Why Brands Should Invest in TikTok Marketing

The increasing success of influencer marketing campaigns brought the development of new social media strategies like TikTok marketing. Targeting centennials, the Beijing-based company became one of the fastest-growing social media sites globally. In fact, in just three years, TikTok gained 500 million active users. Additionally, the social networking brand ranked as the fourth most downloaded app as of December 2019.

TikTok is expected to grow in the coming years. Hence, brands may seek to utilize this platform to increase product and brand awareness. This post aims to help brands know more about TikTok and its capabilities. In addition, we will discuss how and why brands should consider TikTok as a part of their 2020 influencer marketing strategies.

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TikTok Marketing: How It Started

Before digging into the hows and whys of TikTok marketing, let us first understand what the platform is all about. In 2018, Chinese company ByteDance acquired Musical.ly, an app used to upload lip-syncing videos. With the company’s acquisition, TikTok emerged in the market. Presently, TikTok is available in more than 150 markets and 75 languages.

TikTok allows users to share a variety of 15-second videos. Additionally, the video-sharing app features tools that permit users to show creativity and produce unique content. For instance, the most common TikTok videos include dancing, lip-syncing, funny reaction, challenges, and trending hashtag videos. Unlike other social media platforms that monetize the number of followers, TikTok is not dependent on the following. In addition, the platform was produced mainly to encourage creativity and feature users with impeccable content creation skills.

When celebrities and social media influencers endorsed and started using the app, TikTok’s popularity began to increase. Currently, a number of social media collaborators and celebrities use TikTok to participate in challenges and update followers of their daily activities. Brands were quick to catch the wave and started using the popular app to create high engagement with audiences and brand awareness. Among the brands utilizing TikTok are Chipotle, Calvin Klein, and Guess. Nowadays, more brands are embracing TikTok marketing strategies to gain profitable results that may result in an increased return on investment (ROI).

Why Invest in TikTok Marketing

A report created by Oberlo shows that nine out of 10 people with TikTok accounts use the app daily. Among the users, 68 percent watch videos created by other users while 55 percent produce and upload personal videos. In addition, regular TikTok users spend an average time of 52 minutes daily using the app, which is close to daily users of Instagram (53 percent.)

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The statistics above show that though newer than other social media platforms, TikTok still accumulates high engagement every day. Thus, brands should assess tapping into the startup platform and create TikTok marketing strategies. Here are some reasons why brands should consider using TikTok as an influencer marketing tool.

1. Build Creative Content

Since TikTok content is built on memes, trending music or videos, and challenges, the platform provides a place to show creativity. Brands may maximize the use of TikTok to create exceptional content. For instance, brands can share funny memes in introducing the company’s products, participate or create their own challenges, or come up with catchy brand jingles. TikTok also offers creative tools for video creation that can be used by collaborators.

Additionally, similar to other social media sites, creativity produces a higher number of viewers and engagement. Thus, brands that aim to target new audiences and create brand recognition should invest in TikTok influencer marketing campaigns.

2. Target Younger Audience in TikTok Marketing Strategies

TikTok appeals mostly to younger social media users. In fact, 41 percent of TikTok users are between 16 and 24 years of age, also known as Generation Z. Hence, if your brand’s target market is under the given age range, TikTok influencer marketing is the way to go.

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EOS found success in reaching out to younger consumers through TikTok influencer marketing campaigns. The campaign, #MakeItAwesome, was the first TikTok advertisement created by the lip balm brand and it received more than four billion views. The brand also partnered with young TikTok influencers to promote the campaign. As a result, EOS successfully conveyed the brand’s message directly to its target audience through TikTok marketing.

Talking about the winning campaign, EOS’ Chief Marketing Officer Soyoung Kang said, “That campaign was a huge success. We created one of the most successful sponsored hashtag challenges, with over 4 billion video views and extremely high double-digit engagement rates versus other platforms.”

3. High Engagement in TikTok Marketing

Since Tik Tok is catered to audiences who love sharing on social media, TikTok challenges and trending content are highly-engaged. Hence, TikTok marketing campaigns benefit brands in gaining audience engagement that may lead to product and brand awareness and eventually purchases.

For example, during the first TikTok marketing campaign of Chipotle, the brand received 230 million views and 250,000 video submissions during the six-day run of the brand’s #ChipotleLidFlip challenge.

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Chipotle attained the campaign’s success by choosing the right platform and creating content appealing to the brand’s audience. The brand knows that most of its audiences are younger consumers. For that reason, the brand chose TikTok as a platform to convey the brand’s message. Additionally, Chipotle created a campaign that appealed to audiences who love to share social media content.

4. Engagement through User-Generated Content

TikTok encourages app users to be themselves and share real content. Hence, the platform produces countless genuine user-generated content. If your brand targets young consumers like TikTok’s main users, you have to know how Gen Z and millennials value authenticity. For instance, 83 percent of Gen Z consumers believe in recommendations from product users more than brand advertisements. So, if your brand aims for authenticity through user-generated content, TikTok can be beneficial to your brand.

How to Utilize TikTok Influencer Marketing Strategies

Before dipping your toes into TikTok marketing, brands should first know the number of ways to use the video-sharing platform to your advantage. Here are some suggestions for influencer marketing campaigns and strategies brands can use to leverage TikTok.

1. Engage Viewers on Brand’s TikTok Marketing Campaign

Since engagement is a vital key to the success of your marketing campaign, brands should create content where viewers can participate in. For example, your brand can create its own TikTok account that audiences can visit. Additionally, brands can come up with trending content like hashtags challenges and contests that encourage video submissions.

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To encourage engagement from the brand’s audiences, Nyx launched the #BornToGlow contest. The brand invited viewers to create a video of their transformation using Born to Glow! Foundation. The chosen creator received $300 for the winning video.

2. Work with Influencers

Your brand may choose to partner with TikTok influencers to produce well-curated brand content. Additionally, partnering with influencers can help your content reach a broader and well-targeted audience. If your brand considers investing in TikTok marketing, recommendations from trusted collaborators may help to reach potential consumers and loyal customers.

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For example, Revlon collaborated with TikTok influencers with a huge following for the brand’s #SlickUpYourLook campaign. The cosmetics brand tried appealing to a range group of viewers by picking diverse influencers relatable to audiences. For instance, Revlon chose bald TikTok influencer, Emmy Combs, who suffers an auto-immune disorder called Alopecia that causes her to lose hair. The brand’s TikTok marketing campaign allows the brand to reach out to targeted viewers with the help of highly engaging collaborators.

3. Use Purchase Links

In the latter part of 2019, TikTok started to test the app’s shopping links. The new feature under experimentation will allow brands and businesses to add shopping website links on video posts where consumers can make purchases. In addition, brands and TikTok users can also include a URL to their profile page.

The TikTok marketing feature is available on other social media platforms like Instagram and is effective in assisting customers in buying products. Once the shoppable link feature is available, brands can utilize it to monetize posts created on their account and produced by brand collaborators.

4. Paid Advertisements

Another way brands advertise in TikTok is through paid ads. Similar to other social media sites, the platform can be used to feature brands’ sponsored ads. Unlike other apps, TikTok marketing allows brands to create entertaining visual campaigns, making it stand out from other social media platform ads.

Wrap It All Up

Finding the right influencer marketing strategies for your brand can be challenging. With the information provided above, your brand should consider investing in platforms like TikTok for a winning influencer marketing campaign in 2020.