In 30 seconds:
- Christmas TikTok is the place to be during the festive season. We’re going to talk about why your brand should be there.
- These 5 best TikTok ideas will help you ace your winter TikTok strategy.
- Want to list better KPIs and increased share of voice amongst your Christmas gifts? Here’s how.
Ready to sleigh Christmas TikTok? Puns aside, the sound of jingle bells is just around the corner, and brands need to be upping their strategies on the video-first app to achieve better ROI and create content that’s fresh, memorable and leads to revenue.
With all the consumer excitement the festive season brings, the Christmas countdown is prime time to access new audience pools. But it’s also incredibly competitive. Brands need to ensure they’re hitting the ForYouPage (FYP) of their TikTok audience by creating stand-out TikToks that effectively market products and boost brand awareness while keeping viewers entertained and engaged.
With 1 billion monthly users, TikTok is the fastest-growing social media app, meaning it’s a go-to for brands looking to reach a wide audience. And they’re also a valuable audience: the majority of TikTok users are Gen Z, who have a buying power of over $140 billion – and closely associate social media activity with shopping. In fact, it’s Gen Z who are leading the move to social commerce, who name social media as their principal source of shopping inspiration, and who are even starting to use TikTok as their preferred search engine over Google, meaning they’re conducting active product searches on the app too.
All this means that if your Christmas wish is to reach a wide audience and increase engagement and sales, TikTok should be your first port of call.
A colder Christmas in 2022
This year has been particularly hard for many consumers. With the aftermath of the global pandemic and the developing cost of living crisis, both customers and brands are trying to cut costs.
Unsurprisingly, we’ll see shoppers aiming for savvy spending and close budgeting. 59% of UK consumers plan to have a more ‘thrifty’ Christmas this year, while 4 out of 10 Brits admitted to worrying if they could afford Christmas spending at all. Brands will need to put their best foot forward with marketing around quality and practicality through understanding campaigns.
But it’s not all doom and gloom. Strategic social media marketing on TikTok can show shoppers carefully curated, feel-good holiday content and remind them that there’s always a reason to celebrate. Consumers will still want to engage in Christmas traditions. When it comes to spending, they may be less frivolous, but there are still plenty of opportunities to reach them with the right message.
Marketers need to tread a fine line between extra-special campaign creatives and value-based promotions to give consumers useful yet festive information without alienating or patronising them.
The good news? TikTok actually provides a perfect base to listen to your potential consumers, allowing you to create content that resonates well with them.
How can brands deck the halls of TikTok at Christmas time?
No brand wants to feel like the Grinch has stolen Christmas. This time of year is typically when we see Christmas decor applied to our social channels, and plenty of lighthearted Christmas campaigns that celebrate the fun and special moments most consumers recognise. Christmas TikTok 2022 is going to be a continuation of this in many respects – but there will be a few key differences.
We expect to see many brand campaigns that centre the communal spirit of Christmas. And as more users take to TikTok to conduct their gifting research, the brands that perform best will be those that can inspire shoppers and effectively market products’ value. Brands and retailers that can empower customers with thoughtful gift ideas and the best Christmas finds to put under their Christmas trees will inspire trust and boost brand perception.
For brands, TikTok is a cost-effective way to market your products to a large audience – and to stand out through your values and personality. Here are the best ideas to get you started:
1. Engage with - or create - organic Christmas trends
Creating unique, entertaining and – crucially – timely TikTok content is truly the best way to land a successful TikTok campaign at this time of year. The goal here is to get on those For You Pages (FYPs) to expand your audience reach.
TikTok’s majority Gen Z audience responds best to brand content they deem authentic and expressive. Brands should use this as their north star throughout their TikTok content – but especially at Christmas time. Engaging with organic TikTok trends allows brands to act like everyday users of the TikTok app, which makes them feel more relatable. Every brand has a personality to show, and this is an opportunity to join in with the festive fun.
Example: Marks & Spencers - This is Not Just a Christmas Song
Supermarket M&S took TikTok by storm last year with their viral song and TikTok videos. The brand’s Romford branch (@MandSRomford) got involved in plenty of Christmas TikTok trends last year, and even created their own in the form of This is Not Just a Christmas Song.
The UK is pretty familiar with M&S’s iconic TV ads. Their slow and sexy zoom-ins of decadent Christmas food is a yearly reminder that it’s approaching Christmas time for many. In 2021 the brand riffed on its well-known advert voiceover format, “This is not just any […], it’s an M&S […]” with a song that was designed with the TikTok generation in mind.
@mandsromford This is not just a Christmas song. This is Team Romford’s Christmas song, by our colleague, singer-songwriter Jack! @shelter @togetherforshortlives
M&S Romford debuted the catchy tune with fun videos of staff dancing on the shop floor in Percy Pig Christmas jumpers. Over on iTunes, it even hit number two in the download chart!
Why should your brand take note?
In this time of crisis, brands need to show they are connected with their audience’s reality and adjust their strategies to appeal to them.
Whilst M&S made sure to market its Christmas goodies, its success was also thanks to the good cause it promoted. The profits from their streams went to charities supported by M&S. Additionally, the brand shared the song as an original TikTok to allow for other TikTokers to use it in their own user-generated content (UGC) on the app, helping to spread its influence – and increase streams on Spotify.
This year especially, consumers will respond to campaigns that give back to the community. 71% of young consumers say they’ll buy from a different brand if one is more charitable than the other. Brands should use Christmas TikTok to create fun campaigns that actually help those in need.
2. Christmas Challenges
Christmas is the perfect holiday to get an audience on board with a fun challenge. Encouraging sharing and togetherness is a great way for brands to boost awareness and reflect what this happy holiday is all about.
Challenges and their associated challenge hashtags can skyrocket UGC creation, and since 79% of people say UGC highly impacts their purchasing decisions, this is a must for brands this year. As consumers’ pockets get shallower, they’ll turn to trusted sources to get their shopping inspiration, so promoting organic growth with these campaigns will get you better ROI and improve KPIs across the marketing funnel.
There are many ways to get involved in or start a Christmas challenge. Brands could try a synchronised dance with a trendy holiday sound, encourage a Christmas story share to promote a particular product, or just make a hilarious festive costume challenge.
Example: Pret A Manger #JoyWithPret
The high street food and coffee chain, Pret a Manger, encouraged TikTokers to share their moments of joy under the branded hashtag #JoyWithPret. The positive winter trend saw creators all over contributing with their own videos. TikTok users were challenged to tag @PretAManger and use the hashtag.
The hashtag gained over 3.3 billion views with high engagement rates.
@grandadjoe1933 #ad Thanks for always bringing me Christmas Joy @brookepaintain .Tell us your #JoyWithPret #Ad ♬ LA LA LAND (Part 1) - Official Sound Studio
For example, in one of the successful videos from the campaign, makeup artist and BBC’s Glow Up winner @ellis_atlantis shared his joy by creating an icy, winter-themed makeup look. He received a 44% engagement rate whilst promoting Pret’s coffee.
Why should your brand take note?
This trend encouraged UGC and supported the use of challenge hashtags to create a sense of community in the festive season. It provided a chance to share a positive moment in a relatable way, whether heartwarming or hilarious.
The openness of the challenge allowed for a wealth of ideas from a range of creators. TikTok users, especially Gen Z, respond well to diversity in campaigns. This hashtag challenge provided a stage for various ages, genders and races. Inclusivity encourages people to participate and says a lot about what a brand stands for.
3. Influencer Campaigns
Trusted influencers are the surefire way to get consumers to become aware of, consider and trust in your brand.
A recognisable face builds credibility to your products and what your brand stands for. 61% of consumers trust influencers’ recommendations. Consumers look for the best inspiration and recommended products for gifts at Christmas, and using influencers can help you appeal to them throughout the marketing funnel – as their large audiences can attract new eyeballs while their close relationships with followers can inspire deeper customer actions.
However, Influencers must align with your brand to produce authentic content that Christmas shoppers will trust.
Celebrity influencer campaigns may not feel as relatable in the cost of living crisis, but there are many more forms of creators out there – whose audiences are highly engaged and ready to listen to their recommendations. With a 17.96% engagement rate, micro-influencers are a potential gold mine to nurturing customers with more in-depth information about relevant products and potential Christmas gifts.
Example: Verb Products
Verb wanted to up their presence on TikTok through the creation of a bespoke Christmas campaign that promoted their Holiday Kits and best-selling products such as the Ghost Collection. So, they came to us with the task.
We helped them create a campaign with hand-picked influencers that aligned with their brand values. This generated 6 million views vs a deliverable 3.8 million. In addition, we drove over 120K likes as well as 2K comments and shares. With a high number of comments showing intent to purchase, the creator-led campaign delivered.
@jayceecabasi The Verb Hydrate + Repair kit has helped me along my hair transformation journey #sephorahaul #styledwithVERB #haircare #fyp #foryoupage #verbpartner ♬ vlog type beat - Fleeky
This video from the campaign shows Jaycee (@jayceecabasi) talking honestly and openly about her hair care routine. She even starts with a confession, stating she didn’t use to have a hair care routine, making her instantly relatable to potential new consumers. Her creative storyline is what makes this video work.
Why should your brand take note?
Working with influencers is not just about choosing someone with a high following. You need to think strategically about the kind of influencer you want to collaborate with. In this campaign, we used Bytesights, our award-winning data and insights tool, to not only help find the ideal influencers for Verb but also discover the best trends they could hop on for maximum ROI.
Hashtags such as #hairtutorial had received 124 million likes from TikTok users in the six months leading up to the campaign, and short videos with the #haircare hashtag were growing rapidly towards the holiday season. This kind of data is essential for a successful influencer campaign, and you need to take all of these metrics into consideration.
But the most important thing to note from this campaign? Creators need creative freedom. Followers trust influencers for a reason. These individuals have spent a huge amount of time building a loyal fan base who come to them to access the content they like. If brands try to take over this creative space, their audience will see through it. Give influencers the freedom to create content that converts.
4. Christmas Classics and TikTok Sound
Christmas and music are inextricably linked. After all, what’s Christmas without the soothing sound of Michael Bublé? On TikTok, sound is just as important to the experience.
88% of TikTok users say that sound is essential to the TikTok app, so it’s vital to incorporate relevant music into your videos. Being savvy with your sound choices will reward your engagement and let viewers know that it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas (or rather – sound like it)!
Example: Pretty Little Thing
PrettyLittleThing’s TikTok has already begun with little reminders for customers to begin their Christmas 2022 wishlists. With Love Island star and PLT’s creative director Molly-Mae Haughe dancing to Jingle Bell Rock, the video flashed up a few stocking fillers to get people in the festive mood.
@prettylittlething Too early? Never ⛄️ #plt #christmaswishlist #wishlist2022 ♬ jingle bell rock - christmasxspedup
This video received over 125k views. The sound is fun, engaging and perfect for quick-fire images of products.
Why should your brand take note?
Users experience sound on TikTok as “fun”—a 66% increase compared to other platforms with the audio turned off. So use this to generate engagement within your Christmas campaigns.
The top 4 Christmassy TikTok Sounds at the moment are:
- All I Want for Christmas Is You by Mariah Carey with 10.8M videos.
Lots of brands use this as a format to introduce what their audience should want from their range of products. Maybe try the format out under this trendy sound. - Jingle Bell Rock by Bobby Helms with 1M videos.
Dance trends are often used under this sound. Thanks to Mean Girls. - It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas by Michael Bublé with over 700k videos.
A classic that many people have recreated through karaoke. - Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree by Brenda Lee with over 290k videos.
Pretty little thing know their target audience is looking for “fun” audibly appealing content. This sound aligned so closely with their brand TOV that they have used it within other videos like this one. So think about your target audience too, and what kinds of sounds they would engage with and associate with you.
Be sure to regularly search for the trending TikTok Sounds this holiday season, as this changes pretty quickly. But the classics are always here to stay. Classic holiday movie sounds are also very popular. For example, #TheGrinch has over 2 billion views. And from freaky SFX makeup to funny skits, people love to use classic Christmas movies to make entertaining TikToks. Christmas is celebratory by default. So making fun use of Christmas sounds is a great ticket to success on the platform.
Unsure about the rules and regulations regarding using songs on TikTok? Check out our article, TikTok Commercial Sounds: What Brands Need to Know.
5. Community activities
Despite the difficult financial situation many consumers face this year, there are always opportunities for it to feel like Christmas without flashy spending. Brands focusing on building a solid community on TikTok can allow for an audience that sticks around long after the holidays have passed.
Entertaining and unique content that’s true to your brand will help achieve this. But the most successful brands will be aware of their community’s wants, be responsive and build the family atmosphere that roots an online community.
Christmas giveaways and discounts are a fantastic way for brands to generate UGC and create a feeling of giving back to their community. Discounts will also be a winning element to strategies this year, but only if they are promoted alongside valuable content.
Example: Stint UK
Stint UK, a service that employs university students for easy part-time work, partnered up with Love Island’s Toby Aromolaran on TikTok. They filmed the reactions of students receiving their dream Christmas presents and gained over 1.2 Million views.
@tobyaromolaran A little Stint goes a long way ✨ I teamed up with @stintuk ♬ original sound - Toby Aromolaran
The Christmas campaign “A Little Stint Can Go A Long Way” was a way of giving back to their own community of students.
Why should your brand take note?
Giveaways can help brands build relationships with their viewers, especially in the current financial crisis. Generosity is memorable. Brands need to show that they care now more than ever, but that comes with a catch. Since the majority of consumers in the UK don’t trust brand advertising, you need to be showing your generosity in an honest, open and truly genuine way. It’s no good just talking about giveaways or charitable causes if you can’t back them up. The younger generations will do their homework, and if your facts don’t add up, they won’t be too forgiving.
Stint’s collaboration with Toby Aromolaran gives them authority in the TikTok world. Since the Love Island Star has 808.9K followers on the app and is known for simple, relatable content, he made the perfect candidate for their partnership. Brands should use social media influencers to ramp up their generosity business strategies. Not only will it help you gain a wider audience, but it will also boost engagement and reach through UGC.
That’s a wrap
Although Christmas spending might feel a bit different, this year, consumers will still respond to feel-good, entertaining campaigns and authentic content.
Customer behaviour is shifting for Christmas 2022. What does this mean? Not only do brands need to create fool-proof strategies that connect with their customers, but they also need to nurture the relationships they have already built.
Remember, TikTok is not just a place to put videos and hope they go viral. However you decide to execute your festive campaign, you need to continue engaging with your viewers, take time to answer their questions and view them as a community. Consumers are seeing elevated value in experience, so to get the best ROI on your campaign, you’ll need to create experiential and valuable content, not just a simple sell.
Not sure how to do that? We at Fanbytes happen to be award-winning TikTok campaign creators. If you’re looking to implement a trustworthy, festive campaign that exceeds your targets, get in touch. Let us talk you through how we can help you nail Christmas in 2022.
For more about Christmas campaigning this year, check out these merry articles:
