TikTok as a Marketing Channel
A new app redefines the way we use social media every few years and in 2020, TikTok was the hottest app. Other than Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram, TikTok is on the rise and brands should take note.
What is TikTok?
TikTok is a social media video app that exploded in popularity all over the world. This ubiquitous app is built on short video clips where it allows users to create and share 15-second videos on any topic. There is no longer-form video and no image or text sharing options available in the app.
Before TikTok existed, Musical.ly was the popular short-form, a video-sharing app where users mainly uploaded lip-syncing videos or funny, entertaining videos. The app was then taken over by a Chinese company called ByteDance–TikTok’s parent company– in August 2018. Following the acquisition of Musical.ly, all the content and accounts in the app were transferred to the new TikTok app.
Looking in from the outside, TikTok bears the image of Musical.ly where the app appears to be filled with lip-syncing and viral videos only. As a matter of fact, TikTok users can create and share videos of any genre, ranging from humour, hobbies, fitness, travel, music, photography, and dance videos. Those who can adapt their content to the short-form video format are presented with exposure, regardless of what category.
TikTok provides an extensive selection of sounds and song snippets, in addition to the option to add special effects and filters. Users can also directly add videos created on their phone.
TikTok has a “for you” page which shows curated content based on the accounts and hashtag users follow, and the type of content they have interacted with previously–something like Instagram’s explore page. It is the first thing that users will see when they open the app where short-form video content will start playing immediately.
This social media app has been growing steadily since its global inception in 2017. TikTok is now accessible in more than 200 countries worldwide, according to Hootsuite. The ever-growing user base already has over 250 million users currently.
As reported by Sensor Tower Blog, TikTok generated more than 80 million installs in May 2021, where it secured the title of the most downloaded app worldwide in the non-gaming category. This social media app is favoured largely by 16 to 24-year-olds because of TikTok’s meme format and will continue to gain increasing popularity in the world.
TikTok appeals to the vast market of people who look for micro-entertainment and distraction for a few minutes during the day. As the social media app is growing at a rapid pace, it has caught the attention of brands to check out the advertising possibilities. TikTok is a publicity goldmine if your content can resonate with the Gen Z crowd.
Here are some examples of how some brands are doing on TikTok.
Chipotle
First and foremost, they nailed it with their bio already – “Less Tok, More Guac”. Chipotle knows how to leverage on this platform and is one of the most active brands there. This food brand already has 1.6 million followers and 29.5 million likes on TikTok.
Chipotle knows their target audience and keeps their content up to date with the trending memes and viral videos on TikTok. They introduced a new burrito when they hopped on the trend, “If Miley Comments On This, I’ll Do ___” where people used that phrase and if Miley Cyrus comments on their post, they’ll do whatever they end that sentence with. Fans were excited as she gave them a new name for the burrito which is “Guac is extra, but so is Miley burrito”.
@chipotle @mileycyrus down? #chipotle #burrito #mileycyrus
Plus, Chipotle utilises user-generated content by occasionally sharing content from their followers. This approach encourages their audience to create more content about the well-known food brand where they indirectly become their social media billboard.
@chipotle 💥💥💳💥💥💳💥 (via @beaprojet) #chipotle #diy #upcycling #fashion #trendy #fyp
In 2019, they started a campaign, #GuacDance–to coincide with National Avocado Day– where they used Dr. Jean’s viral “Guacamole Song” to drive visibility and brand awareness. It was Chipotle’s biggest guac day in history as it drove over 250,000 video submissions and had nearly 430,000 million video starts during its six-day run on TikTok. Chipotle had served more than 800,000 sides of free guacamole as a result of the campaign.
@chipotle TFW guac is free. Online/in-app only 7/31 #GuacDance Terms: chip.tl/avoday
Elf Cosmetics
Elf Cosmetics took a brave step when they were testing out the platform in 2019. The brand organised a TikTok campaign that went viral with their original song–called “Eyes Lips Face”– that went alongside their hashtag challenge. Elf Cosmetics #eyeslipsface is believed to be the first TikTok campaign that used an original song from the brand.
