1. TikTok’s Audience is massive, and still growing
Audience is everything, without one you waste time and money. And that’s exactly why TikTok is a smart place to advertise—its audience is massive and still growing. The app is currently available in 150 countries and can be accessed in 75 languages. Again, there are over 850 million users worldwide, perusing, scrolling, watching and learning.
With Coronavirus still wreaking havoc on the world, TikTok’s audience is expected to grow even bigger. Countries are in various phases of lockdown, and millions of people are looking for alternative forms of entertainment. They’re going out less, spending less time in restaurants and movie theatres, and spending more time at home—with their devices.
Interestingly, while we may not be able to visit stores in person, we’re still buying. Online spending is up, and online marketing is having an unprecedented impact. Apps like TikTok are influencing spending decisions, even shaping purchases.
2. Engagement on the app is super high, making it easy to drive consumer advocacy
It’s not enough that people visit an online app—they have to actually use it regularly to make advertising spend worthwhile. With 90% of TikTok users going on the app multiple times a day, and most users spending an hour or more trolling, engagement is super high.
Why do people hang around for so long on TikTok? Some say it’s because the content has an air of authenticity—something veteran social channels have a hard time replicating. Engaged users, who feel connected to content are more likely to respond positively to advertising. And non-invasive advertising wins the day.
True, millennials and their younger peers in Generation Z are tired of ads. In fact, most of them use ad blockers when they browse. But since engagement on TikTok is so high, advertisers are in the unique position to promote consumer advocacy rather than pure marketing strategy. This way, you build brand awareness with an audience that talks about you because they’re genuinely impressed.
3. Going viral is a real possibility—reach can move from zero to a million overnight.
One of the most exciting realities of using TikTok for business is how easy it is to amplify your marketing reach. A great video can go from zero followers to hundreds of thousands, even millions overnight. No other social platform enables this level of virality, or extended reach so quickly or easily.
How does it happen? Unlike Instagram where every post is carefully designed and staged for maximum likes, TikTok videos are casual and carefree. Short and snappy by design, videos are extremely addictive, and many go viral within hours. Even if you’ve never used the platform before, it’s entirely possible to post once, and collect a million views.
Rather than following specific users, and being limited to their content, or having to actively search for new content, TikTok users are instantly immersed in new content. The app collates content it thinks you might like and displays it on a “for you” page. Users have endless opportunities to discover unique content, and your brand gets in front of new audiences with little effort—key to helping your business grow.
4. There’s room to be authentic, funny and even off-brand.
Brands often worry about their voice—how to walk the line between being authentic and conscious of current events, while showing some personality. TikTok offers a departure from this, rewarding the authentic, unpolished side of business.
This ‘pull the curtains back’, candid view resonates, giving TikTok advertisers freedom to try new campaigns, build on past strategies in new ways and explore creative content that shows a more personal side.
The NBA entertains 3.8 million fans on TikTok by using a slightly off-brand sense of humor. Several NBA employees post multiple times a day, garnering millions of views for silly videos. One of its top videos garnered 3.2 million views by featuring mascots throwing cake into people’s faces on National Cake Day!
Chipotle used TikTok to tap into the growing reliance on smart phones for staying connected while staying apart during Coronavirus. To promote a new mobile ordering app, they launched #TikTokHackMenu, a campaign designed to help customers use the to-go phone app. The campaign featured a series of videos showing users how to easily create and order customized menu items on their phone using the Chipotle app.
5. Social media is about discovery, which helps you get seen.
Major brands from Burberry and Guess and even the Washington Post have tested the value of TikTok marketing, with positive results. But what about small business? Is there a place for those without a massive following on TikTok? Absolutely, and here’s why.
The way people consume social media today is changing. We used to log on to share updates and interact with friends. Today, we’re devoting far more time to passive browsing, or trolling through random content. Passive browsing is about discovery, and that gets your brand seen.
People today want to be amused—many spend hours each day surfing through TikTok content. Along the way, they discover new brands—those with a massive following, and those with very little. This is great news for businesses looking to build brand awareness, and for innovative marketers wanting to try a new platform.
Ready to build your own TikTok Campaign?
Now that you’ve seen the mega power in marketing on TikTok, where do you start? With a variety of different ad formats—brand takeovers, top view ads or in-feed native advertising, determining the right path forward with a smart call to action can be daunting.
With sponsored hashtag challenges, user generated content and more at your disposal, there’s plenty of opportunity for big impact, whether you’re looking to generate leads for a new product or service or looking to build brand awareness overall.
At DASH TWO, we have access to TikTok’s self-serve advertising platform, and we’re more than happy to help you navigate the process so you can develop and fine tune a strategy that gets results.
Our seasoned experts can help you build a winning TikTok marketing campaign involving:
- Account creation, budget, scheduling & setting goals
- Building, monitoring & optimizing ad campaigns
- Video ad placement & targeting
- Tracking results via dashboard
The good news is, you don’t need to put aside budget for 6 months, or commit to a long-term contract to try your hand at advertising on TikTok. When you’re ready to jump in, give us a call. We’re here to help.