After TikTok broke all the records and surpassed Google in terms of traffic last year, there is no question about its popularity. Many even use it as a search engine. And why should they not?
From funny cat videos to essential how-to guides, there is not a single thing left that you cannot find on TikTok. No matter how much millennials call it a procrastination tool, there is no denying the fact that TikTok is a powerful marketing tool in the world today.
Every good social media strategy must have TikTok marketing as its core. If not, then the company is missing out on a massive chunk of the audience that is ready to spend money.
TikTok actually has a growing impact on culture and music. And big brands, such as Loreal as totally cashing in on it. According to TikTok themselves;
“The TikTok community is a reflection of our communities at large – diverse eco-systems of creators, people, culture drivers, and everything in between. Trends happen naturally and regularly because of the way our community participates in and engages with content on the platform.”
We cannot help but actually agree that TikTok is one of the most diverse platforms in the world. You can find a person with completely different ethnicities following the same trends and hashtags!
Before we move any further ahead, I would like to tell you all that TikTok is now swiftly moving on from its super short videos. Users can actually upload up to 5 minutes of super fun videos on the platform now.
The Basics of TikTok Marketing
TikTok marketing, on the large, is a part of social media marketing. You can use this network for marketing your product for sales or brand awareness. Given the nature of the platform, you create short videos revolving around the product, the services, or even the culture that you like to promote!
For example, check out this amazing DuoLingo account, which regularly posts videos with its mascot.
DuoLingo is actually a tool for language education, and man, look at their numbers. Like their social media team is actually acing their TikTok marketing strategy. The most surprising part is that a 21-year-old Zaira runs the account without prior marketing experience!
The audience on the platform is easier to capture than other tools due to the TikTok algorithm. This is why TikTok is currently the cult favorite among brands to market and make money.
Even if you currently are not on the platform to make money or generate leads, you should definitely consider using it to at the very least create a following.
Some other benefits of TikTok marketing are;
- Build diverse and engaging communities
- Create more brand awareness
- Tap a market bigger than the one you currently focus on
- A great feedback outlet
- Run less pricy campaigns
- Provide on-the-spot customer support
- Advertise! (More on this later)
Types of TikTok Marketing Strategies for Brands
Okay, so TikTok basically started off as an outlet for people to create shot viral videos. But soon, it grew to be a popular marketing tool. However, the platform never lost its real essence and stayed true to its roots by providing influencers opportunities to earn.
According to a report by Business Intelligence, 54.9% of the total marketers are likely to increase their TikTok marketing budget. This means that more than half of the brands will be more likely than less to be on TikTok by 2024. Blows my mind!
Go Viral on TikTok
Schedule, edit, & track TikTok videos using Social Champ’s free plan with access to all premium features!
TikTok Influencer Marketing
Since influencer marketing is a huge part of the application’s eco-system, there are close to 50000 influencers on TikTok with a following of 1000 or more. They also have an average engagement rate of 11.69%, which is far more than Instagram.
These statistics are enough to show that TikTok should be your go-to influencer marketing platform in the years to come.
Stars like Addison Ray and Charlie D’Amelio have more chances of impacting your business positively than negatively. This is due to the nature of the work that they do. Over the years, they have built quite a strong following that now tens of millions of people watch their videos every second.
Even if we forget them for a while and talk about your native TikTok influencers, you won’t be able to deny that you haven’t seen their accounts at least once.
Here is Addison Ray running a campaign for @vitalprotiens;
@addisonre My everyday peanut butter banana smoothie with the most important ingredient – collagen! @Vital Proteins #VPpartner
Vital Proteins is actually running a super famous influencer marketing campaign with not only TikTokers but celebrities as well.
