TikTok has exploded in popularity over the past few years, becoming one of the most engaging and viral social media platforms. With over 1 billion monthly active users, it’s a platform that brands simply cannot ignore if they want to reach Generation Z and young millennial audiences.
But how can you effectively use TikTok to market your business and connect with your target audience? Here are some of the top TikTok marketing strategies to know.
Get Familiar with TikTok Features and Culture
Before diving into TikTok marketing, it helps to understand the platform’s unique features and culture. TikTok is all about short-form video content set to music and other sounds. The platform is known for dance challenges, lip-syncing, comedy skits, and just having fun being creative.
Take some time to explore trending sounds, hashtags, effects, filters and observe what types of videos perform well. This will give you ideas for content formats as well as help you better understand TikTok users and what resonates with them. Considering hiring a social media management agency to help strategize your TikTok approach.
Create Engaging and Entertaining Video Content
TikTok is the ultimate platform for fun, entertaining short video content. To grow your brand’s TikTok audience, focus on creating videos that provide value, spark joy or simply make people laugh.
Short dance videos, comedy skits, behind-the-scenes footage, tutorials, and challenges tend to perform well. You don’t need fancy video production – TikTok is all about being real, authentic and connecting with your audience. Just have fun with it!
Utilize Trending Sounds and Hashtags
Leveraging viral sounds, songs and hashtags is key for getting your TikTok content seen by more users. Stay on top of what’s trending each day and incorporate popular sounds and hashtags where relevant.
You can give your own creative spin to trending sounds for a remix effect. Or use a popular sound along with a branded hashtag challenge inviting your audience to create their own videos. Getting in early on the next viral TikTok trend can do wonders for content reach.
Go Behind-the-Scenes
TikTok users love getting a peek behind the scenes of their favorite brands. Give them VIP access they can’t get anywhere else with behind-the-scenes footage of your products, office, events, etc.
Let your personality and company culture shine through to humanize your brand. Quick walkthroughs of your workspace, product development, and company perks or employees having fun will resonate more than polished promo footage. If you need help managing your online reputation, professionals can assist.
Hop on Duets and Stitches
Duets and stitches are a great way to engage the TikTok community by putting your own spin on existing videos. With a duet, you can react to someone else’s video side-by-side. Stitches let you integrate someone else’s video into your own.
Search relevant trending sounds and hashtags for content opportunities to duet or stitch. This helps expose your brand to new audiences from those original videos. You can even duet and stitch your own followers’ content featuring your products.
Go Live and Interact with Viewers
Live broadcasts allow for real-time interaction with your audience. The TikTok LIVE feature lets you stream content and engage with viewers through real-time commenting.
Consider going live to announce new products, share company news, offer sneak peeks, host Q&As, provide tutorials or just have fun with followers. Maintaining that human connection with your audience is what TikTok is all about.
Collaborate with Influencers
Influencer marketing is key on TikTok. Collaborating with TikTok creators who align with your brand helps expand your audience fast.
Do research to find influencers that truly resonate with your target market. Work with nano or micro-influencers in your niche to create co-branded content leveraging their creativity and authenticity. Make sure their audience and content tone matches your brand.
Launch Hashtag Challenges
Launching hashtag challenges invites TikTok users to create their own branded content. The key is choosing a challenge related to your products that people will genuinely want to participate in and spread.
Your hashtag challenge content should show off how to participate and inspire others to join in. Consider contest prizes or product rewards to generate more buzz. Then spotlight user generated content on your own TikTok channel.
Optimize Your Profile
As the face of your brand on TikTok, optimize your profile to attract the right audience. Choose a profile photo and bio that communicate your brand identity. Show off your brand personality through the profile photo, bio and linked website.
Refresh your bio with current popular hashtags related to your product or service. This makes your profile more discoverable and searchable for relevant content. Linking your website or online store also enables users to easily find and purchase from you.
Run TikTok Ads
Once you’ve grown an organic audience, TikTok ads can expand your reach and conversion rates. You can promote TikTok videos as ads to target users by interests, behaviors and demographics.
Test different audiences, placements and objectives to see what content and strategy resonates best. Retargeting ads to website visitors help convert leads into customers. Promoted LIVEs and Hashtag Challenges get more visibility for branded content.
Analyze Performance and Optimize
Continuously analyze your TikTok metrics and fine tune your approach for better results. Look at follower growth, engagement rates, video views, traffic sources and conversions generated by your channel.
See which types of content, hashtags and features are performing best and double down on those. Try out content at different times of day to determine when your audience is most active on the platform. Always stay on top of the latest TikTok trends and features. Tools like Google Analytics can provide invaluable insights.
Encourage Sharing and User Generated Content
The viral nature of TikTok depends on users actively sharing and creating their own branded content. Make it easy for fans to spread your videos wider through their own TikTok accounts and other platforms.
Hashtag challenges are a great way to spark user generated content. So are contests where you invite people to create TikToks featuring your product or brand. Then you can repost the best user generated videos, further spreading your brand reach.
TikTok presents an immense opportunity for brands to connect with younger audiences in a fun and authentic way. The key is embracing TikTok culture by being creative, entertaining and leveraging trending content. By consistently sharing engaging video content, optimizing your profile, running ads and encouraging sharing and UGC, you can build a powerful TikTok presence that boosts brand awareness and drives sales.
