TikTok has swiftly transitioned from a trending app to a powerful business marketing platform. Its meteoric rise is redefining digital marketing norms, presenting businesses with unparalleled opportunities to reach a diverse and engaged audience. In this guide, we explore the platform’s unique landscape and uncover the potential of TikTok for business marketing.
From understanding its dynamic user base to crafting captivating content, we’ll outline strategies that you can leverage for success. This article will also illuminate 5 savvy TikTok business advertising strategies, some of which your competitors might not even be aware of yet.
How do I Promote My Business on TikTok?
Whether a TikTok beginner or experienced to the platform, using TikTok for marketing requires understanding its unique, predominantly younger audience and how they interact with content. TikTok thrives on creativity and authenticity and embracing these elements is how your business can succeed here. In fact, the platform now boasts 1.7 billion monthly active users. You can’t ignore this kind of traction when it comes to promoting your business.
The key to successfully using TikTok for business marketing is to create engaging content that resonates with users’ interests and trends, rather than overtly pushing a product. Leverage TikTok’s features like challenges, duets, and trending audio to infuse your brand’s message into the entertainment value that users seek.
For example, use behind-the-scenes glimpses, humorous takes on industry happenings, or user-generated content to foster a sense of community and relatability. Remember, on TikTok: it’s about telling a story that aligns with your audience’s values and interests.
How Do I Use TikTok Trends for Business?
Tapping into trends is crucial for using TikTok for business marketing. To make the most of these trends, creatively adapt them to showcase your brand’s unique voice and message.
This might mean participating in popular challenges with a twist that highlights your products or services. For example, Scrub Daddy hopped on a TikTok trend featuring a dancing John Cena meme by humorously celebrating customers switching to their products.
The key here when using TikTok for marketing is to maintain your brand’s integrity while engaging with the trend. By doing so, you can capture the attention of TikTok’s dynamic audience and make your content memorable and shareable.
Remember, don’t just join a trend if you’re not going to be intentional about it. Make it your own in a way that resonates with your audience.
How Do Companies Use TikTok for Marketing?
Companies around the world are harnessing TikTok for business marketing in innovative ways. From big brands to small enterprises, each has found a niche to effectively engage and convert their audience.
The strategies they’re employing are as varied as the industries they represent, yet they all share a common goal: to make a memorable impression on their audience with TikTok.
Let’s take a look at a few strategies along with some real-world examples of TikTok business advertising, and that the top TikTok marketing agencies use to get their clients outstanding results.
1. Embracing Organic Content
Organic content on TikTok allows businesses to experiment with various storytelling methods. The key is to be authentic and relatable while also staying true to your brand’s identity.
Companies can access performance analytics through their TikTok Business Account, gaining insights into audience preferences and engagement patterns. These insights can then inform and enhance paid campaigns (which we’ll discuss in the next section) to provide you with a more targeted approach .
Take Duolingo for example. They initially created content in the form of tutorials, ideal for their target audience of language learners. The video below, which teaches expressions and phrases in Spanish, resulted in over 4,000 engagements and nearly 95,000 views.
2. Leveraging Paid Advertising
Paid advertising on TikTok helps businesses expand their reach globally. By utilizing TikTok’s targeting tools, companies can ensure their content reaches the appropriate audience and maximize the impact of their ad spend. This approach to TikTok business advertising is particularly beneficial for small to midsize companies focused on reaching a specific demographic.
A terrific example is American auto service company, Gills Point. They used TikTok business advertising to boost tire sales with an always-on approach leading up to Black Friday.
By amplifying quality content with Spark Ads and Interactive Add-Ons, Gills Point achieved the “best online tire sales” they’ve ever had. Their campaign led to over 509,000 impressions and 3,000-plus website clicks, more than doubling their click-through rate and significantly reducing their CPC and CPA.
3. Connecting with Creators
When it comes to TikTok for business marketing, collaborating with TikTok creators can be a game-changer. Creators, being natural storytellers and brand advocates, can help businesses reach their audience more effectively. The TikTok Creator Marketplace is an excellent resource for finding the right creators for your campaign.
By transforming organic content from creators into paid advertising using Spark Ads, companies can double down even further. Using this tactic on TikTok for business marketing can amplify their reach and engage more authentically with potential customers.
For example, let’s look at Dunkin’. They were one of the earliest brands on TikTok to partner with creators to promote their products.
