TikTok is widely regarded as an excellent marketing tool. It connects individual personalities to millions of people. It's fun, visual, has incredible reach, and is an ideal platform for B2C marketers. However, for many companies, TikTok is not even on the radar for social media marketing. These companies are potentially missing out. The unique way TikTok engages its users and delivers content to them could be the perfect way to reach a new audience and strengthen your overall social media marketing presence. So why should your B2C marketing team learn to love TikTok and where does it sit in the changing landscape of social media marketing?
Last year, TikTok reached the milestone of over one billion active users. By comparison, Facebook, which is still often regarded as the primary platform for social media marketing, has over 3.51 billion active users. There may be more Facebook users out there (although the gap is shrinking) but they are a very different demographic. TikTok gives you access to consumers that other platforms like Facebook or LinkedIn simply can't deliver.
With its fun, quirky, and creative short bursts of video, TikTok is seen as predominantly aimed at Gen-Z and Millennials. However, only 41% of the app's users are between the ages of 16-24. There are plenty of people on TikTok who are outside of these categories. It's worth remembering that the people you want to connect with may not be on TikTok professionally, but that doesn't mean they aren't there socially or for fun. In addition, small businesses are also increasingly using TikTok. In the United States, 92% of all businesses are small businesses, so this may be a great way to connect with small businesses or small business owners.
The power of TikTok as a marketing tool is partly because it is a full engagement platform - TikTok users only see one piece of content at a time. This means that when your content reaches someone, it's the only thing they see. This can help create a more intimate connection between content developers and consumers. In addition, all TikTok videos are individually ranked so if you have a well-performing video, it's likely to be seen by lots of people even if you have very few followers or low initial engagement. Unlike other platforms like Instagram which focus on how much past engagement you have received, TikTok is great at getting new creative content in front of lots of people.
Creative video content is extremely powerful as a marketing tool because it is more engaging than static content like blogs or LinkedIn posts. It attracts attention, pulls in new viewers, and can convert impressions into sales or generate more qualified leads which can be followed up by your sales team.
You may be able to repurpose some of your existing content on TikTok. From blog stories to Insta posts, then chances are you already have a decent backlog of content. Not all of this will be usable on TikTok but some of it probably will be. Just think - your old blog posts could be reborn as scripts for bite-sized “did you know style videos which can be a great way to connect. A good story is a good story whatever platform you are using.
Perhaps the most important message is to enjoy using TikTok - it gives you a great opportunity to express your informal, creative side. Remix songs, sounds, and effects - see what happens. Use TikTok for what it is good at - and keep an eye on what other people are doing and what's trending. You should obviously use hashtags to target specific demographics or trends if you think they are relevant to your message. Some trends may seem a little bizarre but it's all part of the mix.
Start by taking a piece of content that you've already produced and figure out how to make it work on TikTok. Or find a fun or unusual fact about your niche and tell it to the world in a short bite-sized video. And don't worry if your first effort doesn't fly - give it another go. Every video is a chance to go viral on TikTok. TikTok is fun but it also has the potential to be a really effective marketing tool. Enjoy it.
by Lee Li Feng | 27 Sep 23