Your Brand’s Complete Guide to TikTok

As the international app sensation TikTok continues to soar with over 800 million active users worldwide, businesses with an audience on the platform are engaging directly with their target markets in new and exciting ways. Whether brands choose an organic approach, or take advantage of paid advertising options, TikTok is proving to be a great opportunity for companies to increase their success. Check out our guide for businesses looking to break into the video-sharing social platform below!

What TikTok is All About

Popular for the dance challenges, lip-synching, and viral comedy videos, TikTok is a one-stop shop for quick entertainment. Formerly known as Musical.ly, TikTok is a social media app that enables users to make and share 15-60-second videos. With nearly 220 million downloads recorded at the end of 2019, it is safe to say that TikTok is currently one of the fastest-growing social media networks. Perfect for brands targeting younger generations, the largest demographic of TikTok users is between the ages of 16 and 24. While there are users of all ages on the app, TikTok has a special appeal to the older Gen Z audience.

How to Market on TikTok

Just as brands engage with their audiences through other social media platforms, TikTok allows businesses to interact with users in a unique way. One of their slogans “Real People, Real Videos,” speaks to the type of content TikTok users expect to see when scrolling through the app. Meant for producing content with just a mobile device, creators do not have to be too tech-savvy or equipped with the highest quality of video production to post online. The user-generated content (UGC) is one-of-a-kind with its authentic and raw nature.

For brands, this means that marketing on TikTok may look different than how you go about it on other social media platforms. Content that continues to prove successful among the community is fun, visually appealing, and informal. This enables brands to deliver the message they are trying to convey to their target audiences, without seeming pushy or salesy.

Paid Advertising Options

Anyone can sign up and create an account for free on TikTok. While this is great for many brands that may have a smaller social media budget, or are skeptical of how the platform will perform, there are also paid advertising options available for those looking to take their marketing to the next level. Here are a few different options brands can choose from when advertising on TikTok:

• Brand Takeovers – A brand takeover is a full-screen ad that can either be a three-to-five second GIF or even a three-second image or video. These ads can be used to link back to a brand’s profile or to a hashtag challenge.
• In-feed Native Ads – In-video placements are 15-second, full-screen advertisements that appear organically as users are swiping between TikTok video posts.
• Sponsored Hashtag Challenges – Brands can create a video and kick off a hashtag challenge. The brand’s challenge is placed on TikTok’s discovery page for a set duration of time, providing the opportunity for maximum reach and engagement.
• Branded Lenses – Just like the filters and other effects that you see on Instagram and Snapchat, TikTok’s branded lens is an ad format that brings 3D objects, face filters and more to users.

TikTok ads offer precise targeting, helping brands reach their relevant audiences. Similar to Facebook and Google Ads, brands are in control of the TikTok ad spend, duration, and campaign goals. Continue reading to learn how some brands are succeeding on the leading video platform!

Brand Examples on TikTok

Chipotle #GuacDance Challenge

In honor of National Avocado Day, Chipotle’s TikTok challenge #GuacDance was well-received, resulting in Chipotle’s biggest guac day in history, with over 802,000 sides of guac served.

Fenty Beauty TikTok House

Rihanna has opened a Fenty Beauty House, designed specifically for TikTok superstars to film and share beauty videos using her makeup line.