TikTok’s rise to popularity highlights a niche in marketing that had been missing since Vine – a way to organically showcase short, informal videos to an audience that isn’t directly engaged with your brand. As with any new social media platform, there’s a learning curve involved with creating your content, targeting your audience, and effectively utilizing the platform’s tools. This guide will give you a kickstart to the basics, show you how to capitalize on trends, and how to grow your brand.
The History
One of the most recognizable video platforms that came long before TikTok was Vine. Vine was a platform that allowed people to post six second videos, with minimal to no editing whatsoever. It was launched in January of 2013. Vine was the first of its kind. In April 2014, Vine met its match with their first competitor, Musical.ly. Musical.ly was an app that let users post longer videos in a music video type of feel. However, after years and millions of videos later, Vine succumbed to the defeat of other platforms and permanently shut down the app in October of 2016.
TikTok was released in the AppStore in September of 2016, just a month before Vine was shut down. By the end of May 2017, TikTok had acquired over 200 million users. And in November of that same year, TikTok bought the rights to their competitor Musical.ly. By August 2018, the two apps had been merged together, leaving creators with one app to create content on.
What TikTok Offers
TikTok is a free app that allows its users to record, edit and post all on one platform. The app first started with the ability to create 15 – 30 second videos. Over the years of growth it was extended to 1 minute, and now, 3 – 10 minute long videos. You are able to capture videos and edit them in one app, along with adding text and graphics overlay.
Within your profile, you are able to pin videos to the top of your feed. This allows people to see them when first clicking on your page. No matter how many videos you continue to post, the ones pinned will remain at the top of your feed.
Content Creators are now able to make money by making videos on the app. They can be sponsored by companies to create videos promoting their product, app, restaurant, along with many other things.
Why Incorporate TikTok into your marketing mix?
TikTok is all about showing the fun and creative side to yourself. Whether it be yourself, friends, a company or even a sports team, showing the most authentic version of yourself is the most eye-catching. Businesses are meant to be taken seriously, in order to gain clientele; however, clients and customers still want to be able to see that you have a personable and relatable side. It’s a free platform to show a different side than people are typically used to seeing. Creating witty videos will allow people to constantly share your post to others, even who don’t directly know you.
Playful videos that take off the edge of seriousness are a great way to gain exposure. Since TikTok allows the ability to edit within the app, it is acceptable that the videos may not be of high quality.
Growing Your Brand On TikTok
With videos blowing up on the app as fast as they do, it’s important to become part of the trend before it fades away. Videos can become a trend based on things like background songs, dance combinations, skits, and even different filters on the app. Be creative while still being yourself. Posting content with enthusiasm will catch the attention of others. With it becoming easier to express previously unseen sides of your brand, it’s easier to lose sight of your target demographics. Another part of the app that plays a factor in getting your videos seen more frequently is using hashtags. The hashtags allow your video to be identified by a unique topic. When the hashtag is typed into the TikTok search bar, your video will be one of the ones that comes up.
In order to keep people interested in the content and willing to come back, you should keep it short and simple. Although the app does allow you to make videos up to 10 minutes long now, in most cases, a video that is 60-30 seconds or less is sufficient. It’s easier to keep someone’s attention for 30 seconds rather than over a minute. Keeping the attention of viewers is something you can also control by what the content is that you’re posting.
TikTok allows you to directly respond to questions or comments that are left on your videos. There is a ‘dueting’ and ‘comment response’ option that allow you to easily create another video, while still being attached to the original. These videos appear on your feed, but will appear in the comment section attached to the question asked. This makes it convenient for people who may also have the same question to easily locate an answer.
Other things to remember
There are so many different things that are important to pay attention to when posting videos. Being interactive with your viewers will be a reason for them to continue to either come back to your page to see what you have posted or follow you for constant updates. Responding to comments gives personality to you and your platform. It will also allow your followers to feel seen and heard, while being able to engage in conversations with each fellow followers as well. Staying in front of trends, no longer than a few weeks after they have been done is also important. Trends will allow you to be seen more throughout the algorithm TikTok uses.
If you’re looking to build your social media strategy, TikTok may be the perfect place for you to start. Staying in front of social media and being present on more than one platform will continue to allow your brand to grow. Here at J&R, we strive to make your company succeed in more ways than one. While helping with printing and website development, we can also handle all your social media needs.