With its streamlined approach to content creation and fast-learning algorithm for feed recommendation, TikTok has become the favorite social video app for over a billion users worldwide. But its unstoppable growth has also attracted companies, giving rise to marketing of TikTok.
What exactly is TikTok and why should you include it in your marketing strategy? Launched in 2017, TikTok is a social platform that allows users to create, share and consume their own bite-sized social media video content. It also allows them to build on videos made by other users and participate in hashtag challenges.
This low barrier to entry distinguishes TikTok from the curated image of Instagram and the professional sensation of YouTube. And for many people looking for an accessible and authentic way to connect, it's where all the fun begins.
It's also where you should start or carry out your video marketing next. All the features we mentioned above can help you reach your target market while localizing your targeting efforts. Then there's TikTok advertising, which is still low cost y less competitive, since not all other small businesses are in it yet. Furthermore, when it comes to consumer spending last year, TikTok It came in second place, only after Tinder.
This is your chance to earn impressions, engagement and revenue on one of the most viable mobile apps globally.
If you want to take advantage of the opportunity, this blog will show you how to use TikTok for business without missing a beat so you can maximize your profile, content, and connection on the platform. Let's get to work.
Marketing on TikTok: Demographics
Before we show you how to use TikTok for business, let's learn about the dominant demographics on the social media video platform.
Generation Z and Millennials
Of TikTok's 80 million monthly active users in the United States, 26 percent are between 25 and 44 years old, mostly millennials. It is noteworthy how the millennial generation has surpassed the Baby Boomers in numbers and has been known for its growing purchasing power.
But at a whopping 60 percent, Generation Z or Generation Z (16 to 24) is the largest audience on TikTok. This younger generation may still live with their parents, but studies say their members can influence family purchasing decisions. Gen Z-ers also have high ad recall, which is good news for brands that employ TikTok ads.
Others
TikTok data shows that 60 percent of users are women, while 40 percent are men. In terms of frequency of use, Statista shares that almost a third are heavy users (use TikTok for ⅔ of a month) and another third are light users (use TikTok for ⅓ of a month).
How to use TikTok for business
Now is the time to create your TikTok account for small, medium or large businesses. No matter the size of your business, you'll set up a TikTok business account.
These are the steps to create a TikTok profile:
1. Download and install the app on App Store , Google Play o Amazon Appstore . Be sure to come back to this guide once you have downloaded the app.
2. Sign up for an individual account using a company-designated email address just in case. But you can also try single sign-on (SSO) options, like your company's Facebook or Twitter.
3. Enter your preferred username, choose interests (for better feeding recommendations), and use the Discover tool to follow TikTok trends and accounts. Pro tip from social media marketing experts: If your competitors have a TikTok business account, follow them to stay up to date with what they're doing.
4. Once you have a lay of the land, you can switch to a TikTok business account. Simply click Me in the bottom panel, which will take you to Settings & Privacy. Under Account, tap Manage account and then choose Switch to business account.
5. Once you have changed, you can choose your TikTok profile category.
Next, be sure to edit and optimize your profile, including your bio, website, and, if applicable, other video marketing profiles on Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter. In the next section, we'll delve into optimization and other ways to be visible on TikTok.
Optimization is a medium to long-term effort, so consider partnering with a TikTok marketing company to effectively boost your profile.
Four ways to promote your TikTok profile
Even when you exist as a big brand or small business TikTok account on the social video app, you need to think like your target audience, Tear recommends taking advantage of TikTok's interest-based algorithm, which "learns from the behavior and actions of a user to present interest-based content.
At the same time, Tear says you can create TikTok ads or organic videos and still achieve the following goals:
• Build a meaningful connection with customers
• Offer information within your industry
• Position yourself as an industry leader
Here are four practical ways to promote your small or medium/large business profile on TikTok:
1. Join hashtag challenges
What is TikTok without its hashtag challenges?
You'll miss it if you don't get on the train. So whether you're just taking the reins or hiring a TikTok marketing agency to create your videos, make sure they align with relevant hashtag challenges to increase awareness, reach, and visibility for your brand.
A hashtag challenge features actions performed with specific sounds. It can be from brand or organic , with the opportunity to be seen by all users who follow that hashtag challenge.
2. Create trending videos
Are you a niche or small business TikTok page? Then get excited because TikTok trends and viral posts are at your fingertips. Prioritize crafting quality content for your target audience, research applicable hashtags, and post consistently.
