Since the inception of TikTok for business, marketers have been advised to create TikToks, not ads. The idea is that although it is an ad and is marked as “sponsored,” the ads will blend in with all the other content to increase retention and therefore clicks. It is thus important that marketers try a variety of methods and constantly improve on them for better results.
TikTok has been growing exponentially since the pandemic, and it is beneficial for businesses that take advantage of its current popularity. According to data captured by beauty influencers, there has been a 481% in sponsored ad engagements since 2020. It is clear to see its influence on business.
WHAT IS TIKTOK?
TikTok is a video-sharing app made to be viewed on phones as a form of entertainment. It hosts a community of creators, much like YouTube. Videos can be created using just a phone and are then uploaded. Paying attention to the platform, it is often found that the most popular videos are simple and were most likely filmed with just a phone camera in a decently lit room. This presents an opportunity for businesses that normally spend big on professionally filmed ads for TV and YouTube. This is where the idea of “make TikToks, not ads” comes in.
WORKING WITH CREATORS
However, it is difficult for businesses that know nothing about creating content to create content. A simple solution to this problem would be to work with existing TikTok creators who have an audience. These creators would not relish the opportunity to monetarily benefit from what they enjoy doing the most, so businesses should not hesitate to engage with the creator community. It is also important to find specific creators in niches that will reach an audience more likely to engage with your product.
TAKE ADVANTAGE OF TRENDS
Trends are an easy way to get views. Adapting a trend to your brand will provide you the opportunity to increase engagement with your brand through exposure. Your timing is very important. Trends move swiftly through the internet and often last only a few days, so trying to hop onto a trend a week late will not gain much traction and will be buried by the TikTok algorithm. In addition to this, using more innovative ways to utilize trends is to be a trend, perhaps through a series of challenges that your audience can engage in, and thus would benefit your brand more as every iteration of the trend would be attached to your brand.
TikTok is an important tool to engage with to keep up with the rapid scaling capabilities the internet could provide for businesses. It is a way to generate clicks in a much more engaging way. In order for your business to grow, you need to become part of the trend; you need to reinvent your marketing strategies by reinventing old ones, such as scrapping the ad and instead becoming a TikToker.
