When it comes to marketing, in the past companies and brands used television as the most powerful of all the media for advertising their products.
Apart from television, there were also radio commercials and advertisements in the newspaper.
However, ever since the Internet became stronger than television, radio, and newspaper together, it became very interesting in terms of marketing.
Now, given that millions of people use social media on a daily basis, it has been only logical for companies and brands to use them for advertisements and marketing since social media platforms can reach the largest number of people.
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TikTok Marketing
Apart from reaching a great number of people, social media marketing costs much less than, for example, one TV commercial.
Since TikTok has become the most popular social media platform in the past few years and since it is the most downloaded app on Google Play, it’s normal that many brands want to leverage TikTok for marketing.
How Can Brands Be Advertised on TikTok?
Now, there are various ways in which brands can leverage the TikTok app for advertising their products and services.
We are going to mention the most common ways, and there are 3 of them.
1. They can use paid advertisements
This is probably the least effective TikTok marketing strategy, at least for now.
Paid ads are not so common for the TikTok platform and this way of TikTok advertising is still in the development phase.
Of course, these ads can mostly be found on YouTube and this platform has been the best for this sort of marketing so far.
As for the kind of ads that can be used on TikTok, they are so-called in-feed ads.
These in-feed ads include image TikTok ads and video TikTok ads, but there are also some special formats:
However, although paid ads are not that common on TikTok, hundreds of millions of TikTok’s monthly active users definitely prove that it has very good predispositions for paid ad marketing and we are sure that it’s only a matter of time until this video sharing app becomes a leader in this area too.
2. They can collaborate with TikTok creators
Collaboration with influencers, or TikTok influencer marketing, is the most common TikTok strategy of social media marketing.
Content creators practically become ambassadors of certain brands and they mention and advertise that brand’s products and services in their TikTok videos and other social media channels.
Furthermore, this sort of marketing is not related to TikTok only, but also to Instagram, YouTube, and many other social media platforms.
However, since we’re talking about TikTok, we’ll focus on that platform.
Namely, we are all aware that brand commercials can often be irritating, uninteresting, and dull.
Nevertheless, TikTok content creators are very good at making fun and exciting content, have many content ideas, and, since clips on TikTok last short, TikTokers have to make every second count.
Therefore, TikTokers can make fun and appealing commercials about some brands and, thus, draw people’s attention.
3. They can create their brand’s TikTok channel
This is another way that is quite popular among brands.
So, there is practically a TikTok account with the name of a brand where videos that are supposed to promote this brand are posted.
However, not any kind of TikTok video can be a good TikTok marketing strategy.
Namely, content creators have to follow the latest TikTok trends and implement them in their videos.
That’s the only way those TikTok videos can reach younger audiences.
So, using trending hashtags below those videos is mandatory.
Additionally, brands can create their own relevant hashtags and try starting a hashtag challenge.
It’s not easy to manage to do that, but if they succeeded, that would be the greatest TikTok marketing move.
How Can TikTok Marketing Help Brands?
There are numerous ways in which TikTok marketing can help brands and their businesses.
Videos that are approximately 1 minute long, or 1 minute short if you want, can provide so many benefits to brands and that’s only one of the reasons why this, not only the most successful, but also the most cost-effective type of marketing.
We’ll mention only some of those benefits below.
1. Products and services can be advertised to a target audience
By using hashtag challenges, dance challenges, or TikTok influencer marketing, brands can make sure to draw their target audience’s attention.
Namely, some influencers are followed mostly by children, teenagers, or adults.
If a brand makes the collaboration with the influencer followed by that brand’s target audience, its commercial will be more successful and closer to achieving viral status.
Hashtags and hashtag challenges work in the same manner.
So, TikTok gives brands the opportunity to reach their target audience and it’s up to them whether they are going to know how to use that possibility.
2. Communities can be created
Just like with all the other platforms, by using the same hashtags or by making the same sorts of videos, content creators on TikTok can create communities.
By starting a hashtag challenge and spreading its influence all over the platform, any brand can create its own TikTok community that could contribute to the marketing immeasurably.
3. Brands can get direct feedback
Unlike TV commercials on which an audience cannot have any current influence, social media are much more “democratic” in that sense.
