TikTok is one of the biggest phenomenon's that social media has seen since Facebook first started taking off in 2012.
Despite the previous popularity of a similar mobile application, Vine, Marketing Managers weren’t prepared for the video-content platform to become a global “cultural powerhouse” (Source: Newsroom).
As one of the most downloaded apps on the Google Playstore, approximately 15.5 million daily users login to TikTok every single day (Source: Statista). Creators and consumers in the UK spend approximately 27.3 hours on the app each month - scrolling, watching, and engaging with video content.
For marketing teams worldwide, TikTok has easily become one of the best sales funnels for paid media campaigns, generating a 64% higher yield than alternative digital channels across Europe (Source: YouGov UK).
Why is TikTok So Effective For Marketing?
When TikTok Business launched in March 2021, the potential for advertising was formed - allowing businesses to reach an extensive, global audience.
Digital Marketers rapidly had to learn extra skills and strategise how to succeed on the app, taking advantage of TikTok’s key selling points to generate revenue for their company.
1. Video Content
TikTok’s emphasis on video content delivers marketers with the tools to focus on interactive content that boosts engagement, and, as a result, ROI. Even across other social media platforms, email, and websites, 83% of video marketers have reported success with lead generation through video content, and 80% notice a direct increase in sales (Source: Optin Monster). Video content has proven to be a useful tool for spreading brand awareness, informing consumers, and, above all, increasing retention times.
2. Influencer Marketing
There are thousands of influencers across hundreds of different niches and industries within TikTok’s audience, creating the potential for businesses to work with real people who can endorse and validate their products. This benefits marketers in two ways:
Word of Mouth: Today’s consumers are 92% more inclined to trust their peers and family over brand advertisements (Source: Big Commerce), and partnerships with influencers on TikTok can help businesses take advantage of the trust influencers have built with their audience.
Social Proof: An influencer who uses, wears, or promotes a product or service on their platform in a positive light can reach thousands of interested followers - creating a form of social proof and contributing toward the “customer research” stage of the buyer's journey.
3. User-Generated Content
When trends go viral, Social Media Marketers receive User-Generated Content to cross-post onto other social media platforms.
Not only does this alleviate the pressure of creating content on a day-to-day basis but 48% of customers actually claim that UGC is a great way to discover new products (Source: Crow Diff). Engagement on TikTok videos, such as comments, can be used as reviews, testimonials, and conversation starters to further drive sales for a brand.
What Does TikTok Do Differently from Alternative Platforms?
Since TikTok’s launch in the market in 2018, other social media platforms have attempted to create a similar focus on video content to encourage user activity. However, even with the introduction of Reels on Instagram and Stories on Facebook, TikTok has still been dubbed the best social platform for ROI. Why?
Its algorithm.
Unlike competitors, TikTok’s algorithm doesn’t heavily punish brands paying for sponsorships on the app. It puts all users on equal footing so even someone with no followers can still have a viral video.
TikTok places emphasis on unique content that audiences enjoy interacting with. As a result, 61% of TikTok users feel that advertisements on the platform are engaging and more likely to resonate with them. (Source: PR Daily). Plus, these consumers can “opt-in” to the content that interests them, making ad targeting relevant and accurate, and more likely to generate a strong ROI.
Tips for High Return On Investment Using TikTok
For Digital Marketers in the UK looking to tap into a global audience (or even find their niche closer to home), TikTok has become a functional and effective platform for creating leads and converting them.
Tip #1: High-Quality Content
Quality needs to come first and foremost on TikTok. Short, 30-second videos should have an average watch time of 70% (Source: Reddit) - and providing value all the way through can enhance a marketer's ability to sell.
Tip #2: Hashtags
Much like with other social media platforms, hashtag choices can boost and optimize content to reach target audiences - and are a free tactic for building traffic. Consistent posting schedules and the use of relevant hashtags will, over time, increase brand awareness and an audience following. This allows brands to focus on building trust with their prospective customers to ensure optimal conversion rates (and ROI).
Tip #3: Partnerships
As the best approach for TikTok marketing continues to change as the platform updates and grows, there is one trend that should always stay strong: the success of partnerships. Word of mouth marketing, social proof, and user-generated content are three of the biggest generators of revenue and working with influencers with a pre-built audience has proven an effective tactic over paid advertisements sponsoring personal content.
The Future of Marketing is Digital
In our developing digital landscapes, TikTok marketing allows brands to connect with their audience in a distinctive and attention-captivating way.
As its user base and activity grow year on year (by a CAGR of 5.1% until 2024), marketers who have previously relied on traditional spaces to deliver content strategies have to digitise their processes and embrace our new landscapes.
Any TikTok Marketers will need to:
Embrace a sense of community by being people-focused.
Demonstrate creativity and positive.
Be comfortable with TikTok Business alongside other video editing software.
Stay up-to-date with trends through keen industry awareness.
If you’re looking for a competitive and engaging career in a job role that embraces all elements of marketing, reach out to Forward Role.
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