TikTok is the latest trend in social media. More than 1.5 billion downloads from the App Store and Google Play and More than 500 million active monthly users. It allows users to record 15- or 60-second videos and integrate with other social media players. Between 16 and 24 years old, TikTok’s largest user group comprises people between 16 and 24 years of age. Use TikTok for Business may seem like a trend for Generation Z. TikTok was initially created in 2018 as a video-creation tool that allowed users to express creativity. It has since evolved to become a marketing and advertising platform.
You have likely seen how brands use Instagram to engage consumers through stories, posts, live videos, and IGTV. TikTok allows brands and individuals to interact with each other via video. However, the clips are shorter and more digestible. Brands have created accounts to engage and explore consumers over the past 12 months. You can find celebrities and influencers on Tiktok, politicians, and the everyday Joe.
TikTok’s appeal to businesses lies in its large user base. Although it’s not clear how the algorithm works, it seems that viral TikTok video content is more accessible than on other social media sites.
How TikTok works
Although the TikTok algorithm is constantly evolving, you have to start somewhere. Learn how TikTok ranks, distributes videos and what trends are shared between them.
If you don’t know what you’re doing or don’t follow the rules, you will be immediately blocklisted. Make sure you spend time on the app, creating practice content and following other users until you get a feel for the culture and what real users are looking for.
Business News Daily: Mike Prasad (founder and CEO of Tinysponsor) stated that it must first be active there for a business to succeed on TikTok. “[Give] users an incentive to follow you.”
Remember that authenticity is vital. Don’t try to create memes about your business if it doesn’t fit with your brand’s vibe. Make sure you create content relevant to your brand and help you achieve your goals.
Also Read: WordPress Tiktok Plugins
TikTok marketing, and how can it help you?
This is about shifting your digital marketing focus towards TikTok to increase your brand awareness. TikTok is great for engaging and building relationships with your audience while showcasing products and services.
TikTok can be used for businesses to disguise advertising efforts with engaging and exciting videos, and it can lead to increased engagement without spending much.
Additionally, most TikTok users are between the ages of 20 and 39, so you can reach younger people on the platform.
Different types of ads on TikTok
TikTok supports multiple types of ads: TopView Ads (In-Feed Ads), Brand Takeover Ads, and Branded Effects. Each type of campaign has a unique purpose and can have a different result.
1. TopView Ads
TopView Ads appear at the top of users’ TikTok feeds when they open the app. They can last up to 60 seconds. It is the most popular ad type on TikTok. It is a powerful marketing tool that can grab consumers’ attention and increase brand awareness.
2. Advertisements for In-Feed
In-Feed ads work in the same way as Instagram story ads or Snapchat. They are not skippable, play full-screen, and can only be viewed for 60 seconds or less. The ideal length is, however, 15 seconds. They are displayed in the For You feed. Tracking clicks, impressions, click-through rates (CTR), and video views, videos, and engagements can help you measure the success of a campaign.
3. Advertisements for Brand Takeovers
One brand can take over an app for a single day through brand takeovers. Images or videos can be created (roughly three to five-second long) and placed at the app’s top, similar to TopView Ads. However, they cannot be skipped. Your ads can also include links to external and internal landing pages. The CTR and impressions are two indicators of the brand’s success.
4. Branded effects
Brand effects can be created (e.g., stickers, filters, or special effects) that users can use in their videos. It is a great way to promote your brand quickly and easily. Interactive experiences can also be viral.
5. Branded Hashtag Contests
You can create hashtag challenges for businesses, which allow you to set a hashtag and offer a prize or goal. DreamWorks held a successful hashtag competition to promote their Netflix show. TikTok users were invited to make a video dancing to the show’s theme song and post it using the hashtag #SpiritRidingFree. With over 2.6 million interactions and more than 4.3 million video views, the campaign reached 34.4 million people.
This campaign shows how a company can recognize the benefits of running a campaign via TikTok over another social media platform. Spirit Riding free is a children’s program, and TikTok has a young user base. It reached a broad audience and had a campaign that fit the platform’s style.
Reason Why Your Business Should Use TikTok Marketing
TikTok has a vast user base ( 1 Billion, more than 20% of the global population), making it an excellent resource for targeting customers.
TikTok is no longer a space dedicated to dancing teenagers, but it’s a space that has entwined commerce and creativity, making it a space for product discovery and brand growth. Harnessing user behavior from the platform can help to understand how to communicate better by learning more about audience engagement patterns, demographics, and cultural nuances. Using a TikTok analytics and social intelligence tool can help drive these results and more.
