Key Takeaways From the TikTok Creative Agency University Webinars

TikTok recently hosted the first of a series of free webinars, packed with marketers’ insights, and knowledge on how to best utilise the platform. 

The session showcased a collection of top-performing TikTok content that demonstrated powerful brand and agency partnerships that have taken the platform by storm. 

TikTok experts sharing their knowledge with us in a way that is specifically tailored toward agencies will allow us to learn more about how the platform can be leveraged and how we can integrate it across our clients to achieve maximum impact.

TikTok is a platform that encourages brands to show their human side (yes, this means raw content) after years of polished, high-quality stuff that stands out from the day-to-day. But times are changing, and TikTok is paving the way.

Diving into TikTok as a platform

Powered by the community to drive culture and commerce. 

During the session, we discovered that wildly, people spend more time on TikTok than on Netflix, which got us thinking: TikTok isn’t your everyday social platform, it’s an entertainment channel. So, what else did we conclude from this? 

Timing is everything. Those first 3 seconds are crucial to getting someone to engage with your content. It’s important to consider the length of your video. Too long with no clear point to the story will lead people to bounce, so keep it snappy, to-the-point – and shareable! 

Frequency. The good thing about TikTok is that videos are shown to the user based on their interests and activity – as opposed to what performs well or accounts with mass followings. So, to reach new and bigger audiences, all that’s left is to post as often as you can.

💡 TikTok lesson: Crawl, walk and then run. Don’t give yourself an impossible task of creating masses of content in one go – see what’s working, learn from the platform and grow from there.

Tap into trends. Being aware of what’s booming on the channel itself and acting on this quickly in your own, relevant way is what will give you the biggest chance of being seen (it’s also a great opportunity to interact with communities). 

Keep it real. People on TikTok don’t need to see a video with a team of 6 videographers and an editing suite behind it. They want to see the human side of the brand. Whether this is your team, actual consumers using your products or showing behind the scenes, impact and emotion are the key drivers on TikTok.

Tips for marketers: 

1. Give creators time to try your product. The more they use it and are able to realise its value, the more likely they are to want to promote it authentically. 
2. Consider how they fit into your campaign. If you are launching a new product, what kind of content will sit organically on your own TikTok feed, across your website and other social media channels? Will it be supported by paid ads?
3. Dare to be different. TikTok creators offer a chance to do something different for your brand. Giving them the flexibility to use their own authentic style to promote your product – instead of sticking to rigid brand/content guidelines – could be the reason someone chooses to engage with your brand. 

💡 Example: The North Face X Gucci collaboration featuring TikTok creator Frances Bourgeois. This is a great example of how creators should fit seamlessly into your campaign (and how it can be simultaneously unexpected!)

What we make of it

Despite what you might think, TikTok is a platform for all. Whether you’re an e-commerce brand, restaurant, hotel or B2B business, you can shape your TikTok content to appear to your specific needs and audiences. 

Stripped-back, strategic content is a low-maintenance way to regularly connect with your existing audience and organically reach new ones, by sharing content that showcases your brand at its core. 

Ready to take the plunge and start building TikTok into your social channel mix? Get in touch to see how we can help.