Check this out;
@vitalproteins JenniferAniston’s favorite way to flavor up summer? Our new Lemon Collagen Peptides! Shop now on vitalproteins.com and @Amazon!😎👉🏻🍋 #lemon #lemoncollagenpeptides #collagen #wellnessisvital #vitalproteinsUS
@vitalproteins Dessert 🤝 breakfast. Check out @smoothieflip’s Chocolate Chocolate Chip Smoothie Bowl and tag all your friends with a sweet tooth in the comments below.😉✨1/4 C almond milk✨1 frozen banana✨1/2 t vanilla extract✨1 1/2 T cacao/cocoa powder✨2 scoops of Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides✨1 scoop @vitalperformanceofficial Chocolate Protein✨1/2 C ice✨1/2 t chia seeds✨1 T powdered peanut butter #wellnessisvital #vitalproteinsUS #smoothie #smoothiebowl #vitalrecipes
Related Article: 5 Proven Ways to Boost Your TikTok Engagement in 2022
Creating Your Own Videos
Many brands focus on TikTok marketing but use their own videos and create them as they go. The organic reach on TikTok is pretty good, so you don’t have to worry about building a following. Instead, you can always focus on creating new and amazing content.
There are so many ways to do this. From using a mascot like we saw with DuoLingo or just creating videos that resonate with your brand – the sky is the limit.
Here is one such amazing account – @Gymshark.
@gymshark It’s the extra gravity #gymmeme #gymtok #Gymshark @Sam Ramos
Creating your own videos can also cover the two sub-types of TikTok marketing;
- User-generated content
- Starting a challenge/ trend
Starting a challenge or a trend is actually not all that common for big brands to invest in, as it is more of an influencer thing. However, Laura Mercier once did run a User-generated content campaign combined with a challenge.
They called it a #readySETgo challenge and prompted their users and followers to create videos around the hashtag.
@sofiawylie Here’s a tutorial! ❤️ Recreate the #readySETgo challenge for a chance to win $1,000 of @lauramercier products! #lauramercierpartner #ad #readySETgo
Advertising on TikTok
If you only have a budget for one marketing campaign, then it should go to running advertisements on TikTok. Especially since there are so many success stories of running on their blog for big brands, such as Carls Jr, Samsung Electronics Singapore, and many more!
I mean, look at those stats;
Advertising on Tiktok types of TikTok Ads That You Can Experiment With
TikTok ads are divided into two parts;
- Ads that are available for all business accounts
- Ad formats that only accounts with a business manager can use.
However, all of these ads are not available in all parts of the world. But you can use all of these on TikTok and other related apps.
The ads that are available for all business accounts are in-feed ads. You can come across these ad types while scrolling through the feed. In-feed ads are the ones you can make yourself; no manager is needed!
There are around 5 types of in-feed ads that you can create yourself:
- Image Ads – include only a single image, kind of like a billboard.
- Video Ads – like a TV commercial with a short TikTok video.
- Spark Ads – they are TikTok’s version of the boosted post, so you run an ad on an already existing video.
- Pangle Ads are available for business accounts only and can be accessed through Audience Network.
- Carousel Ads – these ads are only available through the News Feeds app.
Ads for managed brands look like in-feed ads, but they require additional formatting. They include;
- Topview Ads are the ones you cannot skip, like YouTube Ads.
- Branded Hashtag Challenges – like an actionable hashtag that is connected to your brand or business.
@zuzapela I need to make up the lost time tehee
- Branded Effects – pretty much like stickers & filters.
How to Advertise on TikTok
In 2020, TikTok for business was first launched in the summers. After which, they rolled out TikTok Pro a few months later. The difference was apparent: the business was for brands & pro was for influencers.
However, the video-sharing platform eventually combined the two, and now TikTok for business is the way to go.
Here is how you can create a business account:
- Go to your TikTok profile.
- Open settings and go to the privacy tab.
- Go to Manage Account.
- From account control, choose Switch to Business Account.
- Choose the category that best fits you.
- Add your business website and email to the profile.
- And, you are done!
Creating a Winning TikTok Marketing Strategy
If Instagram is the best app for starting a new business, or if Facebook is the ideal platform for selling your products nationwide, then TikTok is the Gen-Z baby that lets you market your products globally!
Suppose you compare the social media engagements of different online platforms. In that case, TikTok marketing has the highest entanglement level, whether on a micro-influencer level (4.9%) or a macro-influencer level (17.9%). It has an engagement percentage that exceeds both that of YouTube and Instagram. The primary key is that it holds the highest gross market of viewers among all the other platforms.
