Marketing has always been the intermediary between businesses and customers. Marketing is the negotiator with customers. It is the difference between a customer choosing one brand over another which is why it usually has a huge budget. Times are changing though and with them, brands must adjust how they go about marketing. It is no longer enough to use old conventional forms of marketing. Brands must evolve.
Social media has opened up new horizons for marketing. Several apps are now available for brands to conduct their marketing in new ways and reach new target audiences they could not reach before. TikTok is one of the apps seeing a rising interest from brands as a marketing avenue with different features and entertaining content. Here is what a brand needs to know before engaging TikTok.
What is TikTok?
Name changes do not often occur for most people but depending on your kind of work and situation, a name change may be in order. Maybe as a covert agent? TikTok is not new to name changing. Originally, it was known as Musical.ly. some users lip-synced to music videos while others, created their own content and uploaded it onto the platform. If you have heard of influencers, they are the latter group. Launched in 2016, it has taken the social media world by storm because of its short, 15 seconds entertaining videos. Those type of videos can also be combined into 60 second videos.
TikTok is known for its popularity with generation Z and higher female to male users’ ratio. With its variety of filters, background music and tools like live streaming, TikTok makes it easy for any short content creators to make fun videos with the possibility of going viral. Maybe that’s why its so popular with generation z? Who doesn’t want to be popular?
Why are brands marketing on TikTok?
Since it is relatively new and has a very young user and audience base, many businesses have been slow to jump on the bandwagon. They probably did not expect some 16–24-year-olds to be purchasing their products but that is slowly changing. In the US, about 38 percent of users are above 30. Since there are not many other businesses taking advantage of the app, there is potential to use it early to reach this type of clients.
TikTok also offers businesses different methods to advertise including brand takeover, hashtag challenges, custom lenses, growth services that are available like TokUpgrade, and in-feed native video. All these features make it easier for businesses to access its 800 million user base.
Hashtags and user generated content
TikTok largely attributes its popularity to hashtag challenges. These challenges engage users in recording and posting videos related to the challenge. Some popular challenges include the tumbleweed challenge which had engagement of close to 10.4 million users. Hashtags are a great way to create awareness of a brand.
User generated content also provides an alternative way for brands to market themselves. Brands may either use their own channel or work with influencers to encourage their follows to produce user generated content centred around the brand. Some brands that took advantage of this include Chipotle with the #GuacDance challenge where were challenged to showcase their avocado-themed dance strokes based on Dr Kean’s “Guacamole Song”.
Use influencers
Influencers are the popular kids of TikTok. Everyone wants to know them and wants to be them. They draw a big following therefore they can easily broadcast a brand. Influencers have a better understanding of what their followers enjoy so they are better suited to create content using a brand that would be most appealing to their follows.
Have a niche
TikTok appeals and makes marketing sense for specific niches and businesses need to choose one where they can focus their content production, and is a simple way to get TikTok followers. Some niches include fashion tips, comedy skits and cooking. Choosing a niche will attract more like-minded users to your content.
Marketing on TikTok does not have to be a chore for businesses. With the right knowledge on what TikTok is, what brands are on the app, hashtags, using influencers and choosing a niche, it is easy to take advantage of the app. It is to a brand’s best interest to consider these things before engaging marketing on TikTok.