The title of the song was derived from the brand’s name, as the acronym of “Eyes Lips Face” spells out “elf”. The song was inspired from Kash Doll’s 2018 hit “Ice Me Out”. This novel idea has been described as one of the most influential campaigns on TikTok as it was designed for native of the app.
The song went viral and started appearing on other platforms like Instagram and YouTube. Elf Cosmetic then followed up with a music video to coincide with the release of the full song.
The brand worked with a number of influencers to initially kick it off in their own videos which led other celebrities and users to do the same. To date, the hashtag #eyeslipsface has garnered 7.7 billion views and the song itself was used in 1.4 million videos on TikTok. Elf Cosmetics understood the assignment and delivered perfectly.
Below are some video examples.
@beasteater My morning routine you all asked for 💘💀 #eyeslipsface @elfcosmetics (read bio) #ad
@brittany_broski I TOLD YALL TO HYPE ME UP !!!!! Smh #eyeslipsface @elfcosmetics #ad
@jamescharles eyes lips face… **waist 😇 #makeup #fyp #transformation
NBA
NBA amassed over 12 million followers and nearly 300 million likes as they were smart and adopted TikTok in the early game. NBA earned loyal followers when they post regularly on the app–usually up to five to six times per day. Their content ranges from sporting challenges to behind-the-scenes pranks.
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, basketball season was suspended. They had to shift their focus to the online platform so that they can keep their fans updated. And they did a good job with sharing a variety of content on their social platforms.
The NBA social media team shares different kinds of content on each of their social media platforms. They focused more on humorous content on TikTok as their Instagram is for NBA highlights and Twitter is for NBA news.
Fans can get a good laugh and get to know their favourite team on a deeper level on TikTok. Here are some of the most-watched videos on their page.
@nba
@nba #snacktime 🚀🍕🏃
@nba Point Guard Jump Ball 😆👏🏀 #NBAAllStar #NBA #Funny
How to leverage TikTok?
Other brands have done it and so can you. TikTok is growing exponentially, so you might want to consider leveraging the vast number of audiences and include it in your social media strategy. But before you plan to use TikTok as one of your marketing channels, make sure your demographic aligns.
There are 3 main ways that your brand can consider utilising to make the best out of TikTok.
- Create an account for your brand and upload relevant to your brand and industry
- Leverage on influencer marketing to reach a wider but well-targeted audience
- TikTok allows you to pay to advertise on their platform
You can use all 3 approaches or you can either choose whichever you find suitable. If you do not have the budget to pay to advertise on the platform, the first and second approach should suffice if you know how to execute them properly.
Here are some suggestions from us:
1. Hop on trends
TikTok is home to most trends on social media these days. Most of the popular content on this social media app are trends as it is easy for this type of content to go viral. People are more likely to share your content as well based on the creativity of twisting the trend to suit your brand.
Trends come and go in a blink of an eye. Make decisions quickly if you want to jump on the trend so that it is still relatable before a new trend comes along. Some trends incorporate a song or video effect; you can check what is the current popular song on TikTok’s sound page and see what type of content you can create from there.
2. Hashtag challenges
TikTok has a massive influx of challenges as it is an essential feature of TikTok’s community. Users on this social media app are masters of challenges as they like to share their version of the challenge.
Using hashtags for your brand’s challenge makes it memorable and easy to find. People can participate in your challenge with just a few clicks. Consider using influencers to promote your challenge in their own video first, especially if you have not established your brand’s presence on the platform yet.
3. User-generated content
This type of marketing is suitable for most platforms as it involves the audience and the people are loving it. Gen Z particularly– majority of TikTok’s user base– prefers involvement over traditional entertainment from TV or radio. Particularly in TikTok, the audience are influenced with mimicking what they see and posting their own version of it.
You can encourage your followers to create user-generated content, or alternatively, you can also team up with influencers to inspire their followers to share content supporting your brand in some way.
4. Influencer marketing
Influencer marketing is a powerful tool as it can reach a niche audience depending on the particular influencer. Sometimes the key to a successful campaign is collaborating with the right influencers. Make sure to pick out the right influencers who align with your brand. Relevance is more important than reach in this approach.
One of TikTok’s appeal is the originality and creativity of creators. You can leave the content creation to the influencer as they know their audience best.
You can find out more about influencer marketing from what we wrote in this link.
