TikTok Advertising Strategies for Business to Boost Growth
Most businesses these days are using at least one or two social media channels to market their brand. However, new social channels emerge every year, many of which are worth your attention. Take TikTok for example. Although initially dismissed by most as another social media platform for teens, more businesses are taking notice. This is because they are beginning to realize that TikTok is attracting more adult users every day. As such, TikTok advertising is well worth considering.
What is TikTok?
TikTok started off as a platform on which users could upload videos of themselves lip-synching to music videos. These videos were no more than 15 seconds long. In a way, they were like a more niche-based version of the now-defunct Vine social platform. As such, it was no surprise that the platform attracted a younger audience. However, older users began taking advantage of TikTok’s audience to showcase themselves in different ways. For example, comedians would upload short videos of stand-up routines. Another example is of skateboarders, who would upload tricks that they landed. Soon, TikTok allowed its users to upload videos up to 60 seconds long.
Who Uses TikTok?
TikTok still has a user base that leans on the younger side with more than 66 percent of its users under the age of 30. However, if you have a younger target audience, then TikTok is very much worth your time. This is especially true when you consider the fact that more parents are using TikTok on a daily basis (it’s estimated that 41 percent of dads have used TikTok). Not to mention that TikTok currently has over six million users in the U.S. alone.
Why You Should Advertise on TikTok
As TikTok has continued to grow, it has become much more than an entertainment platform. Businesses across a variety of industries—including retail, hospitality, healthcare, real estate, and professional services—are using TikTok to increase brand awareness and reach new audiences. One of the platform’s biggest advantages is its ability to help even smaller brands gain visibility. Unlike many social media platforms where established accounts dominate users’ feeds, TikTok’s algorithm prioritizes engaging content over follower count. This gives businesses of all sizes the opportunity to have their videos discovered by thousands—or even millions—of potential customers.
How Can You Leverage TikTok To Market Your Brand?
If your buyer personas match the target audience of TikTok, then you may be curious as to how you can use the platform to your advantage. The following are just a few effective tactics when it comes to TikTok advertising:
-
User-generated content
TikTok is a great platform for encouraging user-generated content. Instagram is the other social channel where user-generated content is incredibly effective. One of the reasons user-generated content is so successful on both of these channels is because it encourages active audience engagement. Not only will they be engaged with your brand, but they will also generate content that helps promote your brand. In a sense, you’ll be getting free advertising. Users are more likely to participate using TikTok as well due to the platform’s focus on video creation.
-
TikTok challenges
One of the reasons why TikTok’s popularity has exploded over recent years is due to the challenges that users engage in. For example, one type of challenge involves doing a specific dance move or physical challenge (such as taking off your shirt while doing a wall stand). Many of these challenges go viral organically, but businesses have begun creating their own challenges in an effort to engage more users. When creating a challenge, make sure to use a hashtag along with an appropriate title. Doing so ensures that the challenge has a better chance of being found and shared.
-
Influencer marketing
Just like Instagram, TikTok is home to users with enormous followings. As such, you should consider influencer marketing. Influencer marketing involves building a relationship with someone on the platform with a large influence (number of followers). As long as your brand is relevant to them, they will be able to influence their followers’ awareness and feelings about your brand. For example, if you create a challenge, you can get it exposure by having an influencer take part in that challenge. They can also encourage their followers to do the same.
-
TikTok’s advertising platform
Like other social platforms, TikTok does have its own advertising platform that you can use. Some of the options include in-feed videos, brand takeover ads, branded AR content, and more. TikTok can even help assist with your influencer marketing campaign via its customer influence package. Additionally, you can customize your targeting options using website traffic, ad engagement, app activity, or customer contact data.
-
Post Consistency
Success on TikTok rarely happens after posting a single video. Like any social media platform, consistency plays an important role in growing your audience and increasing engagement. Businesses should create a content calendar that includes a mix of promotional content, educational videos, behind-the-scenes footage, trending sounds, and community-focused posts. Posting regularly also provides more opportunities to appear on users’ “For You” pages, helping your content reach new audiences organically.
Begin Integrating TikTok Advertising As Part Of Your Social Marketing Strategy
Although TikTok has a younger user-base, it is continuing to grow, attracting more and more older users. As such, it’s worth considering TikTok advertising, especially if any of your buyer personas match with TikTok’s current audience. As with any social media strategy, the key to success on TikTok is understanding your audience and creating content that provides value. Whether your goal is increasing brand awareness, driving website traffic, or generating sales, TikTok offers businesses a unique opportunity to connect with consumers in a creative and engaging way. By combining organic content with paid advertising and influencer partnerships, brands can build stronger relationships with their audiences and remain competitive in today’s evolving digital landscape.
Measure the Performance of Your Campaigns
Like any marketing initiative, TikTok advertising should be monitored regularly to understand what’s working and where improvements can be made. Businesses should track metrics such as video views, watch time, engagement rate, click-through rate, conversions, and follower growth. Reviewing these insights allows marketers to refine their content strategy, identify which types of videos resonate most with their audience, and allocate their advertising budget more effectively. Continuously analyzing campaign performance helps maximize return on investment over time.
The landscape of the Internet is ever changing and Nicole has the energy and aptitude to keep Stevens & Tate Marketing out in front of the pack. She leads an enthusiastic team in strategic planning, development, search engine marketing, online promotions and advertising for the web.
