During the lockdown, many users turned their focus to TikTok for hours of video entertainment, causing it to become one of the most used social media platforms. So, with the rise of TikTok’s popularity, marketers are looking at how to utilise this ever-growing platform and marketing their products and services to their target audiences in the most effective way.
Table of Contents
What is Tiktok?
TikTok is a social media app where users create short videos that can last anywhere between a couple of seconds to three minutes. In 2016, an app that was at the forefront of short video based social media, Music.ly was rebranded as TikTok.
Most of the original Music.ly users would post content of them lip-syncing to popular songs, whereas more enthusiastic and creative users started branching out into original content creation. Users that have generated a healthy following through publishing content have now gone on to be classified as social influencers.
TikTok has developed over its time of popularity to now offer content creators longer video times, the option of ‘live video’, filters and effects and ways of viewers gifting their favourite content creators which can now be exchanged for income.
How to use TikTok for marketing
With over 800 million worldwide active users, TikTok is a fantastic way of marketing your business but also a way in which you can let your personality shine through. Tiktok marketing is beneficial to businesses as it organically increases brand awareness, improves customer engagement and drives sales. Here’s our top tips to get started on TikTok.
1. Stay up to date on current trends
Trending content on TikTok has a higher chance of success. A way of fast tracking how viral your post could become is to use trending sounds from that time. Using the discover tab on the bottom utilities bar when you open the app, will give you a good idea of which audios are performing well and should be used. Similarly, using trending and relevant hashtags will help boost your post and put it in front of your target audience. Staying on trend will engage viewers and keep your content fresh and relevant and is more likely to appear on users’ FYP (for you page).
2. Define your target audience
Before starting your TikTok journey, you need to gain a comprehensive understanding of the TikTok demographics and highlight the ones which may have an interest in your brand. When you have established who your TikTok audience consists of, take the time to do some valuable research into the types of content that would most effectively target those groups.
3. Competitor research
Take the time to acknowledge which of your competitors are already on TikTok. If most of your competitors are already using the app, then you may be missing out on that part of the market share. If they aren’t, you can gain some valuable competitive advantage.
Do some research into what your direct competitors are posting on TikTok, and which videos are performing well against which ones that aren’t. If you don’t have any direct competitors already on TikTok, look at what types of content similar brands are posting to benchmark the standard of what you need to recreate. As mentioned before, there are many content creators on TikTok, including influencers, so don’t rule them out of your competitor analysis.
4. Make regular posts
The Tiktok algorithm runs in such a way that favours creators that post regularly. Create a content plan and make sure you stick to it daily or even hourly. Use this content plan to write down ideas and decide what type of post you are going to create. You should also use the plan to decide which days of the week you are going to post, and when you plan on doing Live videos.
5. Clarify your goals
Starting a company TikTok account can be fun and entertaining, however it is a good idea to have a specific set of goals in place that you wish to achieve through having the account. These goals should ideally tie in with your business objectives. These goals can vary from increasing reach, promoting awareness or improving engagement; however, they must be relevant to your company and achievable. You can assess how your goals are coming along with the use of analytics on TikTok which can be found under the creator tools tab.
6. Keep a track record of your progress
Keeping a track of your TikTok analytics is an easy way of determining whether your marketing strategies are working. Setting goals at the start of your TikTok marketing journey and using analytics to track your goals on a monthly basis, is a great way of seeing how well your campaigns are performing. If your posts are not performing well, then that is clear indication to try a different marketing route and change the type of content you are releasing. However, if they are performing well, then you know to create more of what you are doing for continued success.
7. Be persistent
The TikTok algorithms are notoriously difficult to understand, so don’t give up if your first couple of posts do not take off. The key to being successful on TikTok is being persistent, but you can increase your chances of going viral by posting at popular times, using viral audios and hashtags, and by interacting with other user’s content.
Overall, TikTok can take some time to get used to, and it is important to understand that it may take a while before you reach your set goals. Nevertheless, TikTok will be able to perform as a successful marketing channel if you obtain it on a regular basis. TikTok provides content creators with the opportunity to reach millions of people at a very low cost, which may help you overtake your competitors. If you have any questions for our team of TikTok and Social Media Marketing Professionals, please do not hesitate to get in touch at info@modo25.com.
