’t Tumblr or retro Insta where every inch of a photo was hashtagged, TikTok hashtags should be specific, relevant and current.