Among the many major social media platforms, TikTok is the only one that is relatively new. Although the rest of the social media platforms are constantly striving to develop new and exciting features, TikTok took the internet by storm in 2019-21.
Among the many major social media platforms, TikTok is the only one that is relatively new. Although the rest of the social media platforms are constantly striving to develop new and exciting features, TikTok took the internet by storm in 2019-21.
TikTok is a social media platform that allows you to post videos with durations varying from 15 seconds to 10 minutes. A TikTok user can choose from several genres such as dance, stunts, tricks and pranks, jokes, and more. The platform's purpose is to create and share short videos for entertainment. Although the app was launched in 2016 by a Chinese Multinational internet technology company called ByteDance, it was available worldwide only in 2018. TikTok soon became a raging sensation across the globe as many celebrities started downloading the app to post videos.
Before we get into the details of TikTok, let us understand the importance of branding.
The process of brand building or branding is an integral part of communicating the mission and vision of your brand to your target audience through various marketing strategies. The process helps increase company visibility and motivates employees while building credibility.
Broadly speaking, there are two types of marketing
· Organic marketing
· Paid marketing
Organic marketing will include marketing strategies involving social media platforms, blogs, case studies, public relations, and so on. Since the strategies are not money driven, it is a rather slow process to attract your target audience. Regardless, it is the best way to reach out to your audience as it increases credibility.
As the name suggests, 'Paid Marketing' includes marketing strategies driven by money. This can be through endorsements on radio, newspapers, flyers, billboards, activation campaigns, marathons, conferences, and other similar events. A brand can reach a sizable target audience faster with the help of paid marketing.
If your brand is not on social media, you are missing out on so much. Here's why.
Social media marketing, as the name suggests, is marketing through various social media platforms and websites to promote a product or a service. Compared to digital marketing, e-mail and content marketing, guerrilla marketing, search engine optimization marketing, social media marketing is still a new form of marketing. Although many of the existing companies are slowly shifting towards social media marketing, most companies in the start-up space are using social media platforms as their primary marketing segment. Needless to say that social media marketing will help your brand reach a large audience, given that social media is no longer uncommon.
At this given point, almost all companies, regardless of MNCs or start-ups, are on a social media platform. People across the globe will not only learn about your product/ service but also like, subscribe, and share the details about your product or service with their friends and acquaintances. Some brands also allow people to purchase their products or services through social media platforms.
Some of the prominent social media platforms are listed below
· Snapchat
· YouTube
· TikTok
Given that individuals use TikTok to post videos of them doing funny bits, lip-syncs, skits, and dance videos, TikTok is widely recognized as a platform to showcase talent in several genres. We are all aware that creativity is the key requirement to good marketing; hence, several companies already use the platform. Additionally, given that over 3 billion people have downloaded the application worldwide, your brand will be able to achieve visibility that no other social media platform can give you. With a large number of users, the chances of a video going viral in a very short period of time are very high, which obviously acts as an advantage to your brand. Once your brand has gained momentum on this platform, you must be consistent with generating content.
According to digitalmarketinginstitute.com, "Global brands have recognized the importance of TikTok as a key way to engage with young audiences, encourage user-generated content, and partner with relevant influencers. TikTok has seen both paid and influencer campaigns on its app, from Nike, Skittles, Fenty Beauty, Pepsi, Calvin Klein, Sony, and FIFA, to name a few. If you're a brand looking to connect with TikTok creators, use a tracker tool to identify relevant influencers."
TikTok helps you connect with your target group in an informal manner. It is a basic consumer behavior or approach to buy products or avail services from brands they are familiar with. Familiarity can be built when you, as a brand, communicate the mission and vision of your brand to your target audience in a more relaxed and informed manner. TikTok provides you with a platform to do the same. Posting content that will draw not only the attention of your target group but also content that is relatable to them is important.
Tom Fishburne, Founder of Marketoonist said, "The best marketing doesn't feel like marketing."
Reasons to use Tiktok as a marketing tool
· Cost effective
· Be a part of the hashtag generation
· Great Targeting
Using TikTok as a marketing tool will prove to be cost-effective for your company as you will not have to pay anyone to endorse your content. Given that TikTok is user-friendly, one can easily create content that is relevant to their brand and post it. In fact, the brand can get your employees to also post content to TikTok, which will work well with the brand's target audience.
If you are looking at building your brand in the 21st century, you have to follow the #rules of this century. You will need to come up with a Hashtag that is in line with the mission and vision of your brand. Hashtags that are funny, have a pun, or are unique tend to catch on really fast. Additionally, you can also use your brand's tagline as your hashtag.
