With over 3 billion global downloads and as the first non-Facebook app to smash this figure, TikTok has become a go-to platform for users who want to record short videos and share them with friends. Its highly personalised algorithm has worked to create an average daily use of over one and a half hours, opening the app an average of 19 times per day meaning its audience are super-engaged and super-attractive for businesses. It's the fastest growing social media platform of our lifetime and still growing at a rapid rate. Simply put; TikTok is too big to ignore any longer.
TikTok offers a range of features to showcase your business and products. Space on TikTok is currently relatively uncluttered by advertisers when compared to other social media platforms meaning that a targeted campaign could give your business unique advantages that sets you apart from your competitors who are advertising elsewhere. Its a low cost, high visibility way to run influencer campaigns, engage in conversations, run advertising campaigns and launch new products using TikTiok For Business.
Here’s everything you need to know about this social media network and its uses for your businesses. Grab a coffee and sit back because this may be a long one....
What is TikTok?
TikTok is a short-form video-sharing app that allows users to create, share and discover short videos. It was launched in 2018 by the creators of Musical.ly – another short-video app.
TikTok is available on both Android and iOS devices, and has been downloaded over 1 billion times worldwide. While TikTok is most commonly associated with funny and entertaining videos and social media interactions, it is also a great platform for businesses. It is a powerful marketing tool that can help you reach out to millions of people.
Meet the Gen Z audience where they are hanging out
As with any major advertising or engagement strategy, it’s important to know your audience. TikTok’s massive user base makes understanding their demographics incredibly important.
TikTok operates in 141 of 155 countries and genders of users are almost equally split - 51% male and 49% female.
Users are also predominantly Gen Z (10-25 years) who boast a spending power of $140 billion as well as considerable influence over the spending habits of their parents. This generation grew up online and very much live a huge part of their life online. That is not to say TikTok is just for the Zoomers. Millennials, Gen X and even the Boomers are now flocking to TikTok. 47% of users are under the age 30, while 11% are over the age of 50.
Organic (non paid for) ways to use TikTok for business
Here are some ideas of ways you can leverage TikTok for your business.
1. Run a campaign
Treat TikTok like your other social media platforms by adding it to your content calendar to ensure posts are consistent across all of your digital owned assets. However consistent does not mean exactly the same. Ensure you are making the content appealing to the demographic - this could mean adjusting the language, tone and visual look and ensure you resize content to the correct specifications.
Remember an audience wants one of three things - to be informed, educated or entertained. Key on this platform is to be entertained! Anything that is new or event based also works well on TikTok.
Keep an eye on your analytics and conduct A/B testing to start to get a feel for what works with this specific audience as well as keeping an eye on your competitors.
2. Partner up with a good cause
Gen Z is very socially and environmentally aware. Expand your reach and enhance your CSR by partnering with a not-for-profit organisation whose mission and values align with your own. They might even have real estate in a favourable hashtag that could generate you further exposure through your partnership. However ensure the partnership is ongoing and authentic, meaningful and embedded within your business. These Zoomers can spot a ruse for views a mile away!
3. Give a look behind the scenes
The raw, unfiltered nature of TikTok makes it perfect for showing users the workings of your business and the company culture. Create content that showcases what a great place your company is to work at to become an employer of choice.
Hubspot has some great ideas for this content:
A day in the life of an employee or team
Perks and rewards of working in your business
Your mission and values
Introduction to the C-suite key employees
Tour of the office
Employees at work
4. Show off your products or services
TikTok claims that an unbelievable:
39% of users say they discovered a product or brand on TikTok they didn’t know about before
47% of TikTok users say they bought something they saw on TikTok
This means that you need to be showcasing your products and services pronto. As well as creating content that mirrors the current TikTok trends you can use the tool Promote to turn your best performing videos into adverts to show off your products and services. You will learn about the paid methods of promoting on TikTok shortly. Keeping an eye on trending hashtags and developing content to suit is a great way to ride this wave.
5. Partner with an influencer
Ah the 'i' word - you knew this would come up didn't you? Influencers (or content creators as they usually prefer to be called) are a thing because they work. They work by exposing your brand to a larger and/or new market via someone who has a highly engaged audience. Due to TikTok's algorithm which favours trendsetters and organic engagement, influencers rule on this platform and should be seriously considered as part of your plan.
Hubspot identified the following benefits of using influencers to help raise the profile of your brand, drive engagement and sales:
"Brands gain exposure due to the large following of their influence partner
Users are more likely to trust a brand being promoted by a familiar face
Influencers' followers are eager to experience the products and brands being promoted
When sourcing influencers ensure they have the same target audience as you and holds similar values to you.
