As the fastest-growing social media platform, TikTok is drawing more brands. This short-form video app gives brands a chance to shoot and share mini video clips to educate consumers, promote products, and drive engagement.
How can your brand use TikTok? Here’s how to get started:
Know the facts about the app
Before you dive into it, you need to know a few things about the app and its users.
- Teens love it. For starters, you should know it’s mostly teens who use that app. There are certainly some millennials and even Gen Zers that use the app, too, but many of them were encouraged to use it by younger friends.
- Videos are short and simple. Users can upload videos that are up to 3 minutes long, but most videos are just 15 seconds or so. The videos are not highly produced. They’re done with a smartphone and put together quickly with simple editing software.
- Authenticity is vital. Authenticity is key to TikTokers. The content you share should be light, fun and honest. If that doesn’t align with your brand, it might not be a channel you want to join.
Ways to use TikTok to promote your brand
Once you set up a branded channel, you should start by following industry leaders, influencers in your niche and people you think will benefit from your brand.
As with any social media channel, there’s a learning curve so be patient with yourself. To help close the gap, consider these ideas to utilize TikTok:
Join big #hashtag movements
One of the easiest ways to get started on TikTok is to get in on a viral hashtag. How, you ask? Go to the Discover page in TikTok and see what people are sharing. Watch the banner at the top with specific hashtags.
For instance, you might find #TikTokCookOff. If you’re a food brand, you could share a quick recipe video, like this cheesy garlic bread or this sticky French toast with #TikTokCookOff to start engaging with followers.
You may need to be patient for a hashtag that fits with your brand, but remember to think outside the box. Creativity is encouraged on TikTok.
Connect with an influencer
When you’re first starting out, your channel won’t have a lot of followers, which is why you should consider working with an influencer. You can find an influencer in your niche, reach out and collaborate on a video that the influencer shares with his or her audience.
Florasis Cosmetics, a high-end Chinese cosmetics company, teamed up with American unboxing influencer Kayla Freitas. This cosmetic brand combines makeup with art. Lipstick is etched with a unique design and eye shadow palettes are housed in intricate cases, which Freitas shows in her videos.
You can do something similar. To help find the right influencer, visit the IZEA platform, where you can search for influencers, connect with them, and negotiate a deal all in one place.
Start a hashtag challenge
To get your followers to engage with your brand, start a hashtag challenge. Bose did a hashtag challenge promoting their ear buds. The company asked followers – and influencers – to show how they used their ear buds to #CancelTheNoise around them. A 91-year-old influencer, Grandma Droniak, shows how she tunes out screaming kids with her ear buds in this #CancelTheNoise challenge.
The idea behind a hashtag challenge of course is to get a bunch of people to generate and share content that’s tied to your brand or product. You’ll need to stay engaged with your channel during that time. Thank participants, comment on videos, and encourage others to share videos.
Coming up with a hashtag challenge can be, well, a challenge. To help, draw some inspiration from Top Branded Hashtag Challenge Examples.
Answer questions
What questions do your customers usually have about your product or service? Consider answering these questions in TikTok videos. TikTok recently set up a Q&A feature that you can use.
Since TikToks are short, you can answer one question per video. You might even make it a weekly post. The questions might revolve around a specific product or your brand’s mission. The point is to educate and entertain your audience with small snippets of information.
Help consumers use your products
Consider creating TikToks that helps your audience use and enjoy your product. Kate Spade, for example, shows its followers how to style the brand’s fashionable boots.
Do customers need to assemble your product? How do customers care for your product? Are there unique uses for your product that customers might not know about? These questions could spark some video ideas.
An apparel brand could show customers how to care for a leather coat, a furniture store could provide quick tips to assemble a table, and an online investment platform could provide tips on what to invest in.
It’s not always easy for brands to jump on ever-evolving social trends, but many see the value in TikTok. If you’re new to the platform, try one of these ideas to start engaging with followers today.
