How to promote a business on TikTok - 4 types of content
TikTok isn't just the addictive endless feed of videos that your Gen Z kids, siblings, nieces and nephews can't stop talking about. It's the social platform where content has the highest chance of going viral.
TikTok isn't just the addictive endless feed of videos that your Gen Z kids, siblings, nieces and nephews can't stop talking about. It's the social platform where content has the highest chance of going viral.
As of May 2020, TikTok has 800 million active users worldwide. Projections for this year show that 45.4 million of those users are in the United States. Although TikTok's largest user demographic is teenagers and young adults aged 16-24, adults and paying audiences are already active on the platform as well. It's no longer just a Gen Z fad, but one of the fastest-growing social media platforms in the world and an advertising haven for businesses.
TikTok is like Instagram, only with videos
Moreover, TikTok videos are very easy to create. You don't need a huge creative marketing team to create engaging video content that your audience will watch. All you need is a phone, an app, and a desire to try something new. So, is TikTok good for business? The short answer is yes! However, it is definitely not suitable for every business.
Here are some sure signs that you should try this platform:
You have a young target audience (ages 16–35).
You want to increase awareness of your business/brand among your target audience.
You can easily showcase your products/services in a video.
You feel comfortable sharing branded video content.
You're ready to try something new.
You don't mind spending time experimenting with content and platform.
The bottom line is that TikTok is not a "serious" platform. The companies that do best on TikTok are those that post fun, light-hearted, and visually pleasing videos and follow popular trends.
Looking for a little inspiration? Take a look at the brands on TikTok that are making the most of the platform's potential: Nike, Chipotle, Skittles, Fenty Beauty, Pepsi and Universal Pictures.
Four types of TikTok content to promote your business
User-generated videos are TikTok's main asset. But when it comes to how the videos you share should be made and what other content sources you can use, there's a little more to cover.
TikTok is like Instagram, only with videos
Moreover, TikTok videos are very easy to create. You don't need a huge creative marketing team to create engaging video content that your audience will watch. All you need is a phone, an app, and a desire to try something new. So, is TikTok good for business? The short answer is yes! However, it is definitely not suitable for every business.
Here are some sure signs that you should try this platform:
You have a young target audience (ages 16–35).
You want to increase awareness of your business/brand among your target audience.
You can easily showcase your products/services in a video.
You feel comfortable sharing branded video content.
You're ready to try something new.
You don't mind spending time experimenting with content and platform.
The bottom line is that TikTok is not a "serious" platform. The companies that do best on TikTok are those that post fun, light-hearted, and visually pleasing videos and follow popular trends.
Looking for a little inspiration? Take a look at the brands on TikTok that are making the most of the platform's potential: Nike, Chipotle, Skittles, Fenty Beauty, Pepsi and Universal Pictures.
Four types of TikTok content to promote your business
User-generated videos are TikTok's main asset. But when it comes to how the videos you share should be made and what other content sources you can use, there's a little more to cover.
Videos created by your team
The main type of content your business should share on TikTok is your own video content created by you and your team.
The main type of content your business should share on TikTok is your own video content created by you and your team.
Here are the components that make up an engaging, popular, and viral TikTok video for business:
Authenticity. Most users shoot videos using their phone and natural light. Apply the same approach to your content.
Faces. This is your chance to engage with your audience as a group of people, not as a business. Users don't want to look at objects, they want to look at people.
Comedy. Users come to TikTok to get the dopamine hit and lift their spirits, so take advantage of this and post videos that make people smile.
Kinship. Users watch, like, and share content they understand and can relate to. Don't treat videos as direct advertising.
Challenges. People always like a challenge, and if it's a good challenge, TikTok users will want to join in.
The ultimate goal of your videos is to make them go viral. However, this is easier said than done. The better you can leverage the attributes above, the more likely you are to increase engagement.
Authenticity. Most users shoot videos using their phone and natural light. Apply the same approach to your content.
Faces. This is your chance to engage with your audience as a group of people, not as a business. Users don't want to look at objects, they want to look at people.
Comedy. Users come to TikTok to get the dopamine hit and lift their spirits, so take advantage of this and post videos that make people smile.
Kinship. Users watch, like, and share content they understand and can relate to. Don't treat videos as direct advertising.
Challenges. People always like a challenge, and if it's a good challenge, TikTok users will want to join in.
The ultimate goal of your videos is to make them go viral. However, this is easier said than done. The better you can leverage the attributes above, the more likely you are to increase engagement.
2. User Content
As you create and share video content and your subscriber base grows, it's likely that members of your audience will interact with you in some way. They may recreate/parody your videos (especially funny or quirky ones), use your products in videos, record responses to your videos, or create “duets” with your videos. These are all great opportunities to engage with your audience and post additional content on your account.
Plus, given the sheer number of users, you can imagine how many videos are posted per day, and it's entirely possible that your business or related products have been used or mentioned before you even joined TikTok. Find these videos and participate in them. One great way to find user-generated content is to search hashtags related to your company, niche, or products.
As you create and share video content and your subscriber base grows, it's likely that members of your audience will interact with you in some way. They may recreate/parody your videos (especially funny or quirky ones), use your products in videos, record responses to your videos, or create “duets” with your videos. These are all great opportunities to engage with your audience and post additional content on your account.
Plus, given the sheer number of users, you can imagine how many videos are posted per day, and it's entirely possible that your business or related products have been used or mentioned before you even joined TikTok. Find these videos and participate in them. One great way to find user-generated content is to search hashtags related to your company, niche, or products.
3. Advertisements
On June 25, 2020, TikTok officially launched its new advertising platform called TikTok For Business. It will serve as a marketing hub for company accounts. This is another reason why TikTok is now supporting businesses. Here are the different types of advertising you can use:
TopView: The ad banner that users see when they first open the app.
In-feed videos: Ads that appear between user-generated content. These ads can help you increase clicks, website traffic, and downloads of your app.
Brand Takeovers: Similar to TopView. This advertising option is designed to increase brand awareness.
Hashtag Challenges: Opportunity to promote a branded hashtag you create to increase engagement and awareness. As a rule, it adds motivation for users to create their own content with this hashtag. Often brands create their own track/jingle for the Hashtag Challenge.
Branded AR effects: Augmented reality filters that companies can “place” in a dedicated section of a user’s camera within an app. These effects usually include the brand's trending products or logo.
On June 25, 2020, TikTok officially launched its new advertising platform called TikTok For Business. It will serve as a marketing hub for company accounts. This is another reason why TikTok is now supporting businesses. Here are the different types of advertising you can use:
TopView: The ad banner that users see when they first open the app.
In-feed videos: Ads that appear between user-generated content. These ads can help you increase clicks, website traffic, and downloads of your app.
Brand Takeovers: Similar to TopView. This advertising option is designed to increase brand awareness.
Hashtag Challenges: Opportunity to promote a branded hashtag you create to increase engagement and awareness. As a rule, it adds motivation for users to create their own content with this hashtag. Often brands create their own track/jingle for the Hashtag Challenge.
Branded AR effects: Augmented reality filters that companies can “place” in a dedicated section of a user’s camera within an app. These effects usually include the brand's trending products or logo.
4. Content created by bloggers
You've probably already seen influencer marketing in action on YouTube and Instagram. When it comes to TikTok, influencer marketing isn't just alive there, it's thriving there.
Here's who to look for when choosing a blogger to work with:
A large number of subscribers or with high audience involvement.
The blogger has already worked with brands or products similar to yours.
The blogger is active in your niche (fitness, beauty, lifestyle, home, etc.).
When launching an advertising campaign involving bloggers, it is extremely important to be strategic. It is necessary to request complete account statistics, and it is also advisable to check them yourself through special software - some unscrupulous bloggers deliberately distort the data, for example, by indicating statistics for the period when they themselves poured money into advertising their account. It is clear that such data is irrelevant, but by doing so the blogger can inflate the cost of advertising.
Promoting a business on TikTok is not as easy as it may seem
To summarize, I would like to note: competently and effectively promoting a business on TikTok is a complex work. There are examples of brands that have been posting videos on the platform for months and have not been able to attract much attention to themselves, despite spending their resources on it. On the other hand, there are a lot of examples of companies that, from the first month, managed to find their niche on TikTok and gained an audience of loyal subscribers who happily become clients.
