The TikTok guide for brands

TikTok marketing is exactly what it sounds like — using the popular social media platform to promote a brand, product, or service through short-form video content. Types of marketing on TikTok include paid advertising, organic content (such as user-generated content), and influencer marketing. You’ll notice that the content on TikTok tends to be much different than the content you’d post on other social media channels, but this is one of the many reasons why social media marketing on TikTok stands out above the rest.

TikTok marketing isn’t like marketing on other social media channels; businesses have to buy into existing trends and make their content not only relevant but casual and entertaining. But TikTok is here to stay, so marketers need to find ways to tailor their content to the platform. Here are a few reasons why TikTok is good for marketing:

• Every video has a chance to go viral – TikTok’s algorithm is based on content discovery rather than what your friends are posting. The For You Page feed provides brands with opportunities to reach a wider audience compared to other platforms.

• People are buying what they see – TikTok users are 1.5x more likely to go out and buy something they found on the platform. There’s even a popular hashtag #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt.

• Abundant influencer marketing opportunities – Influencer marketing on TikTok is big, with a wide array of creator choices. TikTok is unique in the fact that even micro and nano influencers can make a large impact on your brand and target audience.

• Reach Gen Zers effectively – Marketing to Gen Z is difficult but TikTok opens up a whole new market with this generation dominating the platform. While Gen Zers aren’t too keen on ads, 68% of TikTok users find advertising content on TikTok unique or different from any other platform.

TikTok for Business launched in 2020, providing brands access to real-time metrics and audience insights. Compared to a creator account, TikTok business accounts get access to analytics, an e-commerce storefront, email contact, a post scheduler, and a website link that can be added to your profile. Although business accounts have limited access to sound clips, they still provide an edge to the regular creator account. Here’s how to start your TikTok channel:

Of course, you’ll want to download the TikTok app and choose a method to sign up. Then, to set up a free business account you’ll go to your TikTok profile and tap the hamburger-style icon in the upper right-hand corner. From there, select the Settings and Privacy tab. Choose Account then tap Switch to Business Account. Be sure to choose the category that best fits your brand to receive relevant content and solutions.

You’ll have options to upload your brand logo as the profile picture, add a short bio, and include your full brand name. If your brand name just so happens to already be taken (remember: billions of users), include something that your audience will recognize in your username. We opted for @khorosdigital, for example.

Now it’s time to promote your new TikTok account on your other social media channels to garner excitement from your established audience and to help migrate followers. You’ll want to reach 100 followers as soon as possible. Once you reach 100, you get access to helpful TikTok insights and analytics, such as engagement metrics, which of your videos are trending, and certain audience demographics like gender, top territories, and follower activity. Once you reach 1,000 followers or complete the Business Registration process, you can add a website link to your profile page.

Business accounts get access to a suite of helpful creator tools, like the Creator Portal and Business Content Guide, which both house educational resources. There’s also a hub for any promotions you might be running and a tab to manage your message settings.

Lastly, some best practices to keep in mind after you’ve got a few videos under your belt include pinning videos and creating playlists. Pinned videos are similar to pinned tweets. They’ll appear first in your video grid and help direct new followers to any important updates you’d like to share. You do not have to select three videos to pin, but it does look the best visually.

Creator Playlists are another helpful feature that allows you to group similar TikToks together above your pinned videos. For example, you could label one playlist “Products” and add videos that feature the same products or services.

Spend time on the app

Creating a successful TikTok marketing strategy starts with getting familiar with the app. Specifically, explore the unique features of the app and see if you notice any trending filters, sounds, or challenges by scrolling on the For Your Page or getting a bird’s eye view on the Discover page. Not only will this help inform your content strategy, but you can get a sense of what videos do well on TikTok.

This is also a great time to see if your competitors are on TikTok. If they are, check out what content is and isn’t working for them. You can even look at influencers that are similar to your brand’s niche.

Define your target audience

Before you start creating your own short-form video content, you need to determine your target audience. It’s important to take a look at TikTok’s demographics and identify who could resonate with your brand. According to Statista, the majority of TikTok users are 18-24 years old (both female and male), with 25-34-year-olds falling closely behind.

With this in mind, conduct your audience research on other social media channels and look for any overlap on TikTok. It’s possible your target audience is not on TikTok or it may be entirely new. But once you know who you’re trying to reach, see what types of content they engage with the most. 

Set goals

Like any marketing strategy, you need to set goals that are in line with your business objectives and are measurable. Some goals may be reaching a new audience, increasing brand awareness, or developing stronger customer relationships. Whatever they may be, make sure to explore the various metrics you can measure in the TikTok Analytics section in your settings.

Post regularly

TikTok is a platform that favors creators who post consistently. In fact, TikTok recommends posting 1-4 times a day. That might feel like a lot, but remember the type of videos on TikTok don’t need to be polished productions. Shorter videos — in the 15 to 60-second range — tend to do better as well. Start with a goal of posting at least two times a week as you first get started, just make sure to stick to a consistent schedule.

Take advantage of TikTok influencer marketing

Many brands choose to work with influencers on TikTok to increase brand awareness, which also provides brands with user-generated content they can publish on their own social media. You can send your product to creators in exchange for a potential feature, collaborate on a video (these cost a lot more), or partner up with a mega influencer or celebrity on a new product line (they’ll get a cut of the profits).