TikTok is one of the most-loved apps of 2020 and if you haven’t heard about it until now, where have you been?! For many, TikTok was the highlight of lockdown, providing hours of entertainment for those learning crazy dance routines and recreating famous film scenes. Not only is TikTok being used for entertainment by the youngsters, but businesses are also making use of the platform to market their products and services to the Gen Z users (aged 16-24).
TikTok for Business says: “TikTok is where you can unleash your brand's creative side. No matter how big or small your business is, no matter what you are making or selling. We believe your brand deserves to be discovered here.”
Many big brands have jumped on the band wagon and started using it as a marketing tool, with ASOS being the latest with their new campaign #AySauce. They have created this fun branded hashtag, teamed with a bespoke music track and the use of Augmented Reality with specially made TikTok filters for customers and influencers to show off their outfit choices. Other clothing retail giants such as Guess, Nike and Gymshark have also taken on the 15-60 second videos to market and broadcast themselves globally to the Gen Z demographic.
But what are the benefits to marketing on the app as a small business?
To start with, the small business hashtag (#smallbusiness) has 5.3 billion views and counting!*
Secondly, you can have some fun with your marketing videos! Whether its confetti falling around your product or a staff dance routine, the more extravagant the better. Afterall, in the UK there are 3.7 million active TikTok users!
What should I consider when starting my TikTok journey?
It’s important to note it takes time to be noticed on TikTok, much like other social media platforms. It also takes time to create the videos, and many brands have a dedicated ‘TikTok Team’ that come up with the ideas, shoot videos and edit. So, it might be a good idea to assign the management of your TikTok account to one member of your team to make sure someone is posting regularly and oversees the activity to make sure it’s in line with your brand.
TikTok’s algorithm can affect whether you are seen or not. To be on a user’s ‘For You Page’, you must be creating similar content that they interact with, which of course relates to what your brand is offering.
You also want to be taken seriously as a brand, so you need to consider what content you are posting. Therefore, do not take part in any potentially dangerous challenges or offensive content that could make you viral for all the wrong reasons!
TikTok’s influence on other platforms…
As Instagram reels have now been introduced to the world, it’s clear that TikTok is making an impact on other social media platforms which have realised how popular these short, fun videos are for users and businesses promoting their brands. A spokesperson for Instagram said: “Reels in Explore offer anyone the chance to become a creator on Instagram and reach new audiences on a global stage.”** If you’re looking into using Instagram to advertise and gain dedicated followers, then TikTok and Instagram Reels could be a good move for your business. Influencers such as, Maria Castellanos and Denise Mercedes are taking the Reels world by storm, working with ASOS, H&M and Zara to create fashion styling videos. These have proved to be successful with the videos receiving high engagement levels from customers with one video receiving over 202,000 likes, 1,830 comments and over 5 million plays.
So, if you’re a brand with a young audience, it’s a no brainer to be on TikTok, however with the addition of Instagram Reels, we may see brands using this tool for advertising instead. Ultimately, it is important to be on top of your social media game as snippet videos do not seem to be going away anytime soon, so watch this space!
* https://www.tiktok.com/tag/smallbusiness?lang=en
**https://about.instagram.com/blog/announcements/introducing-instagram-reels-announcement