On TikTok as well as all other platforms the audience has the possibility to react almost momentarily, like or dislike some content, send a message, and, thus, praise what’s good and criticize what’s bad.
Thus, brands can get immediate feedback and see whether their content is good or not, what to change, and what to improve.
So, instead of gathering information for weeks, doing surveys, and analyzing feedback, brands can get all those information in a day, and, thus, change and improve what’s necessary.
4. The brand awareness will be increased
This benefit is the most logical one.
Since many TikTok users will see TikTok videos dedicated to a certain brand, the brand awareness will, normally, be very increased.
Besides, we cannot forget the versatility of the audience that can be reached on TikTok.
Although TikTok is mostly used by a younger audience, there are still TikTok’s users of, literally, all ages, both male and female, so all brands that decide to use the TikTok app as a marketing tool can count on finding a target audience and brand awareness increase.
5. Brands can use TikTok for selling their products
Each TikTok video has some description underneath.
That description mostly includes hashtags and, sometimes, headings of videos.
However, the most important things for branded videos are links.
A brand can put a link to its website, specifically to the page where people can buy products.
This way, TikTok users will be able to immediately visit the brand’s website and purchase some products.
And once again, TikTok provides efficiency since brands will be able to advertise and sell their products practically at the same time.
Important Things to Do When Approaching TikTok Marketing
1. Determine your target audience
First of all, do some surveys and researches to see what is your target audience.
Then analyze the TikTok demographics and make a marketing strategy for how you can reach your target audience.
Furthermore, analyze what kind of user-generated content your target audience likes and focus on creating that kind of content.
Finally, don’t forget about the new audience that could be drawn to your product.
So, try making relevant content dedicated to your target audience, but also likable enough so that some other users and a broader audience could become interested in it.
2. Set objectives
Before starting using TikTok as a marketing tool, make sure to set some objectives you want to fulfill.
For example, you may want to improve your product sales, develop a relationship with your customers, improve your brand image, or simply reach a new audience.
Regardless of what your objective is, it’s important to strive for it and be persistent.
3. Check your results
After you’ve set your objectives and started your TikTok journey, you’ll need to check your progress.
Do it often, at least once a month, in order to find out whether you are on the right track or not.
Frequent surveys and general analyses of your results will give you the best answers.
4. Be versatile
First of all, get to know TikTok.
Spend some time exploring the platform and how it functions.
Explore the TikTok algorithm and how it works.
Only then will you be ready to create videos and create content in general.
Afterward, follow the social media trends since that will provide you with the biggest reach.
Furthermore, find some other brands that are also using TikTok for marketing and check out their ideas.
Sometimes it’s not bad to copy someone.
And finally, don’t be afraid to try something new and experiment because you never know what TikTok video can start a viral trend and make a great success.
5. Make a TikTok calendar
The TikTok calendar is pretty much a regular calendar, but with your TikTok plans included.
If you make a detailed plan when you are going to post a new video, what kind of TikTok video you are going to post, and when you are going to go live, it will be much easier to control your content and, at the same time, you will be sure that you post videos on a regular basis.
Some Examples of a Good TikTok Marketing
Gymshark
Gymshark is one of the most popular TikTok fitness brands and a great example of TikTok marketing.
This brand has reached 2 million followers in 6 months only by creating and posting organic content that includes some fitness routines, workout TikTok challenges, and funny and creative videos that show that working out is not terrifying as many people think.
NBA League
NBA’s TikTok account shows the other side of NBA.
Instead of game highlights and stats, you can see many entertaining videos with funny situations from NBA games.
San Diego Zoo
Any zoo, honestly, has a great predisposition for making a popular TikTok account.
San Diego Zoo has decided to make use of those predispositions and it turned to be amazing.
Its funny videos are very simple but unbelievably interesting and usually consist of cute animals and fun music background.
World Health Organization
World Health Organization’s profile became very popular since COVID-19 appeared.
WHO has used its TikTok profile page to educate people on what to do during the pandemic, but also to deny some false information related to the virus.
Conclusion
Hopefully, we have managed to explain to you how TikTok marketing works and tell you what you need to know and do in order to use TikTok as a marketing tool.
We are hoping that people and brands interested in this topic will find this text helpful.
And those who want to know more about this topic, approach marketing on TikTok, or simply have some perplexities about it should definitely check this text out because they won’t regret it.
