TikTok is a short-form video platform which launched in 2016. Two years later the platform took the world by storm after merging with Musical.ly, another video-sharing platform.
TikTok now has 1.7 billion active users, and the platform expects to reach 2 billion by the end of 2024. It is available on browsers and as an app, which has been downloaded over 3 billion times. The majority of users are under 30, making the platform a great spot for businesses to interact with a younger audience, however, this is not the only advantage of using the platform.
Benefits of using TikTok
It connects you to millennials: The majority of TikTok users are millennials and the platform offers a great space for businesses to interact with this demographic. TikTok has become more popular for e-commerce companies. A study found that 37% of users instantly seek to buy a product upon discovering it. Therefore, they are interested in brands that create engaging content for their products.
It increases conversion rate: The platform is popular because users are invested in creative and relatable content. For a small business, TikTok is a powerful platform that can be used to reach a wider audience and increase their conversion rate. The platform allows you to showcase your products and services in a more creative and engaging way, which can grab users’ attentionA TikTok study found that adding calls to action invideo text can up conversion by 125%. (For example, adding discount codes to ads.)
Engage with the audience: Interacting with your audience is an essential part of your TikTok strategy. Users on average spend 52 minutes on the app every day. This gives businesses the perfect opportunity to make videos stand out. Your content can be humorous, include filters and make great use of storytelling to make your videos more engaging.
Make your marketing look organic: When you implement TikTok marketing, thanks to the organic nature of the content, it doesn’t look like marketing. 51% of Gen Z use ad-blockers, therefore it is important to find less invasive techniques and quickly grab the attention of your target audience through engaging content.
Perfect place for user-generated content: Millennials value authenticity the most and are less likely to fall for old marketing tactics. User-generated content is the best way to build trust in your target audience and TikTok is the biggest source of this type of content. The platform drives content organically and encourages user-generated content through its challenge concept when possible. For example, in 2020 Colgate started a challenge called #MakeMomSmile. The challenge was launched for Mother’s Day and users could participate by sharing creative videos of how they made their moms smile.
TikTok for Business
TikTok offers an extension to creators and businesses called TikTok for Business, which is designed to help brands release their creativity by showing them how to create unique content, and authentic ads which will catch the audience’s attention, earn engagement, increase brand awareness, and analyse performance of the campaign. This is similar to LinkedIn Campaign Manager and Facebook Ads Manager but offers more than just managing ads.
TikTok for Business provides 4 types of solutions:
- Advertising solutions: These solutions are designed to boost campaign visibility, engagement, and reach. TikTok video ad formats are built to captivate users and are designed to meet business goals.
- Creative solutions: Businesses can leverage the tools and trends that will make their videos look like they belong on the platform. These methods can help brands create unique content and ads specifically for the TikTok community.
- Commerce solutions: Users are buying more products from the platform, and they post content about it. They use the #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt which has reached over 71.4 billion views. TikTok shop has become incredibly popular with the platform offering a variety of solutions to help businesses sell their products on the platform.
- Measurement solutions: These solutions assist businesses in analysing the impact of their campaigns and optimise performance thanks to data-driven insights. Businesses can also ensure their ads are seen by real users in fraud-free environments, understand the value of their ads and analyse the impact of different media investments.
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Written by Gourav Kumar who is an Account Executive at Whistle PR which offers a range of integrated communications services including strategic consultancy, PR, digital and internal communications. For further information, email info@whistlepr.co.uk or contact us here.