While amateur videos on social media are a norm on the app, social media marketing experts suggest investing in a good microphone. Poor audio can affect the experience of your followers and potential followers.
Here are a couple of viral TikTok individual brand owners and small businesses to inspire you:
TikTok uses interest-based feed recommendations, giving you ample opportunities to position yourself in front of your target audience. Social media marketers and client creators on TikTok “have high confidence that their content is being shared with people interested in their topic and industry.”
3. Take advantage of TikTok influencer marketing
If your brand has been managed by a social media marketing agency before, you probably have an idea about working with influencers. Finding and reaching the top content creators on the platform remains an essential part of TikTok influencer marketing. However, it can also include developing content for hashtag challenges and TikTok trends, with the goal of grabbing the attention of influencers and getting them to duet with you.
Your TikTok influencer marketing strategy depends on your goals and which TikTok marketing services you or your TikTok marketing company consider a priority.
4. Maximize advertising on TikTok
Marketing on TikTok involves TikTok advertising. User-generated content (UGC) through TikTok hashtags, trends, and other marketing services is free advertising on TikTok. But you can also leverage brand solutions to drive results through the social video app.
• TopView – Full screen videos that can be up to 60 seconds long, offering premium placement
• Brand Takeover : static or dynamic images in full screen
• In-Feed Ads – Videos that appear in the For You feed, which can be up to 60 seconds long and receive engagement such as likes, comments and shares
• Challenge Branded Hashtag: Brand-specific hashtags that invite everyone to create UGC, increasing engagement rate by 8.5 percent on average
• Brand effects – Custom effects like stickers and filters that people can add to their visual content.
In addition to choosing the right format for your TikTok ads, consider how a social media marketing agency can help you with strategy and execution, from setting goals and budgets to managing and monitoring campaigns.
Video Marketing Mistakes to Avoid on TikTok
As a TikTok marketing company, we've encountered businesses making mistakes on social platforms and helped them fix them. Specific to TikTok client creators are the following:
Do not create vertical videos
The app has made vertical videos hugely popular, to the point that it has caused major rivals Instagram and Snapchat to take notice. While landscape videos make sense in general, think about TikTok's mobile-first users and adjust to their behavior.
Leaving out the call to action (CTA)
This is definitely a mistake you shouldn't make in your TikTok ads in 2021. On top of that, some brands and companies may use a vague or broad CTA. Our advice is that CTAs are always clear, specific and goal-oriented.
Challenges for TikTok Marketing for Small Businesses
If you are a small or medium-sized business, you may face the following challenges on TikTok:
Building your reach and followers
Increasing brand awareness involves optimizing your posts, and generating more income requires growing your followers. So what is TikTok thinking when its policy restricts profiles from performing certain actions? For example, you can't add a clickable website link to your bio or post it until you have 1,000 followers. It sounds like you'll be missing out on opportunities here to boost your visibility and drive leads to your business.
But TikTok has enforced these restrictions to prevent bad actors from gaming the system. Therefore, a partnership with a social media marketing agency will likely be needed to creatively address these challenges.
Short Form Video Maximization
Adaptability is a quality desired by a social media marketer. Those who have it will find, or have already found, a way to work within TikTok's short-form video format. Still, even though the original 15 seconds have been extended to 60 seconds and then three minutes*, it doesn't mean you always have to extend your content to the maximum length.
*In June 2021, TikTok said it would increase video length up to three minutes. This move allows creators to create more coherent content to showcase their expertise. It can be tricky, however, as the social media video app moves into YouTube-like territory.
If you're thinking about whether you need a social media marketing company to handle your video production, be sure to check out the strategy development capabilities of a TikTok marketing agency first. It's an advantage if you specialize in both organic advertising and paid advertising.
That's a wrapper
This guide has shown you that TikTok is not just a platform to consider in 2021. It should be an important consideration for increasing social media marketing results.
If you are interested in marketing on TikTok to boost brand awareness, engage your target audience, and drive conversions, you may have downloaded and installed it as instructed. But calculating the time, effort and cost required to manage it can set you back.
Indianwebs understands your dilemma. Many of our clients turn to our social media marketing company because they lack the bandwidth and expertise to implement platform-specific or cross-platform campaigns. But investing in the right solutions, like marketing and advertising on TikTok, allows them to achieve their business goals with moderate risks and high rewards.
Our TikTok marketing agency strategists can't wait for you to become a leading brand in your industry through this platform. Speak with us on how we can customize our TikTok marketing services to align with your urgent and long-term marketing needs.
