3 Ways to Start Using Tik Tok for your Brand

Have you heard of TikTok? Just kidding – of course you have! Chances are that you’re more than well aware of TikTok’s popularity and influence. Since it entered the social media scene in 2018, TikTok has been a popular go-to destination for Millennials and Gen Z to create bite-size videos that show off their dancing talents, makeup looks, or just voice their opinions. It started out as a fad, but it has since grown exponentially with over 1 billion users worldwide. If you’re looking for a new way to reach your audience, this is definitely the way to go.

We’re going to talk about 3 great ways to start using TikTok for your brand, but before we do, make sure you keep an open mind about using Tik Tok to engage with your audience. Many brands are already using TikTok to reach their target audiences, and you can too – but keep the following in mind:

TikTok is not just a ‘kids’ app. (read that again!)

Many brands can get caught in the mindframe that TikTok is only good for reaching a younger audience. Yes, Gen Z may have brought it to popularity, but the user age spans anywhere from age 10 to age 50. In the U.S., 80% of users are in the 16-34 age range, and 26% are between ages 25-44. So if you haven’t yet hopped on the TikTok train, it’s time to buy your ticket.

Using TikTok requires an understanding of Branded Content. In an age when ads are inserted into various forms of digital content, people are constantly scrolling over ads or skipping them in videos. That means finding new and creative ways to capture people’s attention while keeping your brand name and image at the forefront. We’ve seen branded content used in other media – video marketing on Instagram, blog posts on websites, and podcasts, but TikTok takes it to an entirely new level. With that in mind, here are 3 ways to start using TikTok for your brand:

Show a Different Side of Your Brand

Similar to Instagram (but minus the pressure of the perfect photo), TikTok is a very personal and creative platform that allows users to really connect with each other on a deeper level than other platforms. Take advantage of it! Every company has ‘behind the scenes’ moments – showing the parts of your process no one sees, thoughts that people at your company might share, or sometimes just being silly. Use a more personal tone on your TikTok channel that you might not use anywhere else.

There are many creative ways you can create your videos – the app gives you access to filters, music, emojis, stickers, and other video editing tools that can help you transform your video into a dynamic, engaging work of art. So post those highlights of your CEO talking a little bit about the industry, or give audiences an inside look into your brainstorming sessions. If you want to show people a different side or use humor to communicate with your audience, TikTok is the place to do it.

#HashtagChallenges

Any TikTok user will tell you how popular and fun #HashtagChallenges are. If you’re looking for a way to get to know your audience and just have some fun, try creating a #HashtagChallenge for your brand. These challenges are twofold successes – they’ll do wonders for your brand awareness and they’ll help produce user generated content. #HashtagChallenges encourage the audience to get involved in your campaigns while still keeping your brand name at the forefront. Take Megan Thee Stallion’s #bodychallenge. Megan released a new song called “Body” on November 20, and shortly after, people started to do the dance from the video. This resulted in numerous users uploading their versions of the #bodychallenge, and the song (and Megan Thee Stallion) is one of the hottest topics right now.

#HashtagChallenges provide the perfect opportunity to get in on the ground floor with your audience. Comment on their content, give it a ‘like’ or ‘duet’ it and show how your brand is reacting to their videos. The more your brand can engage with users, the more it will grow. Remember – you want to keep your audience’s attention instead of giving them something to skip over. #HashtagChallenges move quickly – the #bodychallenge took less than a week to catch on with users. Just make sure you keep up!

Pay Attention to What’s #Trending

Still having trouble figuring out what to post on TikTok? No sweat. The ‘Discover’ feature on the app’s homepage will provide great insight into what is currently trending on the app, along with glimpses of the videos under that hashtag and the amount of videos that are using that hashtag. Take your cue from this section and piggyback off of existing trends to jump in on the action. The trick to standing out is putting your own spin on the video that you post. With millions of videos using the same hashtag, users will be more than open to seeing something different. Using an existing hashtag can help your brand resonate with potential users that might be outside of your current audience. 

I know what you’re thinking – isn’t the rule for what is trending on TikTok the same on every other social media site? Well, not exactly. TikTok has something that no other social media site has – trending sounds, and it’s something you need to be paying attention to as well. Just like hashtags, TikTok also shows trending sounds in the Discover section. You can see how many videos are associated with that sound and get a glimpse of what types of content are being created with it. Get creative and figure out ways to use trending sounds with your content as well to get your content (and your brand) in front of different eyes.

Bonus! Tap into Influencer Marketing

Ok, this is the 4th thing but it’s important, we promise! If you have the budget and are looking to build your brand awareness quickly, tapping into the Influencer Market is the path for you. There are many influencers with large followings on TikTok. Getting even one of these influencers to participate in your #hashtagchallenge or promote your product can get your brand in front of new audiences fast. Using an influencer often requires some sort of negotiation, and whether it is monetary or in exchange for free product or services, you’ll want to have a fully developed plan before taking this route.

Whew! That was a lot of information. And if you read it and thought, “I still need help with TikTok marketing,” don’t worry! We can help. Creative Juice has helped our clients successfully map out strategies for TikTok and other social media outlets, and we’ll be happy to help your brand, too. Talk to us about your creative ideas and we’ll help turn them into a strategy that will help your brand reach new heights. Contact us to start getting your juicy results today! 🍑