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Are you looking to up your social media game in 2023? Then you need to be using TikTok for your business! And while you might think this app is all about trendy dances and viral challenges, it’s actually a goldmine for marketers.
With an impressive 755 million users in 2022 (and counting), TikTok presents a unique opportunity for B2C and B2B businesses to connect with the younger audience in a fun and engaging way.
But how can you effectively use TikTok to promote your brand and achieve growth? We’ve got you covered with our top tips and tricks for TikTok success in this blog post.
Why Brands Should be on TikTok in 2023
There is a good reason (actually, more than one) to market your business on TikTok. In addition to its rapidly growing user base, TikTok also boasts of the following:
- Engaged audience: TikTok users are highly engaged and spend an average of 23 hours a month on the app, while the average user session is almost 11 minutes.
- Diverse demographics: TikTok has a diverse user base, with users across various age groups, genders, and cultures. According to Statista, the top users of TikTok are the age groups between 18-19 years, with approximately 70% of them using the app, followed by 20-29-year-olds, with around 56% using it.
- Creative opportunities: TikTok offers brands creative opportunities to engage with their audience through user-generated content, influencer partnerships, and advertising.
- Brand awareness: TikTok can help brands increase their brand awareness and reach new audiences through the app’s algorithm that promotes content based on user interests.
- Trendsetting platform: TikTok is known for setting trends and creating viral content, providing brands with an opportunity to stay up-to-date with the latest cultural trends and authentically engage with their audience.
Related Read: How to Keep up with the Latest Social Media Trends
Top Benefits of Using TikTok for Your Business
An Alternative Selling Channel
TikTok offers a new channel for businesses to promote and sell their products, giving them an edge over competitors who may not be utilizing the platform. Based on the TikTok for Business report, 67% of users feel inspired to shop after watching TikTok videos.
The platform’s short-form videos are ideal for businesses looking to showcase their products in an informative and engaging way. Furthermore, thanks to shopping integration, companies can include links to their website or e-commerce store, allowing viewers to purchase directly from the app.
The Power of Video Marketing
Video marketing has become an increasingly critical tool as businesses strive to promote their products and services. Studies show that 91% of internet users want to see more video content from brands.
TikTok’s short-form videos, with their vast popularity, offer a powerful way for businesses to communicate their brand message and engage with their audience. Through these videos, companies can showcase products, offer behind-the-scenes footage, and provide helpful tips and tutorials.
By utilizing TikTok, businesses gain access to a unique platform for sharing video content that can lead to better brand recognition and increased customer engagement.
TikTok Influencer Marketing
Influencer marketing is huge. According to HubSpot, 1 in 4 marketers use influencers as a marketing strategy. With this in mind, TikTok’s extensive network of influencers gives businesses a remarkable chance to access large, engaged audiences.
With the creation of sponsored content, influencers can showcase products and services in a creative way. This form of marketing effectively expands businesses’ reach to new audiences who may have yet to become aware of their brand.
Moreover, TikTok influencer marketing builds audience trust and credibility, as followers highly value influencers’ endorsements. These tactics can help you boost your brand’s credibility and reach.
Disadvantages of TikTok for Business
TikTok is great but might be less effective among some consumer groups or in specific industries. Here are some potential drawbacks of using TikTok to market your brand.
Skepticism Among Certain Consumer Groups
TikTok has been traditionally geared toward younger audiences. Due to this reason, 21% of adults in the US hold a negative opinion about the platform. If a business primarily targets older demographics, it may find that its audience is inactive on TikTok, which means it would be wasting its marketing efforts and budget.
Not Suitable For All Business Models
TikTok may not be ideal for specific business models due to the nature of the platform itself. TikTok primarily focuses on short-form video content meant to be entertaining or informative.
As a result, businesses that sell complex products or services may need help communicating their message effectively in the limited time and format provided by TikTok videos.
How to Use TikTok for Marketing Your Business Step-by-Step
1. Create a TikTok for Business Account
Head over to the TikTok for Business page to create your account. Fill out the details as prompted.
2. Analyze Trends
Do your market research, in addition to analyzing TikTok trends. Use tools such as Brand24 or Popsters, or simply look up what your competitors are doing.
3. Set up a TikTok Posting Schedule
To succeed on TikTok, posting a video or two and hoping for the best is not enough. Consistent and high-quality content is vital to building an engaged following and achieving your marketing goals.
You should post at least 3-4 times a week to keep your audience interested and active. However, creating and publishing that much content can overwhelm your marketing team, especially if you manage other social media platforms.
To make your TikTok marketing more efficient, consider using automation tools. With Gain, our social media marketing platform, you can manage TikTok content at scale and get it approved quickly with our automated content approval feature.
Furthermore, you can schedule your posts to go live at optimal times, recycle and repurpose your content for other social platforms, track analytics to measure the success of your campaigns, collaborate with other team members in context, and much more.
4. Show Your Fun Side
TikTok is a place for entertaining and engaging content, so show your business’s fun side. Use humor or funny stories related to your business or industry.
Alternatively, show the quirky side of your team and workplace to give your audience a glimpse of behind-the-scenes. It’s all about your brand’s personality. The rest will follow.
5. Engage with Your Audience
It goes without saying that you should build a rapport with your audience. You can do that by responding to comments, leveraging the TikTok live stream, and organizing fun giveaways.
6. Track Metrics
Finally, if you’re serious about your TikTok presence, you should also track your social media KPIs. Knowing what resonates with your audience and what doesn’t can help you guide your TikTok strategy.
Growth Tips for TikTok Marketing Strategy
TikTok is competitive, but with the right strategy, you can succeed on the platform.
Both B2B and B2C companies should consider tapping into TikTok’s paid ads. TikTok ads have a higher and cheaper click-through rate than other social media platforms.
Moreover, if you decide to collaborate with influencers or TikTok creators, your ad content can have up to a 93% higher engagement rate. This can bring promising results and increase your brand awareness.
B2C TikTok Marketing Growth Tips
The top marketing strategy for B2C companies is to stay on top of trends. Incorporating popular challenges, dances, audio, and special effects can help capture attention and boost follower growth.
However, timing is critical; jumping on trends early before they fade away is essential.
Another effective technique is partnering with influencers, even if they’re not big names. Micro-influencers with a close-knit audience can be a more potent tool in your marketing arsenal.
For instance, Chipotle is a prime example of a brand that utilized influencer marketing to foster trust with its audience.
What About TikTok B2B Marketing?
B2B companies can benefit from using TikTok, too, particularly for posting product demo videos, sharing user-generated content, or showcasing a bit of personality. One advantage is that the content doesn’t need to be overly polished just because it’s targeting other businesses. In fact, the more authentic the content, the more effective it can be.
Look at Sage Accounting Software. We can all agree that accounting is a boring topic; however, the company leverages TikTok to showcase how its clients are using the software. This approach promotes their products and helps the company reach new audiences. Talk about the power of user-generated content!
Semrush is also completely crushing its TikTok marketing. They’ve found success by sharing amusing and relatable digital marketing videos that add humor to a serious topic, resonating well with their audience.
Conclusion
To be or not to be on TikTok… With the platform’s huge potential, it makes sense to establish your brand’s presence there. Working with your team to develop a solid TikTok marketing strategy and creating engaging, entertaining content is the key to reaching new audiences and achieving success.
If you’re looking to streamline your TikTok content management and approval process, the Gain app is an excellent tool that can help. Try for free today!
