In 30 seconds:
- TikTok is the social network best placed to introduce your brand to Gen Z markets: a majority of its user base is in this valuable demographic.
- And with over a billion monthly active users, there’s no shortage of potential followers… if you can reach them.
- The ultimate TikTok marketing strategy involves great TikTok videos, clever influencer marketing, and a native understanding of the platform. We’ve got all bases covered.
Given that TikTok expertise is our bread and butter, you’d expect us to be passionate about the digital marketing opportunities made possible by the video-sharing app.
Increasing numbers of brands are becoming aware of the power of TikTok to capture Gen Z markets. Overall spend on social media platforms is rising, and brands are reportedly starting to view TikTok as a staple of the social budget.
From 65 million users in 2017, to over a billion in 2021, TikTok has gone from strength to strength. But it’s not just the number of users that has digital marketers excited, it’s the type. 60% of users are from Generation Z; the digitally-native generation who are set to become the largest cohort of consumers.
With $140 billion in spending power and a distrust of the traditional ad formats that tell them how to spend it, there’s no wonder why a strong TikTok marketing strategy is the most sought after tool in your 2022 marketing toolbox.
Why is TikTok a good marketing strategy?
Like all social media platforms, using TikTok as an advertising tool allows brands to neatly side-step Gen Z’s distrust of traditional advertising.
So why is TikTok better than other platforms? It’s simple: short videos are the best way to reach Gen Z. 91% of them prefer video content to traditional marketing formats, and they’re watching over an hour of new videos a day.
Reaching out with video content is therefore a great way of increasing brand awareness – and making the effort to meet an audience where they are means your brand sentiment will get a boost, too.
We write in more detail about TikTok marketing – especially for brands – in our TikTok marketing article, here.
So if you’re ready to kick off your marketing strategy on the most downloaded app in the world, read on for our top tips for brands on TikTok.
TikTok marketing strategy template
Like any social network, TikTok is home to a huge variety of users. From foodie content to book recommendations, fitness regimes to comedy skits – you can guarantee there are creators and fans occupying whatever niche community you can think of.
Why the reminder? Because, as with any targeted promo material, content that reaches those various different communities looks different. It’s why defining your target audience is a critical first step in developing your TikTok marketing strategy.
Figure out who you want to reach, and from there, you can launch your strategy with these steps…
1. Get Native
Gaining a significant following on your TikTok account is exciting, but it’s not the most important thing when it comes to getting views. That’s because the TikTok algorithm recommends videos to users who it deems will find it interesting – regardless of the size of your account. the majority of users are more likely to see your post when it ends up on their “For You Page” (or FYP), the personalised central feed dictated by the TikTok algorithm.
How can you make sure your content is deemed interesting to the right people? There are no hard and fast rules for making sure your content always scores just as highly, but we have offered some vital tips and tricks to follow here to hack the TikTok algorithm and make sure your videos are shown to more people. The biggest lesson? High levels of engagement is key.
That means your first consideration when developing your TikTok marketing strategy should be to get native. Explore the app, see what makes your specific audience tick, what kind of content they’re enjoying and sharing, and what kind of hashtags they use and influencers they follow. What are the trending videos in your niche, and how could you bring your own spin to it?
All of this knowledge will help you understand how TikTok works, and will make it easier to create engaging content that TikTokers really enjoy.
Which means, thanks to the algorithm, more of them will see it.
2. Collaborate
The past few years have only reinforced our understanding of TikTok creators as social media marketing powerhouses. In fact, you can learn more about just how effective influencer marketing can be, here.
The biggest names, like Charlie D’Amelio (@charlidamelio) and Addison Rae (@addisonre), have follower counts in the multi-millions, and regularly run campaigns with big-name brands.
Factoring a TikTok content creator into your marketing campaign allows brands to tap into their platform expertise as well as their audiences, and reach the 92% of consumers who trust influencer endorsements more than traditional celebs.
Collaboration is also central to the TikTok experience. 59% of users say that they feel a sense of community when on the app – and that community feeling has led TikTok to have a higher engagement rate for influencers than Instagram and YouTube combined.
For that reason alone, it’s well worth considering TikTok influencer marketing to boost your campaign. A content strategy that embraces what its users love most about the platform is guaranteed to succeed. When you are working with a TikTok influencer, try to approach the TikTok app as your ideal customer first and consider the types of content they’ll want to see. Take time to understand why an influencer is popular, and give them freedom to create videos that market your brand in a way their audience will love.
