How Do You Boost Engagement On The Hottest App?
TikTok is very quickly becoming a strong competitor to other social media platforms such as Instagram and Facebook. It may even be taking the lead for constant viral content creation and enormous engagement. As a result of this, and the continuous growth of the platform, many brands are starting to devote more attention and effort to TikTok, and rightfully so.
Brands that are able to not only keep up with current trends but actually participate in them, as well, are able to effectively reach large audiences that become engaged with the brand. In this blog, Hollywood Branded gives you the 411 on the infamous social media app that is taking over the world as well as highlights some brands that are successfully utilizing everything TikTok has to offer.
Why TikTok?
TikTok is a relatively new social media platform that has skyrocketed in popularity since 2020, in part due to the increased free time people had isolating and working from home at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. TikTok, which was originally launched as Musical.ly in 2014, was created in 2018 with the mission to “create a community where everyone can be a creator” (Variety). Though TikTok was originally used exclusively by a younger audience to create 15-second videos on a mobile phone, it has now increased its reach to people of all ages and experiences and provided the option of creating 15-second to 3-minute videos which can either be filmed or edited on the app or uploaded from your camera roll. TikTok also added the ability to do live videos in 2019 which further increased creators' abilities to engage with their following. The content creation and follower engagement abilities that this app provides can be extremely beneficial to a brand wanting to increase engagement and awareness.
What Are The Trends And How Do I Identify and Keep Up With Them?
Simply put, a trend is what is poppin’ at the moment, but let me explain further. Trends are what is popular at a precise moment in time and it is typically characterized by a shift or change in the way people are behaving such as the way they dress, groom themselves, the music they listen to, etc. Trends are constantly changing and they even recycle, meaning what was popular a decade ago could become popular again.
This is a broadly used term that can relate to economics, politics, and even climate, but in the context of social media, a trend is a theme or “subject that experiences a surge in popularity on social media for a limited duration of time” (BIG COMMERCE). What is important to take note of from the previous definition is that trends are limited, sometimes lasting a week or even a few days, which is why it is crucial for you to be vigilant on social media so you can not only keep up but exploit them while they’re popular. Being vigilant means checking the TikTok “for you page” (which is essentially a randomized explore page consisting of popular content or content that the algorithm assumes is relevant to you) for a few minutes daily to see what’s trending. It can also be helpful to follow brands that are similar to yours and even popular brands that are dissimilar but can provide content inspiration.
How Can Using TikTok And Keeping Up With Trends Benefit My Brand?
With TikTok the possibilities are endless. Firstly, the app itself is capable of great video content creation by offering filter options, various transition effects, and other video effects such as time-lapse, slow motion, reverse, etc. The videos that you create on TikTok can be used on other platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and your Website. Aside from the content creation abilities, TikTok allows for more intimate or personable interaction with consumers which can increase positive feelings towards your brand.
By keeping up with trends and creating trendy content you have the ability to go viral which means millions of TikTok users will be exposed to your brand which therefore means millions of possible customers. Though it may take some time and effort to have a viral video, constant porting and engagement increase your chances of going viral significantly so consistency is key. Another benefit of TikTok is that it offers measurability. Similarly to Facebook and Instagram analytics, TikTok allows you to see the demographics of your followers so you can know the ratio of male to female followers that you have, as well as the regions they are from and the times of day and days of the week that they are most active so you know the optimal time for posting.
Brands That Are Killing It On TikTok
There is an increasing number of companies and brands joining TIKTOK however the most popular brands that are consistently creating viral and creative content to boost engagement (which also happen to be my personal favorite) are the following.
Duolingo
Duolingo has amassed over 3 million followers on TikTok since their first post in September 2021. When they first joined the platform, they were posting videos in a uniform, more formal style featuring people giving a quick lesson on how to say things in another language. While this content was useful and did have some engagement, the brand really started to go viral and gain a large audience when they began creating trendy and satirical content — especially when they introduced the Duolingo bird mascot. The use of the mascot in videos allowed for the brand to feel more tangible, as well as added a humorous aspect, that audiences clearly love as almost all of their videos receive upwards of 1 million views, hundreds of thousands of likes, and thousands of comments. The brand has not only taken advantage of social media, but of the entertainment industry as well, as many videos feature the Duolingo mascot crushing on international pop star Dua Lipa. Though these videos are clearly satirical and comical, people love that a huge brand like this is able to be fun and keep up with trends.
Scrub Daddy
Another brand that has done a fantastic job with trendy content creation and engagement is Scrub Daddy. If you had told me a year ago that a dish sponge would have over one million followers and 20 million, likes I probably wouldn’t believe you. But the fact of the matter is that Scrub Daddy has found a way to hook audiences with hilarious, educational, and trendy content. One aspect that people love about the brand is the informality of the content. The CEO of the company is constantly creating informal and friendly videos talking about the product, which allows people to connect more with the brand. Similarly to Duolingo, Scrub Daddy introduced their own mascot modeled after their infamous sponge as well as a giant human-sized replica of their original Scrub Daddy sponge. The mascot and giant sponge are regularly used in their videos to participate in current trends on the app, such as their most-viewed video which has over 20 million views. Though the video is short (around 7 seconds) and simple (featuring the sponge cleaning a singular spoon) it is the trending audio paired with the video that allowed it to amass such great reach and engagement. Not only does their content receive excellent engagement, but the brand engages with the community as well. Most notably is their collaboration with Vanesa Amaro who is, by trade, a housekeeper but has created her own niche called CleanTok which features videos of her giving cleaning advice and recommendations. She would frequently feature Scrub Daddy sponges in her videos, which caught the attention of the brand and led to their collaboration to create the Srub Babies line, which are miniature versions of the best-selling sponge. working together to create the Scrub Babies which are mini-sized versions of the original sponge. The result was a perfect strategic partnership which only broadened their reach and likability.
Ryan Air
Last, but certainly not least, I'd like to highlight Ryan Air. Just as with the previously mentioned brands, Ryan Air has taken advantage of TikTok trends to create highly engaging content. However, out of all three brands, I have to say Ryan Air is by far the funniest and frequently has me laughing out loud. All of their videos feature a Ryan Air airplane comically animated into a funny skit such as using a TikTok filter to put human eyes and a mouth on the plane to appear as if it is speaking and they even go as far as to do make airplane thirst traps. Yes, you read this right… pretty odd but it works for them. Followers love the humor and especially the fact that they can make videos making fun of themselves (for example mentioning their extremely low prices but the fact that they will charge high fees for extra bags). Though the airline only operates in Europe they have grown a fan base in North America so much so that their followers request for them to expand their flight reach. While other airlines such as Spirit and Virgin Atlantic have started following suit, it is important to note that Ryan Air was the first to realize the value of this platform and exploit it to their benefit.
Eager To Learn More?
Check out some more resources discussing helpful information about TikTok.
- 10 Products That Have Gove Viral On TikTok
- A Look Inside Scream's TikTok Marketing
- The Power of TikTok
- TikTok Is A Business Tool
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