TikTok: A Must-Have for Effective Marketing

What do TikTok, Brands, and Marketing teams all have in common?

TikTok has been named the fastest growing social media platform of all time, making the shortlist as one of the most downloaded apps globally for the past three years.

Launched in 2016, TikTok now has over 2 billion downloads and 1 billion monthly active users. Now, while these numbers may sound intimidating or like it’s too late to get in – that is certainly not the case at all, and you’re certainly not alone. In fact, billion-dollar brands like Google, Facebook, YouTube, IKEA, Nestlé, Audi and Toyota are yet to take the plunge. The preconceived notion that TikTok was “only for children” is now well and truly outdated as TikTok’s latest report shows that 35% of TikTok users are 19-29 years old.

Key takeaway: Whilst monthly sign-ups heavily outweigh brand adoption, marketers have unsaturated access to a growing audience on TikTok. The time is now, and the place to learn why is here.

TikTok’s audience is global

TikTok is now available in 154 countries worldwide and viral videos on the platform can reach all over the world. If you’re looking at reaching international markets, then TikTok is an effective platform for building communities and connecting with new audiences in other countries.

Video Marketing, made easier than ever with TikTok

Considering an almost unlimited reach, along with video favourability within marketing – TikTok is a perfect segway for brands to expand the reach of their video content. If you’re new to video marketing, unfortunately, this format isn’t going away anytime soon. TikTok is a social media platform where users can share content and create it themselves. When you create a video as a business, you’re able to spark conversation, educate your audience, and trigger emotion with them. This is likely to be rewarded by user-generated content and engagement. TikTok users can use common sounds with another user, duet, stitch or even react to videos through the app’s unique green screen feature. This opens your exposure to an audience wider than ever before, and TikTok’s accurate algorithm makes it likely that your posts will end up on your ideal client’s “For You” page.

Key takeaway: TikTok’s algorithm makes it easy for brands to communicate, collaborate and engage with their existing as well as new audiences.

Is your target audience on TikTok?

It’s important to consider whether the people that you are trying to target are specifically using TikTok. But, that doesn’t mean you should ignore it just because your audience isn’t currently using the platform. The good news is that most of the major social media platforms started out as a fad with a younger audience. Since then, their popularity has since diversified and there are now millions of businesses using them as a marketing channel. By getting involved with TikTok early, you’ll be able to build an audience before your competitors have the chance.

Key takeaway: Even if a business’s ideal audience is yet to arrive on TikTok, it’s worth getting ahead of the trend and competitors before saturation occurs. Which, going by Instagram, is only a matter of time.

TikTok Influencer Marketing, a cost-effective way to enhance ROI

​​Because TikTok influencers have millions of followers, it could be a good time to start working with them. Why? Influencers on TikTok charge considerably less for access to larger followings than influencers on other platforms. Now is an especially great time to capitalise since TikTok has yet to fully develop as an advertising platform.

Key takeaway: Some major brands are working with TikTok influencers to expand their reach, without an eye-watering CPM.

Advertising on TikTok

While TikTok is not yet a fully-fledged advertising platform, the app has recently made it possible to run and optimise platform ads. There are currently five different ad formats, including in-feed ads, which are similar to Instagram’s. Those ads appear as you scroll through and include Branded Takeovers that occur when someone opens the app, and Branded Effects that use AR filters, stickers and lenses.

Key takeaway: Consider testing paid advertising on TikTok, like its competitors, businesses and brands can manage and optimise ads in-platform.

With more and more social media apps, networks, and avenues emerging every year, now is a great time for businesses and marketing teams to focus on keeping up with digital trends. We’re here to help you stay current in this ever-shifting digital world. Contact us today.