Marketing is a lot like real estate — it’s all about location, location, location. The channels you choose to promote your business will determine your visibility. So, when you see a platform with millions of regular users, it should demand your attention. And that’s one of the reasons why TikTok marketing should be on your radar.
When we first published this post at the end of 2020, we were positioning TikTok as a viable option – a new marketing channel. Back then, the platform had 100 million monthly active U.S. users and 700 million global users. It was no Facebook, it had grown quickly and we predicted it could prove to be a valuable marketing channel because of the audience it captures — Gen Z. Roughly 60 percent TikTok’s user base at the time were between the ages of 16 and 24 years old.
As we enter the holiday season of winter 2023, TikTok is a formidable platform, supplanting both Netflix and Disney Plus to become the top app for watching video content, both in number of users and the amount of time spent on each platform, according to Digital 2023 Growth Report. Younger consumers spend more time on TikTok than they do watching TV.
TikTok now has 150 million US users and more than 1 billion users globally. And has quickly grown its user numbers, across generations.
Let’s take a look at how.
First, Some More Stats to Tickle Your Marketing Fancy
Here are some more stats to prove to you data-driven marketers why TikTok is worth checking out:
- It’s the 7th largest social network, and it’s been one of the top-downloaded apps since 2020.
- It is the go-to social media app for funny or entertaining content (nearly 78 percent of users use TikTok for this kind of content, compared to 60 percent who use IG for entertaining content and 55 percent for Facebook users).
- TikTokusers are active on more than one social platform: 8 in 10 TikTokers also use Meta apps while 7 in 10 also use YouTube.
So, from these numbers, you can see a lot of people like the platform, and it’s a nesting ground for brands looking to reach young adult consumers. And if you’re already keen on working with influencers, then you’ll find plenty of creators to reach out to on TikTok.
So, What Sorts of Tactics Are Brands Using to Market on TikTok?
TikTok is like any other social media platform — people want to be entertained, influenced, and inspired. With great content, you can attract attention, followers, and potential customers to your brand. Here’s a look at some of the TikTok marketing strategies you can try for your campaigns.
THE HASHTAG CHALLENGE
We know the power of hashtags. We already know they work, so why not add it to your list of TikTok marketing tricks? They’re already popular on the platform, which means users are waiting for the next challenge to jump on. Now, what’s great is that TikTok sponsors hashtags, which can help newbies get more participants.
BRANDED CONTENT
If you think you can come on TikTok and dole out a bunch of ads for your business, then take a minute to consider a more strategic approach. Remember, TikTok started out as Musica.ly — a platform where users sing and dance to popular songs. It’s used for the same thing today, alongside other content (like skits, stories, political views, and social education).
The idea is to first build your credibility and authenticity by posting for pure entertainment and/or education. Then, you can blend in some branded content, such as videos of people using or wearing your products.
TIKTOK ADS
Social media ads can help brands maximize their visibility. You can use them to promote your content alongside your products. There are three different types of ads you can buy on TikTok:
- Hashtag challenge ads: a banner ad that takes users to your page explaining the rules.
- In-feed native ads: a traditional ad that links to your product or landing page.
- Brand takeover ads: a mix of ad types (images, GIFs, video clips) that link to your hashtag challenge or landing page.
And these ads seem to be working — in 2019, TikTok saw $176.9 million in ad revenue.
COMPELLING VIDEOS
TikTok is a video platform, so it makes sense to center your strategy around creating compelling video content. The goal here is to make them visually appealing and worth watching. For example, if you sell Halloween costumes, you can create a video with people dancing in your costumes. You can even go as far as to have a song made.
Think along the lines of Backstreet Boys’ “Everybody” video.
You can have various themes to showcase the types of costumes you have available (without all the advertising). Just make sure that every video you post comes with a clear description (no teasers, please).
BEING SMART ABOUT HASHTAGS
Like with any social media platform, you need to use the right hashtags to gain the most traction for your posts. One method of doing so is to use the search bar. Type in a relevant word and then click “Hashtags” to see a list of what’s trending. Find those that are relevant and specific. Add these to your posts to help TikTokers discover your content. Also, don’t cram your posts with too many hashtags — try to stick to around 10. You can also use this feature to identify competitors.
PARTNERING WITH TIKTOK CREATORS
Remember those influencers we mentioned earlier? Well, you don’t have to go after the top 40 with 10+ million followers. There is a range of micro-influencers you can reach out to who may be more affordable.
Plus, we always promote opting for influencers who are authentic and connect with followers on a more personal level. This is the audience with a higher chance of converting. Working together with an influencer (or two or three) can help build your reputation and follower list faster. Just make sure they cater to your target audience.
STAYING ENGAGED
Don’t create TikToks and forget about them. Be sure to check back to see if there are any comments. It’s also a good idea to comment on others’ posts to start conversations. Then, if people find your comments meaningful, they may decide to check out your profile. Do this regularly enough, and you can build connections (with followers and other TikTokers) quickly.
POSTING REGULARLY
It’s simple — the more you post, the higher the odds of someone finding your content. This is the formula on any social media platform you market on. People like to follow TikTokers who are entertaining, engaging, and offer regular content. So make sure you’re publishing multiple videos every week.
TIKTOK EFFECTS
There are millions of creators on TikTok, so you’ll have to find unique ways to make your content stand apart. One option is to use TikTok effects (look in the “Effects” tab). You can use these to replace the background in your video (like a green screen). These are split into various categories, like beauty, world, funny, animals, and interactive.
CROSS-PROMOTING
By default, TikTok videos are only 15 seconds long. So you’ll have to ensure your content is short and sweet. But don’t stop there; make sure you’re also cross-promoting your TikToks on other platforms you’re using, such as Instagram. Actually, quite a bit of the video content you see on Instagram Reels was pulled from TikTok (as evidenced by the TikTok logos at the bottom of the video). This is a smart idea because Instagram Reels are getting crazy reach and engagement right now, so reposting widens your audience. OR you can repost your content as Instagram Stories, for example. If you already have a following of more than 10K there, then you can include a call-to-action, like “Swipe up to follow us on TikTok.”
TIKTOK ANALYTICS
It’s a good idea to set up a TikTok Pro account so you can get access to analytics data. This way, you can monitor the performance of your posts over a 7-day or 28-day period. Stats available include follower growth, views, gender, follower locations, and even the videos your followers watched and the time of day they’re watching them. Use this to help find ideas for content that’ll attract them to your TikToks (and when to post them).
Super-Cool Examples of TikTok Marketing Campaigns
Now that you have a better idea of how to use TikTok, let’s take a look at some of the brands already using the platform.
GUESS CHALLENGE BECOMES THE FIRST BRANDED CONTENT IN THE U.S.
It’s no surprise that fashion would be the first of the American brands to debut on TikTok. Guess partnered with TikTok back in 2018 with its #InMyDenim challenge.
Of course, they made sure to include influencers with millions (or close to it) followers, like @ourfire and @madusin_willow.
The campaign generated over 34 million views of videos with the #InMyDenim hashtag.
CHIPOTLE USES A COMPELLING HASHTAG CHALLENGE
Joining in the hashtag trend is Chipotle, with its 2019 #ChipotleLidFlip Challenge. In this challenge, TikTokers are asked to take their Chipotle bowl and drop it on the aluminum lid so that it flips into the air. It’s a lot like those water bottle flipping challenges you’ve seen around and about.
Users have taken to the challenge, finding creative ways to complete the challenge. It was a six-day campaign, generating 110K submissions and 104 million video starts. It also garnered over 315 million views on videos with the challenge’s hashtag.
ZALORA USES HASHTAG CHALLENGE, INCENTIVES, & BRAND TAKEOVER ADS
Here’s a fashion eCommerce platform in Asia that took advantage of TikTok’s advertising prowess. ZALORA decided to jumpstart a hashtag challenge to promote its upcoming fashion festival held in Singapore.
The #ZStyleNow Challenge invited TikTokers to flash a “Z” hand signal, which would then trigger an outfit change (just like magic).
The goal was to show off the brand’s outfits and their customer’s awesome fashion sense. Then, to get more people on board, they decided to add an incentive — a $200 giveaway of ZALORA products to winners of the challenge. The brand also used different variations of Brand Takeover ads to promote the hashtag challenge. This drove more traffic to their website, and new app installs.
The result: 991K video views, 1.1K user-generated videos, and 19.75% CTR (for the brand takeover ads).
Get Your TikTok Influencer Marketing Campaign in Order
There’s enough evidence showing TikTok is definitely worth your time. At least if you’re looking to appeal to a younger demographic.
But to make the most of your campaign, you need a solid strategy. With the above tips, you can create content that attracts your core audience. However, if you want to speed up the process, we invite you to try out our top-notch TikTok influencers. We’ll match you with the best influencers for your brand and campaign. Reach out to us today to get started!
