TikTok Marketing: How and Why You Should Implement It

Why TikTok Can Be Useful

TikTok has quickly become the new buzzword on everyone’s lips, with its global popularity and ever-increasing user base creating a new marketing opportunity for many businesses and freelancers. But why, and more importantly, how should you capitalize on this chance to reach new and future consumers.

Firstly, it should be no surprise that marketing proposals now include apps like TikTok to generate additional revenue and expand customer reach. With the evolution of marketing strategies running parallel to technological advancement and market saturation, apps have become one more tool in the marketing belt.

TikTok is a popular social media app that shares short videos between users based on various themes and genres. Primarily, it serves as a creative outlet with a range of filters, augmented reality, and the ability to use audio segment overlays over recorded content. Anyone who owns a smartphone with a camera can upload their videos, varying in length from a few seconds to 3 minutes.

With over 689 million active users worldwide and having spent five consecutive quarters as Apple App Stores most downloaded app, TikTok is a direct gateway to a plethora of potential customers previously unreachable through email marketing, radio, or television advertising. Additionally, 65% of US users are aged between 10 and 29, meaning certain businesses can access their target audience through media that they’re already using in high volumes.

How to Use TikTok to Your Advantage

One powerful tool marketing teams can use on TikTok is their For You Page (FYP) algorithms. While a user watches, likes, shares, and saves videos, this algorithm gathers data on the types of videos the user enjoys. It then filters out content that doesn’t align with these themes to produce a personally curated For You Page. Therefore, a business that sells jewellery is more likely to end up on the FYP of a potential customer who regularly interacts with jewellery videos. Provided you’re using the correct hashtags; this can be a primarily passive tool that helps take the work out of reaching new customers.

Similar to Twitter, TikTok’s Discovery page displays currently trending hashtags, which you can capitalize on by using these specific voice snippets or themes to scale the hashtag video list for further exposure and interaction. Businesses can also get their profiles verified to improve customer trust and provide authenticity to their content. It’s believed that verified accounts are more likely to show up on FYPs as opposed to unverified profiles. An example of some businesses that have active TikTok profiles are: Zoom, Microsoft, Waterstones, Uber, Subway, and Audi.

Additionally, TikTok has gained many influencers who have risen to fame on the platform through their content. To further increase potential client exposure, you can opt to partner with specific influencers to help promote your services or merchandise. While an initial investment to cement a partnership is needed, the reliability of a face that customers trust and relate to can humanize your business and serve as a compelling call to action.

Specifically for younger target audiences, the merging of marketing and cultural references or trends can create a personable message that’s easier to consume and forms a longer-lasting impression. This is especially important for businesses looking to expand their audience to encompass younger ages, who are most likely to absorb and seek out trending ‘memes’. However, it’s vital to ensure you’re using these references properly, as an incorrectly used meme can hurt you more than help you.

These are only some of the reasons businesses can take advantage of TikTok’s popularity to push their marketing strategies. In a world where it’s crucial to remain relevant, marketing teams have to produce ever more creative solutions to continue enticing customers into purchasing their services. With a slogan like “Real People, Real Videos”, TikTok can help bridge the gap between corporate professionals and their customer base in an authentic, personable capacity.