March
24, 2021
5 min read
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
TikTok is much more than a passing fad. In fact, it was the most-downloaded non-gaming app in 2020, and boasts 100 million monthly users in the United States alone.
TikTok’s presentation of short videos paired with music clips has proven to be wildly popular, with clips featuring dancing, stunts, comedy and more going viral around the world.
Needless to say, the popular app has also been a boon for video marketers — at least, those who know how to take advantage of it. With options that include in-feed videos, hashtag challenges and more, there are plenty of opportunities for brands to reach a young, highly engaged audience.
If you’re intimidated about dipping your toes in the murky waters of TikTok advertising, don’t worry. Getting your message across could be easier than you expect.
1. Act fast to catch trends
On TikTok, trends can surge in popularity and die out all in a single day. Because trends can come and go so quickly, you’ll have to act quickly yourself, putting together content and uploading it in the same day.
The good news is that TikTok actively organizes and promotes hashtags within its app, highlighting popular and trending hashtags for easy content navigation. TikTok also highlights trending songs on your For You page.
In other words, the social media platform is giving you the playbook of what’s currently trending, so you know exactly which trends you should hop in on.
2. Follow your followers
Of course, part of the appeal of using TikTok is that it gives video marketers the opportunities to launch their own content that goes viral. This is particularly true of hashtag challenges, which encourage audiences to create their own content based around the marketer’s hashtag.
In one case study, Singaporean fashion brand ZALORA generated over 1,100 user-generated videos with nearly 1 million total views, while also increasing its conversion rate in comparison to other creative content by 2.5 times.
So how do you achieve similar results with your own campaigns? Immerse yourself in the app by following leading influencers in your niche, as well as members of your target audience. Seeing the type of content they are producing and interacting with will reveal what type of branded content is the most appealing to them.
Related: Why Do Young People Love TikTok?
3. Make production easier with video creation tools
Because TikTok content often needs to be filmed, edited and uploaded all in a single day, you’re not going to have countless hours to apply lighting filters or other high-tech editing solutions. As a result, videos tend to look a little less polished, but that’s a good thing — it also lends them authenticity.
Still, the rapid turnaround that is often necessary for TikTok video marketing makes production tools like Boosted an absolute must. Boosted offers a variety of customizable templates that make it easy to get started with creating a video for any social media platform. An easy-to-use tool kit lets users customize fonts, logos, color palettes and other features to better match your brand and the platform you’re using.
The use of such tools also helps you maintain consistency with the video content you put out. When each video maintains a similar aesthetic, font or filter, viewers will come to immediately associate it with your brand.
4. Tell stories
While TikTok may seem like it is primarily a vehicle for catching up on the latest dance trend, there is still ample opportunity for storytelling — an essential part of any video marketing campaign.
Many influencers use TikTok’s format to present a series of short, connected clips that help users solve a problem, typically by utilizing video and text overlays alongside a trending music clip.
In an interview with Later, TikTok vlogger Sawyer Hartman explains, “First, I use the text to establish a problem or grab attention. I usually address people’s fears and concerns right off the bat. And then, step by step, I solve the problem […] Imagine your perfect viewer is sitting and watching your video with the sound off, what text can you put and what story can you tell that will convince them to turn their sound on?”
Related: How to Use Storytelling to Sell Your Brand and Vision
5. Don’t be afraid to experiment
Because users upload so much content to TikTok on a daily basis, the platform can feel fickle at times — particularly when you don’t have the budget to invest in a promotional campaign.
However, the rapid-fire consumption TikTok promotes can also be turned to your advantage. By continually experimenting with different types of content, you will be able to discover what works (and what doesn’t) much sooner, and at a lower cost than you would with a big-budget campaign on another platform.
While staying true to your brand identity, don’t be afraid to adapt sound selection, the time you post or your video style until you find a combination that gains traction with your target audience.
Now’s the time to master TikTok
With the right tools — and the right mindset — establishing a noteworthy presence on TikTok won’t be as difficult as you might expect.
Of course, you can’t expect everything you upload on TikTok to go viral right away. That’s okay. This is still a relatively new medium, and you may need to experiment for a while before something you produce catches on. Have fun with your content, and you’ll eventually find what clicks with your target audience.