We have the perfect tool to help you find the right influencer for your brand. Many brands simply go for the biggest TikTok stars and then are surprised that they don’t draw the same high-quality new audience and engagement as a more targeted approach. However, Bytesights, our industry-leading social listening tool, allows us to see which influencers are likely to be your perfect fit. Easy peasy!
3. Add Ads
It might be true that the majority of Gen Z aren’t fans of traditional ads – but ads on TikTok are not exactly traditional. In fact, 7 out of 10 users actually say TikTok ads are enjoyable.
That’s partly down to the fact TikTok is known for video ads. 91% of Gen Z prefers video content above other forms of marketing. TikTok has increased its ads offering and, tellingly, the majority of options are designed to ensure they don’t interrupt the usual browsing experience.
From in-feed ads and top view ads to brand takeovers – assessing your budget and including a paid ad element within your campaign can really boost your initial views and encourage more TikTok users to explore your original content.
It’s also great way to reach TikTok users who are actively looking to shop (rather than simply there for entertainment): 44% of TikTok users discover products to buy through ads in their feed, while 24% of TikTok users interacted with ads in their feed while actively doing product research.
We talk you through the different types of ads best ways to utilise TikTok paid ads for your TikTok marketing campaign in this guide.
Just bear in mind that in order to set-up your TikTok ad campaign, you need to be running a business account. But never fear! We run you through how to get started on TikTok for business right here.
4. Stay Trendy
Even the most casual TikToker will have engaged with a handful of TikTok’s driving forces: the viral trends as they’re scrolling their FYP.
And for brands, taking part in TikTok trends and trending hashtags is one way to keep your content fresh and responsive.
@madi I’m addicted to these @idahoanfoods mashed potatoes 🥔🥔 Try the #mashoutchallenge #newchallenge #ad ♬ original sound - Idahoan Foods
You could even start one yourself, by running a hashtag challenge and encouraging users to take part. Since hashtag challenges have the added benefit of encouraging user-generated content (which 79% of consumers say has highly impacted their purchasing decisions), it’s your golden ticket to potentially viral success.
Plus, entertaining users will drive up your engagement, meaning more views, more interest, and better KPIs – be that clicks, downloads or sales.
Discover TikTok trends every week.
It pays to be on-trend!
Keeping up with the trends is key to remaining relevant on TikTok, so to make sure you’re never behind the times, why not subscribe to our free weekly TikTok trends newsletter?
It doesn’t just tell you which latest TikTok trends you can use: it tells you why they’re popular, and how brands can use them. Think of it like a weekly TikTok tutorial.
5. Target and Re-target
Just like with any digital marketing campaign, retargeting is a crucial step in your TikTok marketing strategy.
With a business account, you can access a range of TikTok analytics with functionality that helps identify and illustrate the best ways to reach TikTok users.
Make sure you factor in time to assess your content’s performance; the most successful videos, their formats and visuals, and the audiences you’re reaching… and then use your learnings to refine your social media strategy.
Over time, your improved offerings will lead to better stats such as video views and engagement, more pushes onto the FYP, and better results all-round.
In short
Creating the ultimate TikTok campaign is a matter of understanding where on the platform your brand fits most comfortably.
From there, you have a whole range of options when deciding what the campaign itself will look like. Staying true to the platform and being on-trend is vital for every campaign, but experimenting with paid ads and TikTok influencers will give you different results and a boost you can’t get elsewhere.
If you’re stuck on where to begin for your TikTok marketing strategy, why not work with our experts? You can find out more about the Fanbytes Creative Strategy Team, here. Alternatively, get in touch – we’d love to talk you through how we can help you create the best TikTok marketing strategy for your brand.
Nailing your TikTok marketing strategy…
… is worth it, we promise.
Navigating TikTok’s social landscape might feel complicated at first, but its power lies in the way it differs from other social media platforms, and harnessing that power on behalf of your brand has the ability to make a huge difference to your success.
So try out different trends, experiment with hashtags, get involved with your followers – remember, TikTok is popular because it’s collaborative, entertaining and authentic. As long as you’re staying true to your brand voice and embracing the platform, you’re sure to pick up an audience of engaged Gen Z fans.
And if you need a little more help or expertise, talk to us about how we can help supercharge your marketing strategy and get your brand in front of Gen Z.
For more tips and tricks on TikTok marketing, check out our other guides below:
