Should Your Brand Be On TikTok? Reasons To Join and Tips to Succeed

TikTok is a video-sharing social media platform by ByteDance, a Chinese media company founded in 2012. This platform allows users to create 5-60 second videos varying from dance clips to comedy, storytelling, and much more. The app rose to fame and became the most downloaded app in the US in October 2018, making it the 7th most downloaded app of the decade.

Is Joining TikTok The Right Move For Your Business?

As fast-growing and influential as TikTok has become, joining a new social media platform can be overwhelming, and you may be wondering whether joining TikTok is the best move for your brand to reach its full potential. So here are a few statistics that might help you figure out if joining TikTok is the best move for your business:

  • If you are looking to expand awareness of your brand/business to a younger audience

Research published by the Pew Research Center shows that 48% of US adults between 18-29-years old use TikTok, and more than half of the adult user base on TikTok is aged 18-34.

  • If your brand has a focus on a target audience of women

A Statista report showed that as of March 2021, 61% of TikTok users identified as women. So if your strategy leans more towards attracting a female audience, TikTok might just be the right platform for you.

  • If you are comfortable creating video content

TikTok is a video-based platform, so you have to be comfortable creating video content which is highly encouraged given that 86% prefer seeing videos from brands over other types of content. 

  • If you are comfortable sharing lighthearted brand content

When asked in the 2020 GlobalWebIndex survey how they mainly use TikTok, most respondents answered: "To find funny/entertaining content." People use other social media sites to find funny/entertaining content including Instagram, Pinterest, Reddit, Twitter, and Snapchat. But TikTok and Reddit were the only apps where that use case ranked first.

  • If you are looking to reach international markets

TikTok is used in over 150 different countries, and viral videos on the platform can reach worldwide. So, if you are looking to reach audiences from all over the globe, TikTok might be a great tool to start with.

Other Statistics To Consider

-Studies show that TikTok users spend around 858 minutes a month and 46 minutes a day scrolling through videos on the app. Given that the maximum length of these videos is one minute, a LOT of content is consumed daily by these users, meaning that the likelihood of your brand showing up in users' feeds as they scroll is relatively high.

-TikTok ranks as the second-biggest app in consumer spend and saw a 500% increase in in-app spending between 2018 and 2019, a number that continues to grow at a fast pace.

-TikTok’s user base is highly engaged and active, with approximately 90% of users logging onto the app multiple times a day

Say I Want To Join TikTok; What Is Next?

If you establish that joining TikTok is the right move for your business, here are a few tips that will help you get started:

  • Entertain before you try to sell:

As mentioned before, most TikTok users seek fun and entertaining content, so try to find creative ways to create content that highlights your brand in an entertaining way.

  • Don't try to be something you are not:

Before you jump right into content creation, take the time to understand why your audience is on this particular platform and what appeals to them, then create content that aligns with their interest.

  • Stay relevant:

TikTok trends come and go with each passing day, which is why you need to stay on top of them. Great content on TikTok often revolves around trends, such as new effects, songs, editing styles, and more. Referencing these trends in your content can significantly increase engagement and start a conversation about your brand.

  • Break the fourth wall:

Breaking the fourth wall implies addressing the community directly and looking them straight in the eyes (well, the camera). According to TikTok, ads that break the fourth wall accounted for 33% of the ads with the highest view-through rate. This method allows you to engage in true dialogue with your audience by asking them questions and provoking reactions.

  • Shoot vertically:

TikTok's shot vertically have an average 25% higher watch-through rate, so when shooting content for TikTok, be sure to shoot vertically, whether it is from your phone's camera or directly from the app. 

  • Leverage the power of sound:

TikTok has thousands of commercially licensed tracks you can take advantage of by making sounds/music an essential part of your storytelling. Pro tip- Try to include fast-paced tracks above 120 BPM, as these often drive a higher view-through rate (VTR) than other videos.

  • Overlay informative text:

Stories on TikTok are often told in fast-paced, visual ways. To keep your audience engaged, it is recommended you include text overlays on your videos. This creative tip is used by 40% of the ads with the highest VTR.

  • Consider signing up for TikTok Creator Marketplace:

TikTok Creator Marketplace is a collaboration platform that allows brands to connect with creators on TikTok for paid campaigns. If you want to boost your ads further by leveraging some of TikTok‘s most successful Creators, consider signing up for the TikTok Creator Marketplace.

  • Include a strong call to action:

TikTok has a range of call-to-action buttons for auction ads. Use them to take your audience to your website, e-commerce portal, or any other type of invitation. Pro tip- Call-to-action messages have proved to be more effective when they are short and using personal and direct language.

  • Showcase your product/message quickly: 

TikTok research finds that more than 63% of ads that show their product or message in the first three seconds of the ad get clicked on the most.

So, should you join TikTok? The answer is probably yes. As TikTok continues to gain more traction, businesses have the opportunity to enhance and showcase their content in a less saturated social media platform. The more important question is- if your audience joins TikTok, will you be there to welcome them?

If you were thinking of ways to include TikTok into your digital marketing strategy or wondering whether it was worth it, we hope this blog has helped you figure it out. For more tips and advice on marketing and branding, check out the rest of Power Move Marketing's blogs!

 

Author: Julia Prieto

Back to Blogs