As a business owner, it is important to keep up with the current trends and incorporate that in the content marketing process to appeal to as many customers, be it new or existing. As customers, we can see many brands making their presence known on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter by mentioning current events, memes, or trending jokes for better engagement, which has worked tremendously time and time again.

A great example of that would be Wendy’s, the fast-food chain, which has gained traction for their hilarious interaction with fans on Twitter. The brand known for their 99-cent Frosty has gained quite the reputation by not only roasting their fans but also competing brands such as McDonalds, Arby’s, and many others. Marketing experts everywhere quickly understood that to reach the younger audience, they would need to ditch the traditional approach and be able to assert wit and a little more creativity when conversing with their fans online. While we’re all familiar with the aforementioned social media platforms, what is it about TikTok that sets it apart from the rest?

Well, the thing about TikTok that is different is that it relies on authenticity and relatability. While Instagram, for instance, focuses on high quality edited pictures and carefully written captions, TikTok thrives from being the polar opposite of that. Most videos that garner success on the app usually displays spontaneity and genuineness rather than high production value. Meaning, the contents on there are usually brief, to the point, and creators are not scared to incorporate memes or current jokes.

It rose in popularity when many kids and teenagers saw it as a great platform to show off their dancing to whichever songs are trending at that moment. However, when the COVID-19 pandemic started, TikTok began to skyrocket in popularity as it serves as a platform for those who are stuck at home for quarantine to document their day-to-day life and interact with others around the world who are doing the same. In doing so, it became the number one platform for current trends to arise which eventually spilled over to other social medias.

Many businesses took this as an opportunity to market their products and services on this app and letting their Gen-Z marketing experts take the lead on the creative process. With businesses ranging from the airline, technology, and hospitality industry taking the app by storm, surely you can apply these tactics to your business to boost engagement and reach. In this article, we will go over several topics such as how to utilize TikTok for your business, a few successful examples from different companies and their approach, and types of paid advertisements on the platform.

Tik Tok Basics

Before delving into using this app for your business, you must firstly learn the basics to make the most out of your presence on this platform. Fortunately, as this app was originally designed for children, it’s quite easy to navigate through. For those who aren’t familiar, users of TikTok are able to create short videos with filters, songs, and sounds ranging from a couple of seconds and up to 3 minutes in length. So, you might be thinking – well, I can also do those things on other social media platforms, what makes TikTok so special then?

Well, when it comes to creating content for your business, every creator knows that you are to follow the current trends, be it songs, challenges, etc. One of the specialties from TikTok is that trends move at a very fast rate and there is a trending sound, challenge, and filter to utilize every day. Meaning, it’s hard for creators to run out of ideas to incorporate in their content since users are constantly cycling through the latest craze. This has worked extremely well being that the app largest demographic is those in the Gen-Z category, mainly aged 18 – 24 years old. As of 2022, TikTok remains as one of the most downloaded apps with users spending an average of 8 times a day opening it. This is indicative of the platform’s ability to successfully grab users’ attention and getting them hooked.

In addition, the app is extremely smart in learning the users’ interests and showing their preferred content through its algorithm. Once users engage with the videos of their liking, be it about pets, beauty tutorials, or cryptocurrencies, the algorithm is quick to display other clips that are similar to that category. As a result, you have an app that grabs the attention of many easily since it ensures you’re getting many options that falls in your area of interest. Not only that, but viewers can also quickly turn into creators given that it’s quite easy to make content of your own, and you will never run out of trends to follow.

Making Your TikTok Posts

Do Your Research

When utilizing the app, it is important that you also familiarize yourself with TikTok rules and regulations to avoid being flagged or banned. The app is very quick in identifying posts that falls in their red flag category, so before creating posts of your own, be sure to peruse through your homepage, also known as the “For You Page” that is tailored to your preferred content liking and use the current trending hashtag.

Just like when one is brainstorming for posts on Instagram or Facebook, it is of the essence to be well-versed on what other brands are posting and how they are organizing their content. As briefly mentioned earlier in this article, the unique selling point that sets TikTok apart is that they thrive on authenticity without a need for high production value. As most creators just simply speak their mind about how their day is going, whatever meme is currently trending, there is essentially no need to think outside of the box as users are hooked on the many unhinged content that is produced on there.

Ditch Your Corporate Guidelines

When you have decided to create a TikTok account for your business, this is the perfect time to let your social media intern shine and take the lead in directing the creative process. Again, it’s important to be familiar with your target audience and who is a better expert than someone who falls under that category?

The quirkier and more easygoing your content is, the better the response will be. The truth is many people go on TikTok to browse through quick and feel-good content that will give them a quick laugh and move on with their day. With that being said, try to avoid creating unnecessarily boring and long content about the features of the products or services you are selling. Instead, choose one of the many prevalent trends and take the time to experiment and be playful in the process. A good example would be if you are running a TikTok account for a restaurant, show a quick clip of the servers’ pet peeves, different types of customers, or funny interactions between the staff. This has showed to be successful in many businesses, and a simple browse through the restaurant comedy hashtag will show you many inspirations.

Simply put, given the relaxed nature of the app, be sure to not come across as too formal and traditional.

Examples of Excellent Implementation

Many corporations ranging from different fields have jumped on to the TikTok bandwagon and created content with their own twist. What do they all have in common? They are laid back, unapologetic, and are often unhinged with the content that they post. Some brilliant examples of those brands are as follows:

Duolingo

When it comes to looking for tools to aid with learning a new language, a couple of names come to mind such as Rosetta Stone or Babbel. However, when it comes to TikTok presence, the language learning platform known as Duolingo takes the lead.

Duolingo is a language-learning mobile application and website, headquartered in Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 2011, Duolingo specializes in making language-learning possible through reading, speaking, and writing comprehension which includes short games, quizzes, and other activities. As of 2022, they have garnered more than 45 million users and counting, making it one of the most popular online courses.

As for their online presence on TikTok, Duolingo is certainly an expert on making their audience laugh and wanting more of their content. With having the Duo the Owl as their mascot, their social media team can utilize TikTok to personify it and use it to engage with users through the comment section. This has proved to be immensely successful given that they have managed to amass over 4 million followers with an impressive engagement rate at that.

There is no surprise that the person responsible for researching, pitching, and creating these posts are none other than a 23-year-old named Zaria Parvez. Parvez successfully incorporates the tactic mentioned earlier in the article and as a result have gained the trust of her colleagues to be the expert on this matter.

RyanAir

Another great example of a corporation that has become successful on the app is RyanAir, Europe’s largest budget airline, found in 1984 and is headquartered in Dublin, Ireland. Many would think that it must have taken a long process for a business in the air-carrier industry to find its spot on a platform mostly dominated by youngsters, right?

This goes to show how easy it is to find your spot on this app. RyanAir has made multiple jokes regarding passenger behavior and self-deprecating jokes by comparing themselves to other airlines that are deemed more luxurious. Their efforts certainly do not go to waste as they have also successfully gained a whopping 1.6 million followers.

Given these examples of two different companies from two very different industries, surely you have a clearer idea of how feasible it is to make your presence known on this app.

Getting Started on Advertising on TikTok

Whenever you are scrolling on Instagram, often you come across advertisements that were paid for by brands in order to have their products or services displayed to users. On TikTok, there are 4 methods in which you can do this starting with sponsored hashtag challenges.

Sponsored Hashtag Challenges

As previously mentioned, hashtags can be a great way to get your name out there and get others involved with your brand. One great way to boost this would be to utilize the sponsored hashtag challenges. What this would entail is a specialized hashtag that is shown on the Discover page which will show other users who are participating in the trend. In addition, you will also receive a banner that is displayed on the Discover page, explaining to users what the challenge is about and to direct them to your brand’s TikTok page. This is especially popular since other creators are always looking for new ideas to make content making it mutually beneficial for both parties.

Native Ads

Similar to when you are scrolling through your feed on Instagram, often times you come across content that is paid advertisement. On TikTok, they have implemented something called native ads which are ads that are shown in between posts when users are scrolling through their For You Page. These ads can be up to 15 seconds long, but they are also skippable.

Brand Takeovers

These are also another type of advertisement which is shown upon opening the For You Page before users get to see other content. This is especially great for boosting brand awareness. However, it is important to keep in mind that these types of advertisements are only limited to certain categories and can rack up a lot in price. Given that the guaranteed impression rate is quite high, this would be a great addition to businesses who have the budget for such ads.

Branded Lenses

Lastly, we have branded lenses. A popular way for creators to also hop on current trends is also through what are called filters. Filters were first popularized on Snapchat, such as the dog and flower crown which rose to popularity in 2016. This ad format on TikTok will certainly assist in spreading your brand name to many users and users from different demographic groups, so be sure to be creative when making these!

Conclusion

When it comes to marketing your business, surely it is important to strategize and do your research to ensure a successful campaign. Whichever way you choose to make your business known, it’s a comforting fact to know that you can always explore from many creators and other companies who have successfully done so while still sticking to their brand identity. While there are paid advertisements options such as branded lenses, sponsored hashtag challenges, native ads, and brand takeovers for you to choose from, you can always start by simply producing content for free. Remember to also take the time to brainstorm with your team by simply scrolling through your For You Page. The key takeaways are to keep up with the current trends, avoid being overly stiff with your approach, and most importantly to have fun with the process!