If you know your target group is between the age group of 16 and 35, TikTok is the right place for you to start your marketing. The vast majority of TikTok users are between the ages of16 and 35. Unlike your billboard, radio, and advertisements, the content you upload on TikTok will specifically reach the audience your brand intends to target.
Ways to use TikTok for marketing
· Create a brand channel
· Collaborate
· TikTok advertising
· Customer service
Create a channel dedicated to your brand, and it is important to post content only through this channel. A company must ensure to name the TikTok channel after their company as it will be easier for your target audience to recognize you on the platform amidst billions of users. As social media platforms are used by many, you must constantly generate and post content to remind your audience that you exist in the market. The content can vary every time you post it, but it should be pertinent to your brand or the product or service that your brand has to offer. This is where hashtags come into play. Make sure to post every video on TikTok with a hashtag that is unique to your company.
TikTok is used by many celebrities and influencers across the globe. Each of these celebrities and influencers has a set of followers or subscribers. It is only wise for your brand to collaborate with popular TikTok-ers, and yes, that's what they are called.
· Step 1- Identify your target audience
· Step 2- Identify the celebrities and influencers who draw the attention of your target audience
· Step 3- Reach out to them for collaborations.
The whole idea would be in vain if your brand skipped steps one and two. You might not be able to connect with the target audience specific to your brand if you reach out to just anyone on TikTok. If you need your target audience to learn more about your brand, product, or service, you need to be careful about whom you collaborate with.
Given that TikTok is widely used in the United States of America, placing ads on TikTok about your brand can increase your brand's visibility. We are all aware that social media platforms have strong artificial intelligence tech. Hence, ads will strategically be placed in your target audience's feed, depending on their search history. In fact, there are several different ways to advertise on Tiktok
· In-feed ads
· Pangle ads
· Brand image ads
· Video ads
Considering TikTok is an informal means of marketing, it serves as a platform where brands can either provide customer service or receive feedback from their customers. For instance, DIY or Do It Yourself videos are loved by many as it teaches people to do something by themselves. People always take pride in things they have done themselves; If your brand is launching a new product or a service, you can post a DIY video or a video on how to avail the service and why they should choose your company.
When it comes to customer feedback, you can request your customer to post an unboxing video or video speaking about the service they availed of from your company and what they liked about your customer service, along with the brand's hashtag. Sometimes it helps if the brand offers the customers a discount or a coupon for their next purchase for putting up a video. This will draw the interest and attention of many potential customers.
Having said that, there could be instances where customers are upset about the service and post the same on TikTok. But, you must be very mindful of how to respond to such posts.
If you are starting your business with Hoist, here is how the above information can help you.
If you are starting a house service business or a house painting business, you must explore options in social media marketing. You should market your brand and increase brand visibility on all the social media platforms, but it is important that your brand is present on TikTok. As we have discussed at the very beginning of this article, TikTok is a social media platform that is widely used by the people of the United States of America between the age group 16 and 35. However, those who are older are increasingly signing up, showing promise of a more diverse future user base.
Videos of your company’s work. For example, if you’re in the painting business this could include houses your company has painted. This type of content is the easiest way to draw the attention of your target group. People who intend on getting their house painted are always on the lookout for the latest trends, latest designs, quality of paint, the duration it takes to get their house painted, and so on. If your video has these details, you have caught the attention of your next potential customer. Simple, isn't it
Videos of customers speaking about their experience with your company- Videos with testimonies of your satisfied customers is another way of drawing your customers' attention. When people see how highly your customers are talking about your products, service, and customer service, they will want to buy your service. Let's be honest; everyone is aiming to get a hassle-free experience.
Additionally, taking the example of a house painting business – you can post videos on the latest trends in house painting. You can post a wide variety of content under this category, starting from how celebrities are painting their houses today to how people painted their houses four decades ago. Many people are interested in giving their houses a vintage look and are looking for ideas on how they can achieve that for their homes. This is where content your channel is posting on TikTok will be very helpful.
TikTok is likely to get over a billion users over the course of the next year. With the number of people joining the TikTok culture, TikTok is all set to be the new and most trendy marketing tool. As of now, TikTok is used by many companies to market their product or service, but soon, more and more are likely to jump on the TikTok bandwagon, not just to market their brand or product but also to create a significant presence on this social media platform. So, if you want to make a splash, you should get started sooner rather than later!
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