Using TikTok for Business
By Bobbi Wharran | bobbi@pancakedigitalsolutions.com
It seems like everywhere you look, marketers are talking about TikTok. And with good reason.
Its popularity has exploded among the younger generations over the last couple of years. In fact, by early 2019, TikTok reached 1 billion downloads, overtaking both Facebook and Instagram.
So what does that have to do with using it for your business? Let’s take a look.
What is TikTok?
The network was created in China and was originally called Music.ly. In 2018, it was rebranded as TikTok and quickly grew throughout the US and Australia.
TikTok is a video platform where most users share videos up to 15 seconds long, but there’s also an option to share 60-second-long story-type videos as well.
It’s amazing what creative minds can come up with when only given 15 seconds!
Stats You Should Know About TikTok
The app has over 500 million users worldwide
It was the 3rd most downloaded app in Q1 of 2019
41% of users are 16-24 years of age
TikTok is available in 144 countries
It reached 1 million video views per day in its first year
So as you can see, the marketing potential of TikTok is HUGE! But only if your target audience fits into the demographic, which brings us to the next section.
Should You Market on TikTok?
The base of TikTok’s demographic is made up of 13 to 24-year-olds.
So, the biggest thing to consider is whether your target audience falls into that age range or not. If it does, then here are some ideas to help you with your TikTok marketing.
How to Market on TikTok
There are 3 main ways to use TikTok as part of your marketing strategy.
Create your own channel and upload relevant videos
Partner with influencers to help spread awareness to a large audience
Pay to advertise – keep in mind that advertising is in its very early stages but as the platform grows, so will the potential of advertising
At this stage, most businesses choose to do a combination of creating original content and partnering with influencers.
Here are some ideas that you can use to create your own content or ask influencers to do on your behalf.
Hashtag Challenges
As we’ve seen across other platforms, people LOVE doing challenges!
Remember the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge?
TikTok challenges are no different. In 2018, Jimmy Fallon of The Tonight Show created a #tumbleweedchallenge, which generated over 8,000 video submissions and had over 10.4 million engagements in less than a week! He has since partnered with TikTok to create more popular challenges.
So, how can you use a challenge to increase brand awareness? Simply come up with a great idea, create a unique hashtag, and put it out there. If you’re just getting started, working with an influencer might be a good idea to get your challenge more exposure.
User-Generated Content
Just like the challenges, people love to take videos of their experiences. Encourage your audience to take a video of themselves and their friends using your product. This is a great way to get unique and original content created for your brand without having to create it yourself.
Influencer Marketing
Since advertising on TikTok is still in the planning stages, this traditional marketing method is currently the most effective way to get your brand quick visibility.
If you do decide to partner with an influencer, check out this article by Social Report to be sure you do it the right way.
On the Table
If your target audience falls into the average age range of TikTok users, then adding it to your marketing strategy might be a good idea. And since its popularity is still experiencing rapid growth, there’s no time like the present to get started.
For more marketing tips, check out our other blog posts!
Originally written for PDS. Updated & Republished here for Rianna M. Hill content.
