These days it’s all about TikTok.
And it isn’t difficult to see why: The social media platform serves up short, punchy videos to a massive, dedicated audience and early adopters can attest how powerfully it can serve businesses and brands.
Eager to put this trendy platform to work for your own enterprise, but not sure where to start?
The following concise, savvy primer will help get you squared, ASAP.
The appetite for video
We may find ourselves in an age of short attention spans, but TikTok’s audience of over one billion active users show the appetite for smart, engaging content is alive and well. Indeed, according to a survey by Wyzowl, users watch an average of 19 hours of online video per week.
That means the potential for low-cost advertising is high.
The generation gap in users is lessening, too. When platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat first emerged, many marketing professionals dismissed them as too niche and aimed at too young an audience. However, those services are now used by a much broader range of demographics: While TikTok has a reputation as a Generation Z hangout, every month sees its userbase become increasingly diverse.
Low budget? No problem
One of the more compelling aspects of TikTok as a marketing tool is the nature of its highest-performing video content. The app heavily favors content that appears organic, natural, and honest. Combining this with the short nature of each video gives you a powerful tool for companies and brands that want to hit hard with little financial investment. This is particularly true for startups and SMEs.
It’s no secret that storytelling and narrative are pillars of good content marketing. And the style of TikTok as a platform and the expectations of its users make it perfect for building an audience that is invested in the story and success of your company.
Our advice for getting started
We have created a set of tips on how you can get the most out of this tremendous platform.
- Keep it fun: TikTok is predominantly an entertainment platform. Users expect novelty and amusement, making it important to emphasize a sense of spontaneous excitement in your videos. Humor matters. It’s best to convey a sense of informality in your content.
- Add music: The ability of TikTok to combine audio and music with videos is central to success on the platform. Make sure you carefully consider what music is appropriate for your video. Don’t be afraid to experiment: There’s little downside to split-testing content that has such a low cost to produce.
- Pick up on trends: Challenge videos are popular and successful on TikTok. If you can bring your brand and message into a current trend in an appropriate and exciting way, you stand a good chance of achieving some measure of viral success quickly. Remember to be careful about appearing disingenuous; your audience will notice quickly and can respond negatively.
Good luck and have fun!
TikTok is a great tool for SME marketing. The low cost combined with the expectations of the platform is perfect for producing content that punches far above its weight.
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