Teaming up with Charli D’Amelio, they launched new menu items and saw a significant increase in app downloads (57%) and sales for cold brew coffees (20%).
5 Innovative TikTok Business Advertising Strategies
Using TikTok for business marketing provides unique opportunities for you to creatively engage with potential consumers of your brand. Whether you’re using TikTok for B2B or B2C, there are a number of strategies to uniquely harness it’s dynamic environment
To ensure your brand not only resonates with TikTok users and stands out in a crowded digital space, we’ve compiled 5 TikTok business advertising strategies your company can use to elevate your presence on the platform.
1. Leverage Duets for Interactive Ads
Duets on TikTok offer an engaging way to interact with your audience. When using TikTok for marketing, Duets allows you to co-create content with your customers.
If someone interacts with your brand through Duets, they’re more likely to form a personal connection with your product or service. This method of TikTok for business marketing transforms passive viewers into active participants, thereby enhancing brand visibility and engagement in a fun, organic way.
For example, a music instrument store could initiate a Duet challenge, inviting musicians to add their unique touch to a song. This approach not only fosters community interaction but also amplifies brand exposure as each Duet acts like a new endorsement, potentially going viral.
2. Utilizing Paid Advertising for Precision Targeting
Paid ads on TikTok enable precise targeting and audience segmentation. This means that your ads are shown to users who are most likely to be interested in your products or services.
With audience segmentation, you can tailor your messaging to resonate with specific groups. A personalized approach with TikTok business advertising can make your content more relevant and appealing to each of your customer segments.
Consider a pet food brand working with an experienced TikTok marketing agency to specifically target pet owners. By accurately defining the audience based on interests and demographics, the brand can ensure its ads are seen by those most likely to engage.
3. Start a Branded Effect Campaign
Creating branded effects, like AR filters or branded hashtags, can generate widespread brand engagement. It allows users to interact with your brand in a playful and immersive manner while turning them into brand ambassadors.
When users apply your branded AR filters to their videos, they’re essentially endorsing your brand to their followers. Similarly, branded hashtags can kickstart viral challenges, encouraging massive user participation.
For instance, a cosmetics company could develop an AR filter that lets users try virtual makeup looks. This innovative approach encourages user interaction, turning every shared video into a subtle endorsement, thus boosting brand reach and engagement.
4. Share Behind-The-Scenes Content
Behind-the-scenes content helps humanize your brand. By sharing what goes on behind the curtain – be it the manufacturing process, day-to-day office life, or how you design your services – you’re building trust and relatability.
Using TikTok for marketing this type of content helps humanize your brand, making it more approachable and relatable to your audience. It tells a story that resonates on a personal level, which can strengthen brand loyalty and forge a deeper connection with your audience.
A bakery, for example, could share the process of crafting its signature pastries. This transparency builds a deeper connection with the audience, fostering trust and a sense of brand loyalty. Such content also offers a unique peek into the brand’s culture and values, further solidifying customer relationships.
5. Partner with Niche Influencers
Influencer collaborations on TikTok can effectively reach niche audiences. Though they may have smaller followings, niche creators often boast highly engaged audiences with specific interests.
By partnering with these influencers, your brand can reach these dedicated communities in an authentic way. These influencers are viewed as trusted figures within their niches, so their endorsement can carry significant weight.
For instance, a cycling gear brand could collaborate with a popular TikTok cyclist. The authentic endorsement from a respected figure within the community can significantly boost engagement and conversion rates, making it a potent strategy for TikTok business advertising.
Leverage TikTok for Business Marketing With a Partner You Trust
Using TikTok for marketing is about blending creativity with strategic thinking. Throughout this guide, we’ve highlighted innovative strategies, from leveraging interactive Duets to engaging with niche influencers.
The key takeaway is clear: success on TikTok requires adaptability and a willingness to embrace the platform’s dynamic, fast-paced nature.
When incorporating TikTok for business marketing, don’t just follow trends. Think about creating content that resonates with your audience while staying true to your brand identity.
At Taktical Digital, we understand the unique challenges and opportunities TikTok presents. With our Brandformance approach, which combines the art of branding with the science of performance marketing, we help businesses navigate TikTok’s vibrant landscape.
If you’re ready to elevate your TikTok business advertising and tap into the potential of this exciting platform, let’s collaborate. Together, we can craft TikTok strategies that not only capture attention but also drive tangible business results.