Online surveys reveal that users have spent up to 850 minutes on the app in a month. This is a crazy statistical fact, considering how much online competition has increased over the years.
Including your product in your videos is the most effective approach to the market, and then you can set the trend or create a hashtag unique to what you are selling. Bear in mind that since your product is still new in the market, you might need to post a bunch of videos that are trendy yet useful to catch every other person’s attention.
Setting the trend is the best way to get the eyes of the market on your item. Sometimes vendors have gotten lucky, and their products have caught the attention of big influencers resulting in their items being a major hit.
What TikTok features best is short dance videos on songs on the beat. So use this same strategy, however basic it is, and create dance videos that feature your item. Remember how trendy those sunset lamps got all over the app? They were just featured in videos of them being projected on a bare wall with some aesthetic music being played in the background!
Yes, it is that simple. But it would help if you had a strong hand in making and editing your videos and expanding your followers’ circle. The quality and level of videos for TikTok marketing are measured based on how aesthetically pleasing they are. From TikTok ad specs to the latest features lets have a look at the top marketing strategies.
Track Your Videos Every Now & Then
Checking out TikTok analytics every now & then should be your top priority to make TikTok marketing a success. Check-in at least once a more or bi-monthly to see if the videos are helping you reach your goals.
TikTok Ad Specs:
- Recommended aspect ratio: 9:16, 1:1, 16:9
- Video resolution must be minimum of: 540*960px, 640*640px and 960*540px
- The file type must be: MP4, MPEG, MOV, 3GP and AVI
- Video Duartion: 5 to 60 seconds
- File size: less than 500 MB
The most viewed on TikTok is Zach King’s Harry Potter illusion with 2.2 billion views; they must have done something right to get to that number!
@zachking They rejected my application to Hogwarts but I still found a way to be a wizard. 🧹#illusion #magic #harrypotter
You can track your video progress using Social Champ’s Analytics & Reporting feature.
Get Familiar With the TikTok Features on the Platform
What makes it so trendy and unique from the others is that it grasps the attention from the various features it offers to the user. Tiktok Features like trendy filters, background music, cool effects like adding echoes to videos to make it sound like a memory from one’s mind, and more editing tools that allow you to edit your videos like a pro.
Although the app allows users to upload a video of a maximum of 15 seconds, it also has a feature where you can combine short videos and a minute-long video.
Now what is eye-catching is how this short video is enough to grasp a person’s attention who is just scrolling through his TikTok feed. All of this combined can serve as a great platform for you to showcase your products. Just learn when and how to put all of these features to your best use.
Like this video is sure you to make stop.
@cassidypicciano ok so the vogue trend is really cool, i had to join in #voguechallenge #voguemagazine
You can also see how the entire TikTok algorithm works and figure out the features essential for you to.
Leverage Influencer Marketing to the Maximum
More than paid advertisements, TikTok influencer marketing has the upper hand when it comes to doing business on TikTok. This is not only limited to TikTok. A lot of other platforms have the same TikTok marketing strategy.
The reason behind this is this simple explanation; influencers promoting good products and sharing helpful information online have evolved to become gurus or role models for the younger generation.
Thus, when such people promote a product, their user interface automatically diverts their attention to your item. So even if you do not make that many sales, you do manage to grab a lot of attention. And if three or four people out of the ten that view your product end up buying your items, isn’t that good?
In today’s time, investing in influencers is as crucial as advertising your products. You can search for local influencers on your radar by looking up suitable hashtags.
Influencers tend to increase brand awareness by a whopping eighty-six percent. They reach your main or target audience and provide promising sales. They act like walking advocates of your company. Hence, whenever someone questions them regarding your items, they will always have to sell them due to the contract or verbal agreement they have with you.
And there is no doubt that customers trust their opinion. Even though you barely know that person, their constant presence on the online platforms makes them a part of your life in one way or another. Hence whenever they post about a product, you are bound to get interested in whatsoever they are advertising.
