8 Effective Ways Brands Can Use TikTok
If you aren’t already showcasing your brand on TikTok, I have one question for you — Why not? The power of TikTok marketing is undeniable. While I’ve known this truth for quite some time, other brands are starting to jump on the bandwagon. And you don’t want to miss this train! TikTok is the future of video marketing, and many businesses are already reaping the sweet, sweet rewards.
Creating a TikTok business account gives your brand access to a host of features designed to help your marketing strategy flourish, including advanced messaging capabilities and product tagging.
So, the question is, how can brands use TikTok and take advantage of this powerful platform?
Here’s my in-depth guide with 8 effective tips:
1. Capitalize on influencer marketing
If your brand aims to gain influence among audiences, there’s no better place to go than the people who hold the title role. Influencers have an extensive and highly-engaged following, allowing them to influence and make waves in popular culture. As a brand, why wouldn’t you try to take advantage of this influence to push start your TikTok marketing?
Here are some tips to capitalize on influencer marketing:
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Find the content creators in your niche that match your brand and have an engaged audience.
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If your budget is tight, consider micro-influencers who’ll more cost-effective.
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Ask the influencer to create a video showcasing your brand or offer.
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Oh! And don’t forget to make sure they add a link in the description that directs viewers to your business.
2. Hop on the latest trends
Brands that are currently killing it on TikTok are jumping on all the latest trends in time and even adding their own unique spins to them that catch on with audiences.
“But by the time I find out what the latest trends are, come up with an idea, record the TikTok, and publish it, the trend is already dead.”
If you’re struggling with this problem, I have a solution, and you can thank me later. Instead of spending hours combing through the trending hashtags to find ones worth your while, you can just sign up for the Inside Scoop that delivers the freshest and most popular trends directly to your inbox! I put in the hours researching trends so you don’t have to.
3. Take advantage of hashtags
And if you can’t find a trend that suits you, why not make your own? Creating a hashtag challenge promotes major engagement with your brand, helps you reach new viewers, and gives your audience something fun to do while creating user-generated content. If you’re still getting up and running, this is when a trusty influencer can give your hashtag challenge the kickstart it needs.
Beyond creating branded viral trends, like any social media platform, hashtags play an important role in getting your content into the hands of your audience. By choosing the right hashtags to add to your video captions, you can ensure your content has the greatest chance of reaching new viewers. Don’t forget that TikTok is still a social media platform, and the basics of social media marketing still apply.
4. Create paid ads
Through TikTok for Business, TikTok has created a platform that’s ripe and ready for advertising, allowing businesses to fully integrate TikTok into their marketing strategy. Paid ads are a highly effective way of getting your brand out there, especially if you’re in the initial stages of building your audience. Believe me, friends, the investment will be worth it.
One way to advertise your brand is through in-feed ads that show up on the For You Page. These include image ads, video ads, and spark ads. Or if you’re a managed brand (i.e. you work with a TikTok sales representative), you also have access to top-view ads, branded hashtag challenges, and branded effects.
The most important part of ad creation is to make TikToks, not ads. The best ads feel native to the platform and are entertaining without feeling ‘salesy’.
5. Showcase your brand’s story
Ultimately, as a marketer, you want your brand to connect with your audience, stir some emotion, and spark long-term relationships. The best way to do this is to bring your brand down to a human level and show that you’re more than just a fancy image and offer.
Here are some ways to show your viewers the real you:
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Give an inside look behind the scenes.
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Show a day in the life of one of your employees.
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Let your audience get to know who your employees are.
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Highlight your company’s culture, values, and goals.
6. Promote your offers
While TikTok is a great platform to showcase your brand, it’s also one of the best places to showcase your offers. Ultimately, as a brand on TikTok, your goal is to guide viewers towards conversion. TikTok gives you access to a whole new sea of potential leads.
To best promote your offers, try to:
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Create videos that highlight its best features and benefits.
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Give tutorials and demonstrations of your product or service.
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Share a small snippet of a paid webinar or online course.
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Make use of your captions to describe your offer in more detail.
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Add a link to your bio that directs users to a landing page.
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Strike a deal with influencers or brands with complementary products.
7. Position yourself as an expert in your niche
It turns out that viewers don’t just want to sit back and laugh — they actually like learning things too. TikTok is filled with videos exposing trade secrets, debunking myths, sharing expert opinions, answering common questions, giving niche-specific tips, and supplying insightful how-to content.
By creating content that addresses specific pain points within your niche, your audience will start to view you as somewhat of an expert. This means that every time someone in your audience has a question or problem, they’ll likely come to you and trust what you have to say. And when people trust you, they also trust your products. So don’t hoard all that knowledge you’ve gained from years of industry experience — share the love!
8. Build your community
TikTok has become its own microcosm of community, and if used correctly, you can build a powerful and loyal community of your own. This builds long-term relationships, a devoted fan base, and returning customers.
Building a community takes time and effort. Here are the best ways to get started:
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Interact with your audience using duets, collaborations, likes, shares, and challenges.
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Respond to comments with a video and show your audience that you actually listen to what they have to say.
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Stick to a consistent content schedule that keeps your audience continuously engaged.
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Try going live on TikTok and engage with your audience in real-time.
TikTok has come a long way from the platform where teenagers solely shared dance videos paired with music clips. It’s evolved into a serious powerhouse for businesses that all brands should take seriously. It’s the future of social media marketing, so make sure your future is bright by creating a name for your brand on TikTok as soon as possible. Here are some badass video content ideas for businesses that will get your creative juices flowing.
