How Can TikTok Be Used for Marketing

Originally published: August 22, 2021 10:24:20 AM, updated: November 19, 2022 12:00:00 AM

With the integration of smartphones into our lives, social media platforms have gained an undeniably solid place in our daily lives.

This brought a new perspective to advertising. Now, brands are actively using social media platforms to market their products.

Today we will examine a rapidly rising social media platform: TikTok.

So let's start!

What is TikTok?

TikTok is an online video uploading platform produced by the Chinese company ByteDance. On this platform, you can upload videos with a length of 15 seconds, preferably 60 seconds, on any topic and share them with other users.

Despite being new to the market, TikTok has gained incredible momentum in the last year and has become especially difficult for four major social media platforms (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin).

So, which segment of society does TikTok appeal to?

TikTok is more appealing to the generation born in the millennium, which we call the Z generation, in other words, to users in adolescence.

Why should brands use TikTok?

This rapid rise of TikTok and the fact that its user base is inclined to consume will have attracted brands' attention that companies now use TikTok a lot in social media marketing. So why TikTok?

Short and interesting content

In today's world, people experience everything very quickly. Speed is now an integral part of our lives.

Due to this acceleration in our lives, people's patience and the amount of time they stay interested have also changed over time.

A YouTuber with a large number of followers said that the most-watched part of a video is in the first 15 seconds.

This means that new generation advertising is short, and you should leave a solid mark in that short time.

Thanks to its features, TikTok is also a platform that can facilitate this situation.

Opportunity to reach current and future users

TikTok has the most users between the ages of 18-24 and 25-34.

A new and interesting method

With the development of technology, the internet and phones can be used in many different ways.

An example of this can eliminate advertisements that we do not want to be considered. While millennials live on social media platforms, they do not want to be disturbed by the brands' advertisements or cookies' extensions. For this reason, new generation users prefer to eliminate advertisements on social media platforms with the help of applications we call ad-blockers.

This shows us that although social media is not a very old phenomenon, advertising strategies can gradually become obsolete and blocked.

As a new approach, TikTok brands can get rid of this problem. With short and entertaining content, brands can attract the attention of their customers.

Opportunity to interact with users

It is one of the crucial points in marketing that users can feel close to brands. The consumer who feels close to the brand does shopping more confidently and without questioning their back after a certain time.

TikTok can be said to be an ideal environment to achieve this intimacy. Here, brands are in constant communication with users through comments and videos. And they take place in their lives by not making them forget themselves.

We tried to explain the benefits of TikTok to brands and why brands should use this platform.

Now that we've answered the why question, it's time to come to the next most important question: How?

How can TikTok be used effectively?

Showcase the features that will set you apart from your competitors in your videos

Because this platform already delivers short (15 seconds) videos, brands need to use this short time as efficiently as possible.

Avoid unnecessary waste of words and sentences. Avoid wasting sentences if necessary. Since TikTok is a video uploading platform, words are not needed at some points.

So when a TikTok user watches your video, 'Why is this here?' He should be able to find an answer to the question within 15 seconds. Instead, try to put the features that make you different from other brands in these 15 seconds.

Show the invisible faces of your brand

Showing what's going on behind the curtain (daily work, colleagues, company environment, etc.) is a method frequently used by brands recently.

When we examine the companies that use TikTok as a marketing area, we will see that companies are now turning to show the back of the product.

For example, uploading videos of people in your company having fun, dancing, and joking on TikTok will give users the impression that your brand and the people within it are as relaxed and fun as they are.

This will build a strong bond between users and brands over time. Users will feel close to this brand, and that sense of reliability will encourage them to shop there.

Don't be afraid to try new things

TikTok is different from the other four social media platforms because it is newly popular, and its starting point is the entertainment theme.

Compared to Facebook, Linkedin, and Instagram, TikTok is a bit more comfortable and has an environment with no abstract rules to be followed. For example, LinkedIn is an environment where the business world is active. Here, as in TikTok, taking a relaxed attitude will be against the brands. Likewise, since there are groups related to the business world on Facebook in general, this is also the case there. But there is no such situation in TikTok. On this platform, brands can stay in touch with people of all classes without any barriers. Also, as we said earlier, this is an app for entertainment purposes. This time, taking a serious attitude will be against the brands.

All these features should inspire brands to: Don't be afraid to try new things. There is nothing to lose and to lower the reputation of your brand. Everyone is looking for entertainment on this platform anyway.

So if you have a concept in mind that you think is fun, feel free to implement it. If this step is popular, you can gain fame in 15 seconds that you couldn't earn for years.

Produce content frequently

If you want your brand to have a place in users' lives, you need to remind yourself often.

This can be incredibly challenging for your first time on TikTok because there are so many accounts on the platform, and the app continues to evolve and find users as time goes on.

In such challenging environments, you need to remind yourself frequently to make yourself known. So share different and interesting content as often as possible.

Keeping your communication with the user will be beneficial for your brand. Over time, the user will feel your brand is a part of his life and will always want to see you. This will lead the user to visit your account and perhaps make a purchase.

Therefore, take care to produce and share content frequently.