Do you sell great teenage clothes? Or do you run a sunglasses store? Or maybe you offer phones, computers, or tablets? And you’re wondering where to advertise them? Maybe TV commercials during soap operas every evening at 8 pm aren’t the right option for you… We understand.
It’s time to turn back the clock and feel 18 again.
The new social platform TikTok has become one of the fastest-growing tools for social media marketing over the past two years. Its audience is getting bigger, and its popularity is growing with each passing day. Perhaps TikTok marketing is the right move for your business. Of course, it’s important to note that TikTok advertising isn’t suitable for every business. Insurance companies or real estate agencies, for example, are unlikely to find many potential customers there. In short — TikTok targets a younger audience.
It’s a place where you can present your products to a huge audience that makes decisions largely based on emotions and trends.
How does it work?
To take advantage of all the opportunities TikTok marketing provides, the first thing you need to do is understand how it works. Never forget that this social network is mostly used by people between the ages of 16 and 24. If they are your target audience, take action.
Take a good look at the app, create a profile, follow the most popular users, and even create content until you feel comfortable enough to dive deeper into the platform’s specifics. The last thing you want is to try participating in this teen-driven world and not know what you’re doing. Before diving into TikTok marketing, research the most watched and liked videos and understand current TikTok trends.
“If you want your business to succeed at TikTok, you have to be active first,” said Mike Prasad, CEO of Tinysponsor. “Give users a reason to follow you.”
The secret of the platform is authenticity — the more non-standard, crazy, and fun content you create, the better. But… let everything you do have a connection to your business. Don’t show how to season a salad if you’re selling ski boots.
It’s time for TikTok advertising
TikTok users create content based on trends and memes. However, these trends change so fast that what’s popular today may be completely forgotten tomorrow. That’s why the main rule in TikTok marketing is — follow the trends.
Hashtag challenges
Hashtag challenges are one of the signature features of TikTok advertising. They are specific tasks set by one user, encouraging other TikTok users to try them out and post videos related to the hashtag. Anyone can create a challenge, whether they have followers or not.
Many brands pay for this type of hashtag challenge, including their own branded tags and, in most cases, links to encourage consumers to buy products.
It’s perfectly fine to try creating a challenge, as long as it’s fun, interesting, crazy, and of course, connected to your business. Before launching a campaign, check whether anyone else has started a similar initiative.
Creating and reusing sounds
It might sound strange, but much of TikTok marketing revolves around using “sounds” that accompany videos. These could be parts of songs, speeches, dialogue from famous movies, or familiar phrases.
Dance challenges
No, don’t make your boss dance. You don’t want to lose your job. Music content on TikTok is among the most popular, so it’s no surprise that dance challenges exist. In these, a creator dances to a particular song, and others recreate it. It doesn’t matter if the dance is complicated — what matters is captivating the audience.
If you’re wondering how to include dance challenges in your brand’s marketing… well, we won’t tell you for free. You’ll have to hire us first, and we’ll come up with the perfect idea for your business.
Duets and effects
TikTok has a wide range of filters and special effects that users can use in their videos. In addition, duets are a very popular way for two users to record their video and post it online.
Fun and crazy content
Now that you know what TikTok is, it’s time for the hard part — creating a lot of fun and crazy content to find your followers. There is no need for the videos to be shot in a studio or in perfect quality. You can also do it on the kitchen table. Just take out your smartphone and start shooting.
Of course, always think about your business. Remember why you’re doing all this. Effective TikTok marketing should be fun yet always connected to your brand’s message and audience.