How to Use TikTok for Small Business Marketing
TikTok is one of the latest social media platforms to take off. However, before using it to promote your business, you should learn more about TikTok and its demographics. Social media marketing is only successful if users enjoy your content.
Use the following guide to make the most out of your TikTok marketing efforts:
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Make Sure That Your Target Audience Uses TikTok
The first step is to ensure your potential customers use the new social media platform. TikTok has over 500 million monthly active users. 60 million of those users are in the United States.
TikTok has also released stats on the demographics of its users. About 60% of the US audience is female. 60% are aged 16 to 24. 80% are between the ages of 16 and 30.
TikTok is incredibly popular among Generation Z and younger millennials. If you try to market to older adults, you may want to stick with Facebook or Twitter. However, Generation Z includes today’s trendsetters. Marketing to a younger generation may help you promote your brand to a larger audience.
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Learn How TikTok Works
To create effective marketing campaigns, you need to understand how TikTok works. TikTok is a video-sharing social media platform.
Users share short video clips lasting between three and fifteen seconds. You may also create looping videos that last between three and sixty seconds.
Most user-uploaded content includes videos of people lip-synching to their favorite songs. However, as the platform’s user base has grown, the variety of video content has increased. People share everything from dance videos to funny video clips.
The platform includes basic video editing features. Before uploading a video, you can add background music or adjust the speed of the video. You also have a few filters to play with.
After uploading a video, other users can react to your short clip with their own video clips. The reactions appear in a small window that you can move around the screen.
TikTok also allows you to add hashtags to your shared videos. Hashtags help people discover content and provide a useful marketing strategy, which you will learn how to use later in this guide.
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Generate Fun and Creative Content
As with most types of marketing, you need to generate quality content for TikTok marketing. The content should not be promotional. Focus on creating authentic content that the typical TikTok user may enjoy.
Most of the videos uploaded on the platform are funny or creative. However, you do not need to try to create the next funny viral video. Many small businesses upload video demonstrations of their products. The key is to keep the content light-hearted.
For example, you could film a demonstration of your product and add an unexpected song for background music. Choose something that highlights a feature of your product comically or the lyrics of the song.
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Curate Content From Other TikTok Users
You do not need to generate all the content that you share. A common marketing strategy for any social media platform is to curate relevant content from other users.
User-generated content (UGC) provides a content stream of videos for you to share with followers. It can also help you pick up followers who find shared content entertaining.
If possible, look for videos related to your products or services. Unfortunately, small businesses are less likely to find UGC that showcase their specific offerings.
Another option is finding relevant videos you think your followers may enjoy. Search for hashtags and trending topics that you connect to your products or services indirectly.
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Advertise Your Content on TikTok
Paid advertising is usually one of the fastest ways to reach a large audience. TikTok gives businesses four different ways to advertise on the social platform:
- Native ads
- Brand takeovers
- Sponsored hashtag challenges
- Branded filters
Native ads appear between user-generated content. Users can skip or scroll through the ads but it still provides a way to connect with potential customers. The videos need to last between nine and fifteen seconds.
You can include links to landing pages or app downloads in the video. After releasing the ad, TikTok provides metrics such as the click-through rate, number of clicks, impressions, and play duration.
Brand takeovers cost more compared to native ads but generate more exposure. The ads appear at the top of the user feeds before other videos load.
The videos are exclusive to different business categories. Only one video can appear in the slot for a specific category each day.
Sponsored hashtags challenges work differently compared to video ads. With this option, you promote a hashtag and create a page for the challenge. Users upload videos or comment on other videos. However, a custom banner promoting your brand remains visible.
Branded lenses are the fourth advertising option. Businesses can create filters that users can add to their videos. This is useful for wearable products. You could create a filter with a shirt, hat, or other marketing material.
The filter is available in 2D or 3D and lasts for ten days. TikTok also plans to create an augmented reality (AR) version of branded lenses, making this advertisement option more interactive.
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Work with TikTok Influencers to Increase Exposure
TikTok is a growing platform and already has influencers with massive followings. TikTok even makes it easy to discover influencers in your niche market.
With the TikTok Creator Marketplace, you can search for the top-trending users and videos. You can also view insights on audience demographics and growth trends to optimize your TikTok marketing campaign.
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Monitor Your Results and Tweak Your Efforts
Using Google Analytics or other analytical software, you can monitor referral traffic from TikTok. Pay attention to the traffic you receive from TikTok, conversion rates, and other important metrics.
As you analyze your progress, look for ways to improve your marketing efforts. You may need to post content more frequently or increase your advertising spending.
With these steps, you should build a stronger presence on TikTok.