6. Educate your audience
With the more raw, 'un-produced' nature of the content on TikTok lends itself to making content creators out of your employees. Have them use TikTok to educate your customers by giving demonstrations, answering questions and offering pro tips. People on this platform love to see behind the scenes and connect with the real faces of your organisation. You will find this platform becomes an important customer service channel due to Gen Z's preference to have their inquiries answered online in real-time. This then breaks down the obstacles in the buying process and facilitates more online sales.
Types of advertising on TikTok
There are five types of advertising available to use on TikTok.
1. In-Feed Ads
These ads can be created by users themselves - these are the only ones that can. These ads appear in the 'For You' page just like regular TikToks. Add a call to action (CTA) button to improve conversion rates - people respond to being told what to do.
2. Top View Ads
These ads appear the very first time a user opens the app for the day in their feed and are videos of up to 60 seconds long. Make sure the video is engaging to avoid visitors quickly flicking away from it.
3. Branded Hashtags
Here you can reserve a hashtag for a specific period of time for your exclusive use. Normally hashtags on TikTok are free for all to use except for when the Branded Hashtags are purchased. TikTok recommended using this type of ad to set up a fun, interactive challenge for users like the #dancelikeashark example below.
4. Spark Ads
According to TikTok, Spark Ads bring the best of both world's by boosting native (organic) posts allowing users to be able interact as they do with organic posts - like, share and comment, visit your profile and follow your brand.
"With Spark Ads, brands can grow through real connections with our community by delivering native content for greater authenticity. This is possible due to Spark Ads’ ability to combine the reach and scope of TopView and In-Feed Ads with the engagement and functionality of organic content."
5. Branded Effects
Get exclusive use of a 2D or 3D effect or AR stickers that the audience can use when creating their content. You can include your logo and a tag line.
How to advertise on TikTok
1.Set up a TikTok For Business account
Set up an account by going to TikTok For Business or click here
2. Choose from simplified or custom ad manager modes (if you are a newbie choose simplified)
3. Set your campaign goal
4. Choose an audience, location and auto or manual audience targeting
5. Advertise on TikTok only or with additional platforms
6. Set a campaign budget. Choose from daily or lifetime budgets - note there are minimum spends
7. Get creative
This is where the hard work is needed. Your ad needs to be unique, innovative, attention grabbing and compels the audience to engage. Remember to inform, educate or ENTERTAIN!
9 Creative tips to drive performance
Tiktok provides the following best practice tips for your ad creative standard in-feed, auction ads.
Use sound
Try to include fast-paced tracks above 120 BPM, as these often drive higher view-through
rate (VTR) than other videos.
Get your key message out early
Over 63% of all videos with the highest click-through rate (CTR) highlight their key message or product within the first 3 seconds. So get straight to the point and keep it short and direct.
Let creators take the lead
Letting Creators take the lead in creating amazing TikTok videos results in better performing ads.
Get in on the latest trends
Great content on TikTok often revolves around trends, such as new effects, new editing
styles or trending storylines. Referencing these trends in your ad can be a true
performance driver as well as a natural conversation starter within the TikTok community.
Keep your story real and entertaining
Almost half of the best performing auction ads on TikTok have managed to tell their
stories in emotionally appealing ways. Great TikTok content often includes an undertone of lightheartedness and positivity.
Shoot for TikTok
When shooting, be sure to make use of TikTok's vertical full-screen experience and
capture 100% screen space by shooting in 9:16. TikToks that are shot vertically
have an average 25% higher 6-second watch-through rate.
Break the fourth wall
What makes TikTok content truly unique is creators addressing the community directly,
often looking the audience straight in the eyes. 33% auction ads with the highest VTR
break the 4th wall in this way.
Overlay concise and informative text
Stories on TikTok are told in fast-paced, visual ways. Adopt this editing style by including
text-overlays into your videos and work with effects or stickers. 40% of
auction ads with the highest VTR have adopted this creative tip.
Include a call to action
One of my favourite marketing tips that applies to any channel. Whether you’re taking your audience to your website, leading them to download your app, landing them at your e-commerce portal, or issuing any other type of invitation keep your call-to-action short and snappy and use personal, direct language.
Top trending hashtags
As at November 2022
Conclusion
TikTok is a powerful marketing tool that can help you reach out to billions of people. It is a great platform for businesses, as it allows you to showcase your brand, product, and services to a worldwide audience who are engaged, passionate and spend a lotttt of time on the platform every day.
Make sure you content is trendy, unique, compelling, engaging and above all entertaining!
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