What Is TikTok?
TikTok is a social media platform where users can share short-form videos that are up to three minutes long. It includes options for stories, which include a slideshow of videos, and livestreaming. Additionally, the app utilizes a “For You” page to provide users with recommended content based on previous video views.
Who Uses TikTok?
The clock app, a nickname created by a handful of TikTok users, was created in 2016 by Chinese-owned company ByteDance. It became globally available in 2018. As of now, there are over a billion monthly TikTok users in over 150 countries. The US has the largest TikTok audience, with 136.5 million users. Of the American users:
Why Do I Need This App?
TikTok is a platform that continues to rise in popularity, and that popularity can easily translate to marketing conversions. Because of the maximum video length allowed, videos are both easy to make and to watch. On average, users spend over 95 minutes on the app each day and 92% of users take action after watching a video.
It’s easy to see how TikTok can increase website clicks, leads, and audience reach due to the app structure. TikTok’s structure is its best quality. The short form design allows videos to have a vast reach. Because users scroll through more than a million videos a day, there’s a high likelihood of your video being seen. Content is also easily shareable, both for users and creators. Users can tap the bottom arrow to share a post with friends or repost the video on another platform. Creators can reuse content by posting videos to other socials before publishing to TikTok, letting you cross-promote your content and remarket your audience with ease.
There are also various ways to easily and quickly converse with your audience on TikTok. You can reply to viewers in the comment section, comment on other creators’ videos, or post a video in response to a comment. TikTok also has two uncommon features for social media platforms: the ability to stitch and to duet. Stitching is taking parts of another creator’s video to include in your video. Dueting is essentially a reaction. A duet splits the screen in two, showing the original video and your response at the same time.
Additionally, TikTok actively provides tools for business users to “Think like a marketer, act like a creator.” There’s an online learning center where you can learn how to create ads, determine budget, and interpret data. You can also download TikTok Ads Manager to access additional information about your activity and audience.
Utilizing paid content (see below), can further your marketing strategy because it’s immersive. TikTok is advertised as a community and as such, it rewards community engagement. The algorithm will push that content which can result in increased website transactions.
How Can My Business Go Viral?
Users can create promoted ads through a business account, though most companies rely on owned content. This is because there’s a high minimum spend for ads, which is not always ideal for small businesses.
TikTok’s advertising feature is relatively new and provides five types of paid content.
- In-feed ads show up on user’s For You Page as they naturally use the app.
- Top View is a once a day ad that shows up at the top of the For You Page when a user opens the app.
- Hashtag challenges allow businesses to create a challenge that users can participate in for six days with an exclusive hashtag.
- Brand takeovers are full-screen ads with a clickable screen to a particular landing page.
- Branded effects utilize augmented reality to create filters or stickers that users can use in a standalone ad or along with a hashtag challenge.
Now, how else can you go viral?
Challenges
Even without advertising through a paid hashtag challenge, you can create your own challenge for free You could start a with a concept like a dance challenge or a storytelling format. After that, you just need a matching hashtag.
Hashtags
Ideally your hashtags should be relevant to your industry. But, here’s a little trick: also use trending hashtags. If users enjoy a trend, they may scroll through the hashtag to find similar videos. Using a trending hashtag will include you in the thread, just make sure it’s related to your business and the content you’re posting.
Trends
The greatest proponent of trends is timeliness. The best chance of going viral is participating in a trend while it’s at its peak. So, if you hear a soundbite that inspires you and you have a video idea, post it! Your potential audience could move on to another trend in a few days. A note of caution: make sure you choose trends that appropriately match your business profile.
Influencers
Influencers are a great way to introduce your business to a new audience. Micro-influencers, creators with 10-100k followers, are smart for local content. It’s also cheaper to promote with influencers via TikTok than other apps, such as Instagram.
Authenticity
TikTok is a casual platform. A traditional ad isn’t the best tactic for this app. Lighthearted, honest videos will get you far. Part of the app appeal is how real a business can be. Thus, video prep really isn’t necessary. You don’t need a script, camera or ring light. Your phone will do the trick.
Audience
Understand your audience and your competitor’s audience. If they’re on the app, use social listening tools to analyze user engagement and any content gaps. Like with keyword research for SEO, research your hashtags to make sure they’re relevant to your target audience.
Tips & Tricks
- Keep your videos as short as you can.
- Have a strong call to action; it could be as simple as to follow your business.
- Post during the highest engagement times. You’ll learn when your audience is active under the insights of your business account.
- Use trending sounds to take advantage of their engagement.
- Use floating subtitles to engage your audience. They increase the impression rate by 55.7%.
- Share valuable industry information or a funny story about your business.
- Even though TikTok is a casual app, make sure your dominant brand messaging remains the same across all your social media platforms.
What Now?
TikTok is a growing platform with millions of users in the US alone. It’s smart to join social media platforms for your business as soon as you’re able to, and TikTok is no exception. Join now and see how your business fits within the TikTok community. It only takes one minute to set up an account and start using this new platform to your advantage. Looking for guidance about posting and your TikTok marketing strategy? We can help! Contact us today to learn more about our social media marketing services.
