What You Need To Know To Make The Social Platform Work For You
One of the most important concepts in marketing is to be present where your target audience is, and if you are a brand targeting generation Z, TikTok is where you want to be right now. T
ikTok is outpacing both Facebook and Instagram in app downloads, and has been gaining massive popularity - especially with users under 24 years old. In this blog, Hollywood Branded shares a quick guide to TikTok to make the social platform work for you.
What is Tik Tok?
Tik Tok is a platform where you share 15 to 60 second videos. And don't be confused with thinking this isn't a big deal app - to date, the app has over 1.5 billion downloads! Users can shoot and edit videos on the app as well as add music, special effects, filters and more. Like other social media platforms, users can follow other people as well as like and comment on posts. In the US, 60% of Tik Tok users are between the age of 16-24.
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The most popular content on Tik Tok includes dance videos, lip sync videos, and short comedy skits. There are also a substantial number of users who use the platform to share their thoughts and experiences.
One of the best examples of the power of the three-year old app’s popularity is when Lil Nas X used the platform to skyrocket his hit “Old Town Road” all the way to the top of the US Billboard 100.
How Do You Make A Successful Video On TikTok?
First, knowing the terminology can be useful and help you create more authentic content. TikTok users have some terms unique to the app that they use to refer to certain things. For example, a hit is called a banger on TikTok. One of the sure-fire ways to get a hit on TikTok is to look at the “For You” page and see what is trending.
Another good way to rise to fame is to make a meme, which is one of the most popular content options on TikTok. You need to ensure to make it relatable to your target audience and create an attention-grabbing caption. The difference between a good video and “a banger” sometimes comes down to a great caption.
How Can You Use TikTok To Market Your Product Or Services?
The main marketing opportunity on TikTok is to work with influencers. Multiple brands have successfully worked with influencers on TikTok to promote their product lines - like Target did in marketing their Vera Bradley Collection
Or like Too Faced did in raising awareness for their new Damn Girl mascara.
TikTok Best Practices With Influencer Partnerships
There are some best practices around working with influencers on TikTok. Generation Z have been known to be difficult as they are not very welcoming often with traditional advertisers. Which means if you are planning on doing influencer marketing on TikTok, you need to realize and take note of that. Videos posted should seem natural and be more of a truly real and genuine endorsement from these influencers. The key to marketing with influencers on TikTok is to make sure it feels authentic.
Just like any other social media platform, different influencers on TikTok appeal to different target audiences. Brands need to ensure that they choose the right influencers to partner with based on their target market.
Hashtag Challenges + More!
In addition to working with influencers, brands can also market on TikTok by publishing advertisements. Their advertisement system, however, is still somewhat being figured out, and you may have price shock when you inquire.
TikTok has a high organic reach, which means creating and posting your own video can also be a great way to bring attention to your brand. An interesting way to bring attention to your brand in TikTok is through using hashtag challenges.
So what IS a hashtag challenge? This is one of the more popular ways to create content and get noticed. People film themselves doing what the hashtag challenge dares them to do and subsequently post that video to their TikTok account. Along of course, with the trending hashtag.
One of the most popular use of this challenge as a marketing campaign is Guess’ #InMyDenim hashtag challenge where users film themselves transforming from a mess to well dressed. The challenge gathered 33 million viewed videos. It was also in partnership with TikTok, who ensured the challenge was repeatedly seen as part of their algorithm.
TikTok Pitfalls To Watch Out For
On the flip side, the platform can bring unwanted, negative attention to your brand. The largest audience on TikTok by far are those under the age of 18 right now, and unfortunately many teens and tweens will do almost anything for attention. Which means that there are numerous physically dangerous challenges that underage TikTokers are embarking on, all to appear cool and part of the trend. Brands need to try to make sure that they do not get associated with these challenges.
We all remember the Tide Pod Challenge from 2018. Teenagers were filming themselves eating Tide Pods, frothing at the mouth, all for a couple thousand views, and many were sent to the emergency room. Procter & Gamble had to create their own video content to warn teenagers of the dangers of consuming their detergent pods. Still to this day you cannot buy Tide Pods in many grocery stores on shelf, and instead have to bring the card to the register to alert them you want to make a purchase. Brands need to monitor their presence on TikTok to prevent their own brands from being swept up in unwanted challenges.
Don't Get Left Behind
While many marketers may be arguing if TikTok is a viable platform for long term growth, what cannot be denied is that there is a significant audience of young people on the app. And it is also going to start trending older - especially with the amount of time people have during COVID-19. The platform IS picking up speed with older millennials and gen xers primarily because it is a happy place to be. Those tweens, teens and gen zers are the first to flock to a social platform, but just like with Facebook and Instagram, their parents are not that far behind.
If your brand is catering to a younger audience, using this platform should be a significant part of your long-term marketing and growth strategy. Need advice on how you can leverage TikTok and its influencers for your brand? Reach out to Hollwood Branded or check out our own TikTok. We're still figuring it out ourselves as an agency branding vehicle - and at the least, you can get a few chuckles to see what our team has been up to!
Interested in learning more about social platforms and best practices to market your company with? Check out some of the blogs below where our team has provided guidance and insight:
- TikTok Is The Next Big Thing For Brand Marketing
- Tracking The Trends: Podcast Interview
- 3 Insights To Create Affordable Influencer Marketing Campaigns
- 3 Things Brands Need To Understand About FTC Guidelines On Influencers
- 3 Tips To Make Your Brand Appealing To Top Social Media Influencers
- Think Outside The Box: Podcast Interview
- 5 Signs Your Brand Should Invest in Influencer Marketing
- 8 Step Guide On How Much To Spend On Social Influencer Marketing
- Why An Influencer Isn't Responding To Your Inquiries
Ready to work with influencers and up your game? Then check out our guide on social influencer partnerships - we betyou'll learn something you didn't know before!
