5 Reasons Why TikTok Marketing is Great for Brands Looking to Break Through
TikTok is where it’s at. No, really! It is the hottest social media platform today and people are signing up for it in droves. And while it is the favored platform of Gen Z (a group of consumers you should really be catering to), it’s also seeing an increase in older generations signing up, from Millennials to Baby Boomers.
And brands are taking notice! But while many brands are jumping on the TikTok bandwagon, the competition is still fairly slim and this means you have a good chance of being seen and heard!
Not to mention that TikTok for Business has officially launched and with it, it brought a bunch of new features designed to increase engagement.
Here are 5 reasons why you need TikTok marketing for business.
1 | TikTok Influencers
Influencer marketing isn’t new, but what makes it such a great way to market is that it comes across more like a recommendation from a friend rather than an outright advertisement. You often see influencer marketing on Instagram, but TikTok influencer marketing takes this to a whole new level. This is because the platform is relatively new.
Think about it this way: Instagram is pretty saturated already with influencers and many users begin to tune out sponsored posts. Plus, TikTok has a far less salesy feel to it. This is because not many businesses have adopted the platform yet and because of the very casual nature of the platform.
If your demographic is younger (think Gen Z), then TikTok influencer marketing is what you need to reach your target audience. The hardest part of this particular type of marketing is finding the right influencer for your brand. You want to make sure that the influencer you pick is in the right niche.
2 | TikTok Advertising
TikTok offers several different types of ads and many are similar to paid ads on other social platforms. However, they do have a few quirks you should be aware of. Let’s do a brief overview of the different ads on TikTok. (It’s important to first note that some of these advertising options are quite pricey, but if you have the funds for it, some of these tactics may be right for your brand.)
In-Feed Ads: Think of these like the ads you see appearing between Instagram Stories. These ads occasionally show up in a user’s feed as they flip through content. One of the great things about this particular type of ad is that it is pretty much indistinguishable from the regular content, but you get the ability to add multiple CTAs and can upload videos with intricate motion graphics if you want.
Brand Takeovers: This ad appears immediately when a user opens the app. These ads can be extremely pricey, but they can reach a very large audience. Users will only see one brand takeover ad per day, so it can be a great way to build brand awareness by eliminating your competition for a period of time.
TopViews: This is a special type of in-feed ad and it is guaranteed to be the first in-feed ad that a user sees after three seconds. (Think of this one as similar to paying to be a top search result on Google.) They will also show up at the top of the For You page and can support up to 60 seconds of full-screen video.
Branded Hashtag Challenges: This type of advertising encourages user-generated content (UGC). These challenges appear on the Discover page. When a user clicks on one of the hashtags, they are directed to a branded landing page that provides information about the challenge, the brand’s website link, and UGC from other users who’ve already participated in the challenge. These can be effective because they are fun and give users the opportunity to be creative, helping create a valuable connection between you and your audience.
Branded Effects: This takes a page from Snapchat’s playbook and allows a brand to create an AR overlay that TikTokers can use in their videos. Like the branded hashtag challenges, this encourages audience participation.
3 | Diverse Content
TikTok isn’t just a new platform, it’s a new way for users to express themselves online. TikTok has brought bite-sized content to the forefront. This means you can’t just repurpose your Facebook and Instagram posts for TikTok and vice versa. So while you may have to double up on your social media efforts, TikTok can give you a license to experiment with new ideas you wouldn’t try on other platforms. Remember, TikTok is all about the sounds and the video. You’ll need interesting audio and eye-catching visuals.
TikTok is also a very informal platform. One type of content most consumed on the platform is dance routines set to catchy music. Another type of popular content is comedy. Despite this, you’ll find more serious content as well and many news outlets have found great success on the platform as TikTok has made waves in the political sphere and not just the social sphere.
Our best tip for creating content on this platform is to keep up with the latest trends.
4 | Viral Content Opportunities
TikTok has a different way of serving up content to users and the platform has confirmed that follower counts do not directly influence what content shows up in a user’s feed. This means you have a higher chance of going viral on TikTok. In other words, you can become an overnight success after posting a single video.
So what’s the key to going viral on TikTok? Simply hopping on and doing something that is already trending! After spending a bit of time on the platform, you’ll notice that many videos use the same songs and hashtags. Alternatively, you can create your own hashtags to start a new trend!
5 | It’s Not Saturated
We’ve mentioned this briefly already, but TikTok isn’t saturated yet with brands. It’s a relatively new platform, having started in 2016 and gained more mainstream popularity in 2018. This means that TikTok is the perfect place for new voices. As a newcomer to the platform, you’ll have less competition and fewer bigger names fighting over the same target audience. But because it’s new, many brands may not have jumped on the bandwagon yet because they just don’t know what content to create. Our tip is to get on the platform, start watching, and get creative! There are no rules yet so try new things and see where it takes you–you just might break through!