02 Aug 7 Surefire TikTok Marketing Strategies That Get Results
Brands have got to listen, TikTok is staying. It’s not going anywhere. With over 1 billion monthly active users, TikTok is undoubtedly the hottest social media platform — and for good reason. There’s even talk that TikTok will pass Instagram this year as the number two social media site.
TikTok has become more than just an entertainment platform — now fueling the creator economy and cultivating communities. And yet, in spite of that, many brands are still hesitant to join. But with the growing influence of video content, at Ignite Social Media, we believe that most brands need to be taking a hard look at the platform.
However, before you go head-on and start creating content, you need to understand that it’s not just about posting any random content and expecting results.
You need to have a solid strategy in place, which is where we come in. Here are 7 surefire TikTok Marketing strategies.
Getting Started with TikTok for Business
Before you dive head-first into TikTok’s marketing strategy, it’s important to determine whether a presence on the platform and the subsequent time and money invested, makes business sense for your brand.
While it can be scary to jump onto yet another social channel as a brand, TikTok isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. The fast-paced, entertainment-focused content that comes from TikTok is redefining what users want to see from brands. You now have the opportunity to showcase a different side of your brand on TikTok in comparison to how your brand is portrayed on Instagram or LinkedIn.
Creativity and humor are two angles that do well on TikTok. However, if you’re starting out on your TikTok Marketing Strategy, we have listed down here our top 7 strategies that are sure to give you results.
1. Understand the TikTok Algorithm
The For You feed is what makes TikTok so addictive. It’s algorithmically generated based on the For You Page (FYP). The FYP is a personalized recommendations page that’s unique to every user. It’s what TikTok uses to keep you coming back for more.
Essentially, here’s how TikTok would define its algorithm:
“A stream of videos curated to your interests, making it easy to find content and creators you love … powered by a recommendation system that delivers content to each user that is likely to be of interest to that particular user.”
Understanding how the algorithm works put your brand at an advantage in creating and strategizing your content. While Facebook and Instagram are built around the social graph (who you know), TikTok is built around entertainment (what you like).
2. Prioritize User-Generated Content
One thing you need to know by now is that trends on TikTok drive and inspire action. This leads us to talk about prioritizing user-generated content or basically featuring content that isn’t branded and is actually created by users.
Having this at top of your TikTok Marketing strategy can quickly build audience loyalty. That’s because 56% of users feel closer to brands on TikTok that publish unpolished content featuring real content from its users.
We get it, not everyone is a content superstar, but this brings authenticity to the brand. Basically showcasing how much real users and customers are talking about you positively. Doing so can encourage more user-generated content your way.
Our tip? Consider a branded hashtag and have your customers make use of it when tagging you. This is likely to be successful for well-known or culturally relevant brands.
3. Build Connections with TikTok Influencers
If you’re thinking of massively growing and raising awareness on TikTok, then influencers would be the right people to get in touch with. But, as with any social media platform, there are certain ways of going about this so that you don’t come across as a total newb.
Research and find TikTok influencers in your niche that have an engaged following. Once you know who they are, start interacting with their content. Leave thoughtful comments, share their videos, follow and simply engage with them.
Brands should know that there’s a new era sprouting for influencers and that majority of them are actually more effective than the traditional marketing campaigns. In fact, we’ve built a whole influencer marketing subsidiary, Carusele, to execute hundreds of these programs for clients. Here’s one of our influencers just crushing it on TikTok:
@treynkennedy MORE PILLOWS
♬ original sound – Trey Kennedy
Now is the time to start building those relationships because once you have a connection with an influencer, they’re more likely to want to work with you on a marketing campaign or project.
4. Repurpose Still Images into TikTok Video
While there are numerous ways to get creative on TikTok, we’re also a big fan of still images.
TikTok is all about quick, easy content, and what’s easier than using images you already have? You can upload images from your camera roll or take new ones directly in the app. Set up a really cool transition and you’re done.
This is a great strategy for when you don’t have the time or resources to film new videos. You can use images to create helpful tips, show off your products, or even just share a funny meme. Be creative and have fun with it.
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♬ original sound – The Outer Banks
But of course, make sure that your photos are cropped according to the TikTok format — vertical.
5. Vertical Format, Always
Everywhere you go, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, TikTok — everything is vertical. This just proves that sticking to a vertical format is the way to go unless you’re shooting for YouTube.
The 9:16 ratio (vertical) has been around for a while and social channels are utilizing this format as well — it’s imperative more than ever for brands to also edit their content at the same ratio. It’s now more than ever that vertical video is dominating. And not just vertical video, but short-form (one minute or less) content.
6. Prioritize TikTok Ads
Make sure as well that you don’t miss — ads.
Advertising on TikTok may just change the way you think about digital marketing or the platform in general. Research shows that UGC-focused ads on TikTok outperform other kinds of digital ad placements, including those in Facebook ads (by 32%) and more conventional digital ads like Google ads (by 46%).
That is ‘wow’ statistics to begin with, but one thing proves us true — video is the best way to tell your story. And the one great to jumpstart that is to do it in the most-used video platform. Rule of thumb, the shorter the better.
Final Thoughts
To wrap up. With more than 2.6 billion downloads and 1.2 billion active users, TikTok is sure platform brands can’t afford to miss. Having a solid TikTok Marketing strategy in place is crucial for brands.
Just remember that success on any social media platform comes down to creating quality content, engaging with your audience, and being consistent overall.
Start shooting your TikTok footage today, and if you ever find yourself stuck, contact us below for more creative TikTok ideas.