TikTok also has one of the highest engagement rates on social media platforms.
It has become the most popular social media platform for reaching a large audience, with almost half of its users being young. It is a sign that more are to come. As we mentioned earlier, digital marketing continues to evolve, and you must stay on top of it all to remain relevant.
Video marketing is a vital strategy to take advantage of TikTok’s growing user base and popularity.
Tips on how to use TikTok in small businesses
TikTok is a valuable social media marketing tool that can be adopted by almost any business. These tips will help you engage more when using TikTok to promote your business.
1. Look at the trends that are most popular among your target audience
You can use this strategy on any social media platform, but it’s especially effective for TikTok. This platform has a high volume of activity around entertainment, dance, and pranks, and it also allows users to travel and learn. You can research your audience to determine what type of content they like best and then use that information to decide which TikToks to make.
If you notice that your target audience is very interested in prank videos, you might post videos of your employees performing pranks around your office.
2. You should adopt a more laid-back and less commercial approach
TikTok is not like Instagram in that it rejects high-quality, polished content, and TikTok has a reputation for being a casual platform that allows users to express themselves freely.
Prasad stated that TikTok’s beauty is its accessibility to creativity. It thrives on quirkiness and avoids commercial-style productions.
Engage and discover what’s fun about your business. Make sure to fully comprehend your brand’s values, identity, and culture. It will ensure that your creations are authentic and genuine to your brand and do not conform to corporate guidelines.
Charming Charlie’s head of corporate communications, Madelyn Fitzpatrick, said, “TikTok can be a hub for creative, fun and sometimes crazy ideas. So try to soften your brand tone and join this active community.” Avoid being too formal and rigid.
3. Take part in TikTok challenges
Participating in TikTok challenges is a great way to increase visibility and engagement. You can find out what songs and activities are popular, then create your version to post on TikTok, and it will improve your visibility and make it more human and relatable.
Younger generations love to support brands that they feel connected to. If your target audience is young adults or teens, participating in challenges can help you build relationships with them personally. To increase your chances of appearing on ForYou pages, include relevant hashtags when posting a challenge video.
4. Post about your location
Local businesses can often leverage location as a driving force for brand awareness. Use your videos to talk about your locality. Include the hashtag and caption with your location. It will make it easier for people to find you in your local area. You can also create videos specific to your area. It will make it easier for locals to relate to your product or service.
TikTok’s benefits for businesses
TikTok is an excellent tool for marketing. These are the main points.
1. EXPOSURE AND VIRALITY
TikTok can make one video viral in just a few hours or days.
Engaging effects and relevant hashtags can help a video get shared on hundreds of thousands of people ‘For You’ pages.
Your video may not go viral, but hashtags and the following of similar people allow the algorithm to classify you into a specific section of TikTok where videos are shown to people based on their interests.
TikTok makes it possible to connect with new audiences through social media. To target your audience on TikTok, it is essential to know your niche.
2. ORGANIC TRAFFIC
TikTok is an incredible source of organic traffic due to the staggering number of people who use it in the millions and the exposure and potential for virality.
3. COLLABORATION
You can stitch existing videos by adding your video to them in a side-by-side arrangement. This is an excellent way for others to collaborate.
The Duet feature looks similar, but your original video will play alongside it. Duet videos are those that involve dancing and singing on TikTok. However, you have the option to make your video.
You might find a video in which someone reacts in amazement. A side-by-side view could showcase features of the product you are selling.
A Creator Marketplace is available for businesses to search for creators to work with. You can make your business successful by using popular TikTok users for influencer marketing agreements.
Also Read: BuddyPress Hashtags
4. Tips for creating TikTok videos that work for your business
Video marketing success is based on keeping videos under two minutes. After 2 minutes, there is a significant viewer drop-off on social media sites.
TikTok videos can only be viewed for 1 minute. Some users have been granted the ability to upload 3 minutes or fewer videos. However, the app’s initial limit was only 15 seconds. It is best to keep videos short, and TikTok users expect shorter videos.
Other than video length, there are other ways to create business videos that promote your brand. Recently, Duolingo’s language-learning app has gained massive popularity via the app. Their content strategy is:
- Participating in the latest trends
- Creating video series
- Engaging and interactive content
Their content is unique and fun. It also links to business: they are learning a new language. To promote the brand, they also work with influencers through the app.
The Bottom Line of TikTok for Business
TikTok is the most important social media platform in modern history. It is a platform that encourages engagement and has attracted millions of Gen Z users. These branding strategies will help you grow your TikTok business, and you can use them confidently to promote your brand or product to a sizeable TikTok audience.
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