8 Ways That Brands Can Utilize TikTok in Their Marketing

Before talking about trends and strategies, we must know a little about the name of the game, i.e., TikTok. Keeping a light-hearted, playful theme, TikTok was launched in September 2016 on both iOS and Android. TikTok has overtaken Facebook as the world’s most downloaded app as per recent reports

With a clear youth demographic, TikTok is the game of 2021. Thus, it is a suitable time for TikTok brand marketing, scaling up brands, and generating awareness about brands, hence ultimately helping the brands to grow.

A Brief about the ‘Most Downloaded App – TikTok’

TikTok is a platform where the users upload short, engaging videos. Formerly known as Musical.ly, the app was full of lip-syncing videos. In the pandemic, people (including brands and influencers) are witnessing the hidden benefit of being on TikTok.

To make the 60 seconds video more appealing, users can apply filters, trending hashtags, challenges, and overlay music. Unique features like live streaming and mentions can help people in Brand Marketing.

Why focus on TikTok Marketing?

TikTok encourages more people to join the platform, which leads to a huge amount of engagement. Here are some other benefits:

• The platform encourages more people to engage with your brands and, in turn, your products and services.

• More Instagram followers have migrated to TikTok, which means a wider audience.

• The positive side of a younger demographic is that the platform becomes more liberal and casual without being overly traditional and professional.

• Service-based professional businesses usually have to maintain a certain image on Twitter, Youtube, and Instagram because they have a broader audience, including persons from sensitive age groups. There can be negative connotations if brands don’t adhere to this as they are expected to have a professional approach. Whereas TikTok supports people to open up their personalities, which can be a refreshing change.
• The best-performing TikTok brands post 3.52 times per week on average.

• It drives traffic while having pure fun on social media through comedy skits and dancing.

• Though the algorithm of TikTok is quirky, the platform spikes higher views than other majority social media platforms.

• It is easier for brands to market on TikTok as it garners a significant amount of views in a short period.

• Twitter, Facebook, and Youtube restrict views because of the New Privacy Policy, while there isn’t any privacy law in TikTok. This makes it more accepting of content in every form, giving enormous numbers of views and followers.
• Brands can get feedback and address concerns about their products through the Inbox Feature, accessible to 500 million users.
• While the platform is the home ground for youth, there is much room for experts and professionals to educate relevant audiences about certain issues.

How Can Brands Leverage TikTok in their Marketing?

1. Finding a Core Niche: Brands often fail to get the desired result, even after trying out trends and being on the platform for several months. Brands must build awareness through relevant trends for the first few months and then create content that is business-oriented to reach a particular set of people.
2. Strategy Making: Brands should outline their videos ahead of time through R&D of potential videos and hashtags that are relevant to the business. Producing batch content and scheduling them at the correct time can help brands scale up overnight.
3. Utilize the Features: The first step is to check the discovery page to find relevant trends and the right hashtags. Hashtags are the lifeblood of TikTok when it comes to visibility. Thus, hopping on to the trends by creating a brand channel (B2B, B2C) and then making a video around the trend with a personalized spin-off is a great way of brand marketing.
4. Content Designing: Searching for relevant trends will prove an effective use of time for the brands. Creating original content can help the brand stand out on the platform, like creating inspirational, compelling videos or highlighting reels such as Behind the Scenes of an office employee, company, random challenges, service-based media content, company events, promotions etc. 
5. Viral Video Making: An ideal video for a brand channel on TikTok should be less than 60 seconds, with a hook, information, and call-to-action at the end. Videos should be funny and educational. Incorporating props or pets is a 100% proven method for any video to go viral. The video should not sound ‘salesy’; it should be authentic and transparent, focusing on regular, simple, motivating activities as humans connect and digest narratives.
6. Remodeling and Reposting: More than 85 % of big companies are using user-generated content. Sharing or reposting and curating the content of users posting videos is an easy bait to gain followers.
7. Audience Engagement: Brands can go live, which will increase the trust factor among the audience, as it is the only way to have direct, real-time interaction between the audience and the brand. During the live session, the brands can incorporate a Customer Support Helpline Number for inquiry or grievance redressal. Brands should make use of this Live option to evoke interest in their product and services in their audience. Replying to the comments with helpful information will help in building and nurturing relationships with prospective customers.
8. Collaboration with TikTok Influencers: Teaming up with TikTok influencers in your niche, especially in B2B and B2C brands, is a great way of brand advertisement. Brands can focus on smaller influencers making waves in the industry. Thus, with the least effort, brands can grab easy and (sometimes) free traffic to the website. The collaboration can be paid or barter. A small investment in influencer marketing on TikTok can be highly beneficial.

A not-so-serious platform with serious results should be the tagline of TikTok for brand marketing. Well-structured videos in a consistent style are a guaranteed way of making it on TikTok, especially for small brands. Adding cool songs, graphics overlay, and hashtag challenges in brand campaigns are the keys to instant growth.

Here are some bonus tips that brands can use in marketing:

• If the brand’s product category is Electronics and Technology, they can create assembly/step-by-step videos with a catchy phrase. Mentions can get the brands to the landing page of TikTok, which drives traffic to generate leads. 
• At the end of the videos, brands must never forget to link their other social media handles. This is a powerful step that seamlessly cross-pollinates the audience of Youtube, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok. 

It is time for brands to grab this opportunity and test their campaigns for better growth.