TikTok has been around for quite a few years, and it has reached an unprecedented level of success and popularity. Based on publicly available data up to 25 January 2021, TikTok has 689 million monthly active users. But how can TikTok help your small business?
Reactions, challenges, tutorials, lip-syncing videos, pet videos – you choose! TikTok’s recommendation algorithm provides you with content you are likely to be interested in based on your likes, comments, shares, followed accounts. And even though this system is not unique, such personalization of feed is what makes TikTok so addicting and worthy of endless scrolling.
So, if you want to spread awareness about your brand online and attract more traffic to your site, adding TikTok to your online marketing strategy can be a good idea.
Let’s look through some ways you can use TikTok to promote your business.
1. Make sure TikTok is suitable for your target audience.
It’s no secret that TikTok is most popular among young people: in fact, roughly 41% of all users globally are 16-24 years old, making them the biggest age group on the platform. Obviously, there is some older audience, but they are in the minority. Hence, the first conclusion that may be drawn from the statistics: if the target audience of your product or service is people aged 16-24, then TikTok is definitely suitable for you.
Of course, you will still have a lot of work to do, so be ready to adapt your concept to your audience’s preferences and speak their language. And if your main focus is on people older than that, you might need to think twice if TikTok is worth your time and effort.
2. Plan your content thoroughly, then start creating!
In order for your TikTok marketing strategy to be effective, you first need to understand what kind of content you want to share (and most importantly, what kind of content your target audience wants to see!). Decide on the overall concept of your videos and come up with ideas for content.
One of the main reasons why TikTok is so popular is that you don’t need expensive cameras, photography equipment, etc., or first-class professional editing to create videos – your smartphone will get the job done! Experiment with different tools, filters, transitions available in the app, and you also can add some music to your video. Here, it’s all about a creative approach, humor, and entertainment.
Provide people with information about your brand in an engaging and innovative way, don’t be afraid to experiment with video formats to find what appeals to your potential customers. Review your products, make Q&A videos, keep people updated on your new product and services, etc. Find out what is currently trending and adapt your content to the audience’s preferences.
3. Motivate people to buy your product!
If you sell hand-made accessories, show people a detailed working process, and if you have a hair salon – use a «before/after» format. Provide people with How-To videos, take part in popular challenges, and launch your own ones to spread the word about yourself! Run a contest or a giveaway to attract new customers, people love gifts. Make sure your TikTok account provides people with complete information about you: upload your logo as an avatar, use the bio to describe your products and services, add your Instagram to your profile to increase popularity on other social platforms. Set up a Pro account – it’s an analytic tool, which provides TikTok content creators with information like their weekly and monthly views, follower growth, and trending videos.
4. Promotion!
Promote your business by liking, commenting, following your potential customers (tip: you can find them among your competitors’ followers). Invest in targeted ads (can be based on location, age, gender, etc.) that will attract more customers to your account.
One of the most effective ways to advertise a brand is considered to be collaborating with influencers. They are the cool kids: they understand what the audience likes, and people trust them. If you want to connect with TikTok users and relate to them, influencer marketing is a helpful promotion tool. But make sure that your target audience matches the influencers’ and that your and their values align.
5. Post regularly!
People watch hundreds of TikTok videos every day, and once you captured someone’s attention, make sure they don’t forget you by the next week. But don’t post 10 times every day, choose quality over quantity! Start with 4-5 times a week to understand what kind of content resonates with your customers and when you do, gradually increase the number of videos you publish.
Today, TikTok has become a platform, which encourages brands to unleash their creative side and capture customers’ attention in innovative ways. Chipotle, NBA, Guess have already turned to this platform for promotion. TikTok is already a huge success, and the number of people who are using it is growing every day. So why not try it yourself and see if it’s worth it?
About the Author: Polina Skinkevich is a content manager at Ord – an online ordering system for restaurants. She usually writes articles on small business development strategies, customer success, CRM software, etc. When she is not working, she enjoys photography, learning Mandarin, and travelling.
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