How TikTok is Reshaping Marketing

As someone who has been working in marketing for 15 years, I always aspire to keep myself updated and keep pace with the modern world. Of course, we learn each day, and the best way to do it is from younger generations, kids. Up until this very moment, I thought I am aware of pretty much everything in the range of social media. The other day my niece came up to me, and she showed me some video that she found online, and started telling me about this Tik Tok app that apparently all the young people are currently obsessing with. Well, I’ve frankly heard of it, but never really given it much of a though. I thought I might be missing out something very big. Turned out I was. I decided to research a bit and find out what is this blowout that everyone is talking about.

Can you imagine my surprise when I found out Tik Tok already has more than 800 million active users worldwide. Tik Tok is on the market for a couple of years already. It was intended as an entertainment platform to create and share short videos. The typical content that is posted in there include lip sync videos, dance challenges, humor videos and any other form of visual expression of entertainment. Now I kind of see why generation Z absolutely loves it. They are the main audience of this app, and there’s probably no other platforms like Tik Tok, where they can fully share their creativity and talent. But don’t think that this app is oddly for teenagers.

The number of adults using the app is just growing. Right now, Tik Tok is the most downloaded app in the App Store and is available in 150 markets and in 75 languages. It is a very fresh and fast-growing network, and here is how its potential can be used for business and brands. The latest upgrades in the app have accommodated it for the Advertisement campaigns. So basically, you can place your add in there and promote your products. If you are a brand that wants to increase their client base, then you definitely need to develop your Tik Tok strategy. It is that segment on the market, that is yet to be conquered.

As it was not oriented as a platform to demonstrate your social status, but rather a genuine creative expression, the users would be more interested any content that shows talent work creative entertainment. If you are now considering to create an add on Tik Tok you have to acknowledge that the videos are 15 seconds long, so all the information should be concise, fun and entertaining, just like the app itself. It is a brand-new creative approach of PR and marketing

After you have promoted your ad on Tik Tok the app’s algorithms will sort out your your audience, and who will see the ad in their ForYouPage (suggested videos). Your potential audience will be sort by various factors, such as location, interest, gender and age, which will ease the process of client targeting. This might be a huge benefit for your brand, as through Tik Tok you can expand the targeting capabilities of your advertising, attract more clients and increase brand awareness. The ranking of your ad will be determined by combination of mass appeal and quality, so your ads should be engaging and relevant.

More and more brands are starting getting on Tik Tok. So far there are only no more than 200 brands, so it is the best time to get your place under the sun. Different brands are using this platform for different marketing strategies. For example, Chipotle, fast food chain, are using this app to promote there their deals or latest menu advancements. By supporting their videos with popular music, inviting Tik Tok celebrities to participate and doing basically everything that is now trending on the app, they are increasing their popularity and promotion of their restaurant.

There are brands that are using Tik Tok directly for product placement and ad promotion. Such clothing brands as Guess or Calvin Klein primarily use the platform to post their commercials or online campaigns.  They also collaborate with celebrities whose image helps the promotion, again, like trending and most followed people on the app. NBA and National Football League also have their Tik Tok channels. There they create fun and entertaining video edits from the world of sports engaging with latest or upcoming games and sports events. Their main strategy is the use of humor. As they hop on the most viral trends, they attract users to their account and increase the number of followers. After you realized your creative potential on this app, you can use this opportunity to successfully approach your own business. The app has integration on other social media, so the more promoted your ad gets, the more monetization you earn. Users of Tik Tok also have the opportunity to share the video on other social media, so if your video goes viral on Tik Tok platform, it is more likely to get popular on others as well. Tik Tok is the fresh new platform, and so far, offers less competition among brands, so it is right the time that you build a presence now.

So, what do you think now? Does Tik Tok looks like you have to download it now? Business and brand are already starting to promote their goods and services there. You cannot ignore the potential of this app, as the business integration is already making a trend on Tik Tok. But remember, you are not selling your product on this platform, you are talking about it and make your business become a brand in the eyes of the app users. If you can visualize and explain the whole point of your product or service in only 15 seconds, and make people intrigued by your ad in the same short amount of time, then your brand is going to be successful on Tik Tok.

I even gave it a try and created my first Tik Tok. I am not a professional, but for the first time it turned out alright) Have you ever heard of Tik Tok before, or have you already had it? What do you think the future of Tik Tok holds? Share your thoughts in the comments.