TikTok is a fast-growing social media network right now, with the app recently reaching 660 million downloads. Kids today are obsessed with anything quirky, from popsockets to fidget spinners, and TikTok is the new hype. In the fourth quarter of the year 2018, TikTok had more downloads than Snapchat, YouTube, Facebook and Instagram. TikTok is a social network that marketers and businesses need to have on their radar.
Seeing as this is the latest hype all marketers want to know whether their business should be using TikTok and the right strategy to go with it.
The idea behind TikTok is for the users to create bite-sized videos, and then share them on the app’s news feed. Each user can create different clips (between 3-15 seconds), or video clips that are up to one minute long, while using music that is available within the app. I recommend you use a popsocket to get a better grip when you are filming the videos!
Like Snapchat and Instagram, the TikTok videos will utilize using a vertical content format. When you are viewing posts within the TikTok news feed. The video posts will take up most of the screen, as they are filmed with mobile phones. This gives the user a very immersive and engaging experience.
How to Use TikTok
Business owners most likely won’t know how to use TikTok. Once you have uploaded one of their saved clips or filmed a clip then you have the ability to edit their clips using different effects and filters and add popular music or audio snippets from movies. You can then share videos on other social media platforms too.
TikTok users can comment, like and share posts that are directly from their news feed. Just like Instagram’s explore page, TikTok has a ‘For You’ space where each user can browse the popular posts and enable them to follow each user that has created content you may be interested in.
What brands are using TikTok for marketing?
Apple Music is using TikTok in order to showcase their different artists and to promote new releases. Apple Music is able to promote new releases with the use of TikTok. Given that you can use clips from different songs on the TikTok app. TikTok is great for creating content for the new release music.
Specialized bicycles is another brand that is doing a great job of utilizing TikTok in order to promote their products to the younger generation. Their TikToke feed is full of engaging content that has been created for TikTok. They do have videos of their pro-riders that are doing jumps in remote locations, however, most times their social media content is professional and is also shared on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
If your brand is targeting a younger generation and has the ability to create original content, TikTok might be a great fit! The culture and style of the TikTok app provide a great opportunity for brands to create fun content. Including TikTok in your marketing campaign could be a worthwhile investment.
However, if your brand doesn’t have any resources to create original content for the app or if you want to target an older demographic, then it probably isn’t the best option for your business right now.
For businesses, TikTok can be a great way to build a user base and to enjoy the advertising techniques that can help to showcase your services and products. Promote a social media challenge to those following you or showcase a new service or product. You can get some valuable ideas and inspiration for marketing and content from other platforms such as YouTube and Instagram.
As I said, TikTok won’t suit every business, but if it is right for you, it can be very beneficial!
