Small businesses are always looking for ways to use their marketing budget as efficiently as possible. One of the many strategies is to incorporate TikTok, the fast-growing social media platform.
But how can you use TikTok in your marketing? Should you pay for ads? Should you create content? We’ll outline just some of the ways to use this platform in your marketing.
What Is TikTok?
TikTok is a social media platform that lets people share short videos. Videos can use music in the background or just use the voice. There are also numerous memes and challenges on TikTok contributing to its popularity.
Experts estimate that as of February 2021, there were more than 1.1 billion monthly active users. In other words, a sizable proportion of your target audience is on TikTok.
With that in mind, here are some of the best ways to use TikTok in your marketing.
#1 Pay for Ads
The most obvious option is to pay for ads on TikTok. The ads will appear before and after videos on the application. You can choose from several ad formats. You also get to choose the audience that you want to target. This prevents you from wasting your marketing budget.
Common Advertising Formats
The ad formats you can choose from on TikTok include:
- In-feed videos on the “For You” page of your audience.
- Hashtag challenges that show up on the discovery page.
- Sponsored AR content, such as stickers, lenses, and filters for your audience to feature in their videos.
- Brand takeovers that show full-screen video ads when your audience opens the app.
- Custom influencer packages that connect you with influencers.
You’ll notice that we’ll talk about some of these in more detail below.
#2 Create Content to Share
The other main method to use TikTok is creating a channel for your small business then sharing your content on it. This gives you a great deal of versatility and leaves you open to following many of the other methods and tips on this list.
#3 Work with Influencers
Yet another option is to work with some of the influencers on TikTok. Just like on any other social media platform, influencers on TikTok are people with large followings. They can promote your business in exchange for money or free products or services.
Of course, working with influencers will be slightly different for small businesses than for large, global companies. You would want to find local influencers, so they can reach your target audience. It will not do you any good if you advertise a product or service you can’t deliver to an audience across the country. The exception would be if you sell a product online and can ship it.
#4 Create a Hashtag Challenge
TikTok is known for its hashtag challenges. These involve people posting content that meets a specific goal or is of a certain type, such as a dance routine, and using the hashtag. You can take advantage of this by creating a hashtag challenge that is relevant to your brand.
For example, if you sell clothing, consider a hashtag challenge that has people showing off different stylings of your pieces. The challenge doesn’t even have to feature your products or services directly. You could create a food-related challenge if you are a restaurant or an exercise-related challenge if you are a gym or sell sports gear.
#5 Make How-to Videos
One of the sub-methods of using TikTok to create marketing content is developing how-to videos. Keep them relevant to your products or services, and you should gain views and brand awareness.
Some ideas include:
- Food companies sharing recipes.
- Food companies sharing cooking tips.
- Craft companies sharing craft ideas.
- Craft companies sharing basic clothing repairs.
- Makeup companies sharing specific looks.
- Gyms or fitness companies sharing workout tips or exercises.
Get creative and think about what your target audience would like.
#6 Create Behind-the-Scenes or Introduction Videos
You may also want to create behind-the-scenes content. This could be a look at what various team members in your small business do daily. Or it could be a behind-the-scenes look at what goes into making your products.
Consider including introductions to the team members, as well.
This type of content helps your audience relate and feel more connected to you.
#7 Incorporate Pets When Possible
Pets are a surefire way for your videos to get attention. If you can somehow incorporate animals into your videos, go for it. Maybe you’ll share videos of your “office dog.” Or maybe you’ll record your dog or cat “using” the product you sell.
#8 Create Product Demonstration Videos
Yet another type of video to create is a product demonstration. Use these videos to show how easy your products are to use or the positive impact they have on buyers’ lives. Depending on your product or service, these may take the form of before and after videos.
#9 Join Popular Challenges
Take a look at the popular challenges on TikTok, whether they are related to your business. See if your company should take part in any of them. For example, some of your staff could participate in a dance challenge.
#10 Use Hashtags in Your Content
No matter the type of content you create, be sure to use hashtags. Choosing the right hashtags will help make your video more “discoverable.” Stick to hashtags that are relevant to the video and your company. Of course, if you participate in a TikTok challenge, use the related hashtag.
#11 Use Analytical Data in TikTok Pro
As with any other type of marketing, you need to have analytics or metrics to follow to confirm that your efforts are paying off. The good news is that TikTok offers analytics to “pro” accounts, and upgrading to a pro account is free. All you have to do is go to the “Manage my account” section when signed in, and you can upgrade with a click.
Once you do this, pay attention to the analytics to see if you need to make changes or what’s working well. You should also look at “Followers Analytics,” which will help you better target your audience.