TikTok is the latest social media platform taking the digital world by storm, but for many brands, the app famed for 15 second lip sync and dance videos may seem like the least useful marketing tool. Well, prepare to be shocked.
With over 800 million users worldwide, the user base of TikTok is huge, indicating vast amounts of reach and areas of opportunity for marketing material exposure. TikTok offers a unique way for brands to tailor their digital marketing strategy towards content and consumer culture infiltration.
"The art of TikTok" when it comes to marketing is understanding how it can be integrated into a content strategy, or more broadly, a "creativity strategy". Understanding that TikTok is a social entertainment platform is fundamental.
What can you do on TikTok?
TikTok owners "Byte-Dance" acquired the once popular Muscial.ly back in 2017. TikTok can be interpreted as a unique bend of the app Musical.ly and Vine, whereby users are given a 15 second window to fill with the creative video content they desire.
Marketing on TikTok- understanding the avenues
When it comes to reach and engagement, the two main mechanisms for TikTok marketing content include:
1. Brand generated content
2. User generated content
Brand Generated Content and TikTok Marketing
One way brands can connect to audiences on TikTok is by generating their own content. Contextually relevant content to the brand is key, and plugging new products is not always the best approach. Don't approach TikTok purely as a way to push a product. Think of TikTok as a way to sell an idea, association or persona for your brand.
This can involve creation and posting of miscellaneous content from a brands TikTok Page in order to maintain engagement.
Brands can also attempt to generate their own content trend. This could involve a particular dance or action recorded by the brands TikTok account in the hope that users recreate and share it. This is arguably harder to do in terms of ensuring engagement, as one can't accurately predict what content may become a trend. Moreover, TikTok challenges are largely user generated in association with a song a dance routine, not necessarily a brand or product. Brands may use this technique in association with a promotion code which can help content gain traction. This would be traced through tagging from users.
A good example of a brand generate "trend" for marketing is the "Jumanji challenge".
The campaign was created to coincide with the films sequel "Jumanji: The Next Level". The challenge called for users to create a TikTok using the Jumanji filter, whereby they "turn" into a character they would want to be if they were in the Jumanji game (read movie plot for context). With actors such as Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Kevin Hart helping with promotion, the challenge took off, with now over 5.7 Billion views for content using the tag #Jumanjichallenge.
User Generated Content and TikTok Marketing
User generated content is an element of social media marketing that is of least control to brands, difficult to predict and random at times. User generated content can used as an indicator of engagement, relevancy and ultimately "consumer culture infiltration".
For a brand such as Chipotle, users posting funny TikTok skits involving burritos, #Chipotle and @Chipotle all serve to highlight the brands ability to maintain relevancy with consumers. Monitoring this content is just as important as encouraging it, as it can reveal insights regarding consumer sentiment. Furthermore, reposting user content on the brand's page can encourage other users to create more, which in turn continues the cycle of reach and engagement.
TikTok is a prime example of how social media entertainment platforms are becoming an integral tool for digital marketing. They allow creation and proliferation of both brand generated and user generated content, crossing the lines between entertainment and marketing. Social media entertainment platforms as a whole encourage brand and consumer connection, and enable brands to ultimately maintain relevancy.
TikTok's rapid rise in popularity and huge user base has encouraged brands to get involved in order to engage with their consumers. Understanding the key mechanism behind content on the platform and how it can be used to enhance digital marketing strategies is crucial.
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