Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past couple years, then surely you have heard of the app Tik Tok. It’s the app that has people from practically every age group doing short dance and singing videos. In this article, we are going to do a deep-dive into Tik Tok and analyze why this app has been considered one of the best marketing strategies for brands all over the world.
Launched in 2018, Tik Tok was created in China as a video-sharing app, mainly targeted towards the so-called Z generation. At first, the app seemed to be a little strange since we haven’t seen anything like this before; however, it quickly made the headlines around the world. Today, it’s one of the most successful apps, especially popular among teens. What’s more, its fame seems to be growing by the minute since many celebrities are using it to share their dance moves and fun times. A few years ago, the app bought out Musical.ly, which practically helped migrate users to the new, very well structured, and combined Tik Tok social media.
But apart from teens and celebs, can companies grow on the platform and attract potential customers there? Keep reading to find out!
Do you know that Tik Tok has already generated billions of installs? Well, it sure is a huge milestone for Tik Tok’s marketing team, although they’re just at the very beginning of becoming the next massive social media, used by everyone.
The success of the platform is so huge that it absolutely outshined Google Play and other apps. Only in March 2019, TikTok made over 1.1 billion downloads, and each month it makes about 500 million installs. With such exposure, businesses should definitely consider experimenting with its features and functionalities. Youngers mainly use it, however, it’s specifically popular among celebrities as well, promoting their or somebody else’s brand. So, can you make money there? Of course, you can! There’s always room for experiments and tests, especially when there’s a new tool, social media, app, etc. Wondering how to get started? Here are a few ways to do it properly.
People love playing games, especially with hashtags. Need some proof? If you know Jimmy Fallon’s late-night show, then you must know how huge this thing is.
For the rest of you, though, who have no idea what this is all about, here’s how it goes. Let’s say that the hashtag word is #myworstdate, and then people start sharing stories with this hashtag. With TikTok, though, hashtags challenges are usually accompanied by videos, which is the core of the platform. And, as we all know, videos are one of the easiest, cheapest, and most entertaining way to reach more people.
What’s more, teens are more prone to taking part in such games and fun activities, so the viral effect is almost guaranteed.
Such challenges and games are actually what made Tik Tok such a fun, exciting, and desired place for people. It came out of nowhere, making everybody scratch their heads in confusion, but now it’s the most viral app in recent history. The hashtag challenges work for both celebrities, being in the role of influencers, and also for new or famous brands. These challenges could be done in different ways. Some may require to have a particular inherent talent, while others may be just for fun. Whatever the purpose, the main focus should be making people want to engage with your brand and participate in your games! Celebs have already found the way to do it. Need an example? Why not check out Jennifer Lopez’s challenge video?
A year ago, the famous soccer club B. Munich signed up for the new social media channel with the primary goal of reaching more young followers. At first, it seemed a bit odd for a soccer club to be on this type of platform; however, they had something in mind when releasing clips of their team.
Generally, the app is all about spreading viral, short clips of people doing funny or quirky things; but the soccer club decided to film a video of their players dancing on the field. Since the club signed up for the platform, it has reached over 80 000 new fans, and it only took them about a few posts per week to get over 4 million views in total!
The app may still be a baby, but there’s always some opportunity for growth if you have eyes for it! One of the most significant benefits of Tik Tok is that it’s still a new one, so there’s really not many advertisers there; and it’s certainly not as crowded as Facebook, Instagram, or even Snapchat. Also, your top competitors are probably not there yet, so now is the perfect time to get more exposure and fans.
By the way, if you want to venture into ads as well, do it now while it’s still cheaper. Although, if you ask us, start with organic posts first to test the waters and build from there. Generally, the app offers endless opportunities to be more creative, so gather your marketing team and think of a way to reach more fans with entertaining content.
Note that, according to statistics, 53% of Tik Tok users share video content. Maybe this is why Taylor Swift got the attention so quickly.
Although the use of ads on this platform is still pretty much new, you can try it and see how it works for you. At least you will get the attention of the users, and the ads are still relatively cheap. Similarly to other social media channels, you should pay attention to key metrics, such as impressions, clicks, reach, etc. These takeover ads can be used for your brand’s landing page as Tik Tok offers a special package for categories. In other words, you can take over a specific category per day, which sounds very good. These takeover ads could be images, GIFs, or videos. Your choice!
Another form of ads is the so-called branded ads. One of the first brands that were brave enough to use them was Guess. The brand came up with the #InMyDenim challenge, and everyone who opened the app was instantly directed to it, eventually getting over 36 million views.
It’s a form of sponsored hashtag challenges that are like banner ads on the discover page. When clicked, it directs users to a challenge page with instructions for the challenge itself, with some original content that addresses the hashtag. This luxury will inevitably cost you some cash, but it’s 100% worth testing!
In-feed native video ads are an effective way to catch people’s attention while scrolling through the feed. The format is still being tested, as it shows sponsored videos in the main feed alongside a “learn more” button. When clicked, the button encourages you to tap to get more info. According to Tik Tok’s creators, this button could be customized to fit your needs, but it’s still being tested, so there could be some limitations. The native video ads are about the same length as the regular TikTok clips (between 9-15 sec), as the test ad runs for only 5 seconds.
The ads are full-screen and are similar to Instagram Stories ads, but can be skipped by users. The format also supports call-to-actions for app downloads and site visits. As for analysis, marketers can measure the effectiveness of an ad by total video views, video engagement, click-through rate, average video duration, etc. But to find out whether it’s the best format for your brand, there’s no other way but to run a few tests.
Which TikTok strategy would you implement first?
Well, if you ask us, you should test the waters by experimenting with all of them. If you can’t find a way to get started, you can always check what other brands are doing. Generally, Tik Tok makes a fantastic way to promote your business and expand your marketing activity.
It’s a relatively new social media platform, and that’s the beauty of it – it’s not as crowded as Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, LinkedIn, etc. So, get your team together, sign up for the app, and think of ideas for fun videos, challenges, and content in general.
Last but not least, make sure to keep an eye out for the trends out there. Be active, check other people’s profiles; see what celebs are doing and how they communicate with their following there. But most importantly, make your brand visible for others on TikTok. It may be a completely different experience for your brand, but it can also bring you many benefits. Whatever strategy you come up with, remember this: be active on Tik Tok, engage with people, and don’t be too shy to explore new things on the platform.
Andriu is a full-stack digital marketer who is originally from Venezuela. For the past 5 years, he has freelanced on everything from PPC to copywriting to SEO. Now he writes his insights, guides, and tutorials on Internet Marketing Bro.
Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past couple years, then surely you have heard of the app Tik Tok. It’s the app that has people from practically every age group doing short dance and singing videos. In this article, we are going to do a deep-dive into Tik Tok and analyze why this app has been considered one of the best marketing strategies for brands all over the world.