Make Use of One of the Largest Social Shopping Hub
Out of all the other social media platforms, TikTok marketing holds the most elevated statistics for regular social consumers. This shows that people using the app tend to buy items more frequently compared to the rest of the apps.
The ability that the application holds in terms of influencing shoppers to buy a particular product is insane. Vendors post links to their items directly on the video or in the caption that leads the customer directly to the website.
And once a customer is on the website, consider half of your work is accomplished as it is a human instinct to add items to online shopping carts even when you do not need to buy those products!
Use Hashtags as a Free Tool of Service
If you see a sponsored post on the app, notice the hashtags in the caption below. According to the app’s algorithm, there must be one or two such hashtags that are trendy. You can learn more about it on the TikTok marketing guide online. Please keep track of such hashtags and make maximum use of them.
There is no advertising like free advertising. And this is just a matter of intelligent play that has to be done from your side. Please keep track of trends and follow their hashtags religiously. Use such trends to market your products and thus put all those hashtags to work.
These branded hashtag trends and challenges hold a lot of power, and they will never be enough to emphasize how powerful they are.
Like #SquidGame has 76.2 billion views!
@emirelidemir0 Squid Game Dalgona Şekerlemesi Tarifi💯 Bunu diziyi seven arkadaşlarına gönder👆🏻 #keşfet #seniniçin #fyp #foru #foryoupage #beniöneçıkart #yemek #viral #foryou #food #squidgame #dalgona
Do Not Confuse TikTok With Other Platforms
If you are an avid Facebook or Instagram user, do not try and make the mistake of approaching TikTok in the same manner. This app is unique; thus, you need to browse and indulge in its world entirely before diving into the market for your item.
The algorithm on TikTok is very different, so you need to be aware of how you put the app to your use. You can view TikTok marketing tactics online to see how the algorithm of the app works.
Know your target audience before you start advertising it. If it is something that is meant for young males and you market it using trendy makeup videos, your product may not launch as well as it should. So, it is very crucial to know your audience.
Featured Article: 16 Best Free Social Media Management Tools Every Marketer Should Know
Know Who Is Online on TikTok
It should not sound so surprising that women lead the statistics when it comes to marketing on TikTok as they rule the influencer industry.
Also, the female to male ratio of the users on TikTok has revealed that there are more women on TikTok than men. As a result, you ought to better understand what market to target when launching your product.
(source)
Therefore, you need to spend some time figuring out who exactly wants to see your content on TikTok.
Be Consistent While Posting
A social media calendar is your best friend when it comes to consistent posting because then you are actually able to hold yourself accountable. So your TikTok calendar should look somewhat like your regular calendar but without the “dinner date” & “beach party” markings.
Instead, it should show you what you are supposed to post that day. There are plenty of calendars that you can use for this purpose. We have a super comprehensive social media content calendar template as well.
Or you could make use of our social media calendar feature, where you can schedule and organize posts in one go!
Experiment, Experiment, & Then Do Some More Experiments
TikTok is not your conventional social media, and neither is it old-school marketing. Therefore, there is no cookie-cutter method of getting exactly what you want. Without experimenting with the TikTok best practices, you won’t be able to launch yourself on TikTok.
Aim to shoot for the stars on TikTok because everyone is doing their own thing on the platform. I think it’s safe to say that TikTok is currently the most diverse social media platform!
Use Social Champ to Boost TikTok Marketing
With Social Champ, you can easily manage your TikTok marketing processes along with other networks. Social Champ supports; Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest, and Google Business Profile as well.
From the platform, you can easily;
- Schedule TikTok videos
- Track TikTok videos
- Organize TikTok vidoes
- Review & reply to comments
Learn how to use TikTok with Social Champ!
Conclusion
As important as the steps mentioned above are, it will all go in vain if you are inactive enough or do not post regularly. You can’t wait and sit back expecting a bizarre trend that hypes your video, making it the highest viewed product on the app. You need to build your brand step-by-step and make sure to follow the right TikTok ad specs!
And, always keep a track record of your progress!
