It’s quite interesting how, in the time of the pandemic and hovering recession, it wasn’t any of the Big 3 social media networks that cracked the crazy growth code. It was a fledgling social platform you’re most likely aware of, TikTok.
For over a decade, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube dominated the online scene.
Today, whether it’s to directly engage with your audience, grow your brand awareness, or influence at scale, TikTok is becoming the marketer’s choice — especially on the latter.
Look here.
It is projected that by 2025, 54.9% of marketers will work with TikTok influencers and 66.4% of influencer marketers are going to use TikTok.
See how it closes the gap with Facebook for influencer marketing too?
Apart from the plummeting organic reach on stable platforms, there are lots of reasons why TikTok is winning here.
Plus, TikTok is not just for dancing teens anymore.
Millennials and even boomers have flocked to the platform and some have even gone viral already.
Even brands such as Chipotle, Guess, and NBA all took advantage of TikTok’s easy-growth algorithm and took it seriously.
They're only 3 of the many brands that amassed millions of followers using branded and user-generated content, or simply UGCs. Their reward? Far-reaching brand awareness and high engagement from followers.
If you’re into influencer marketing or want to explore this marketing strategy, it’s high time that you get your brand on TikTok while its viral algorithm is wildly active.
We’ve listed 5 reasons why TikTok is a smart choice for your brand’s content promotion.
Have you ever seen that many ads on TikTok?
No, right? That’s because TikTok makes ads look like organic content. Like this aesthetic video content where a teenager is putting on bedsheets. This is an ad.
As the platform known for organic virality, it’s no wonder how its branded ads feel just as native.
As of now, TikTok only has 4 major advertising formats available. You can access all four if you’re using TikTok for Business.
The most common video ad format that TikTok users encounter. It’s somewhere on the For You Page and drastically improves brand perception. Users can easily scroll past them but because of how natural they look, users often don’t. The only telltale sign of an in-feed ad is the distinct CTA button.
If you’re looking for premium placement for your ads, TopView is the key. And it comes at a premium price.
This ad type serves as TikTok’s billboard — you see them often the moment you open your TikTok app. This gives brands the chance to snag prime real estate for their ad creatives. This is also a huge statement for brands to tell their audience how invested they are in promoting brand awareness.
This ad format is another revolutionary for TikTok. The platform just added AR into its ad offers. Scrolling branded effect ads gives you the Wii gaming feel, enhancing engagement and eliminating boredom.
Chipotle used this to recreate and customize an exact replica of one of their stores into AR. This offers their audience an immersive experience of virtually touring their store.
The hashtag challenge is typically used to drive engagement, but not the way Instagram and Facebook do. A branded hashtag is a way for the original creators to invite others to rise to the challenge they posted. This effectively drives UGC for brands.
Chipotle’s TikTok success is largely credited to their branded hashtag challenge #ChipotleLidFlip Challenge. The Hashtag challenge is one good way to harness user participation.
TikTok shows that achieving organic branded content is possible with Branded Mission.
It has always been a struggle for most brands to stay organic without having to use disruptive marketing efforts.
Yes, there are influencers they can tap into but none has done it the way TikTok does with its Branded Mission.
Brands can now directly tap into TikTok’s influencer community and collaborate on content production. This is one true method that reduces ad displays while still allowing creators to monetize and brands to reach new users.
TikTok is standing by its words to put people first, not ads.
If you want another solid proof of TikTok’s organic approach when it comes to ads, look no further than Spark Ads.
Brands can now pick organic content from creators and turn them into ads. This unique ad format has exponentially increased authenticity for brands.
Spark Ads keeps the balance between organic content and ads without being disruptive.
Users find it relatable seeing plain janes talking in all honesty about their experience when it comes to a particular brand.
Instagram has a similar function but TikTok is proving to be the more popular option for brands.
TikTok has doubled its growth across all metrics. This is largely credited to its organic approach.
If you’re wondering what social selling is, it’s the #1 method brands can use to build rapport with their target audience. This way, brands can home in on potential buyers without overwhelming them with ads.
And we all know how TikTok is acing this aspect. The platform even went on to claim that it’s no social media. TikTok is entertainment and networking for potential sales rolled into one.
China’s social selling strategy is also what powers TikTok’s approach.
And although Europe and the rest of the west have not quite caught up with this yet, TikTok hopes to change that in the coming years.
How is TikTok revolutionizing eCommerce? Simple, it's purchase intent marketing.
You only have to search the #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt and you will find thousands of videos detailing users’ buying frenzy.
What’s good in the coming years is how TikTok is actively developing and improving its in-app purchasing. Ecommerce should capitalize on this.
According to a worldwide study, TikTok is becoming the main platform for product research for users. Users are also 1.5x more to go out and buy the newly discovered product instead of just sitting it out.
TikTok’s Live Selling has become the QVC for Gen Z and later Millennials. Live selling on TikTok has proven effective, especially for small-time sellers. 76% of users stated that TikTok’s live selling has inspired them to shop. And note this, Live selling has 10x higher conversion compared to other forms of online shopping.
If you’re an influencer and you’re not on TikTok, you’re missing out on something great.
Big wigs from every niche you can think of have found their way on TikTok, not just the kids.
The latest addition to TikTok adapters is Alex Cattoni.
Historically, this entrepreneur and social media influencer is a huge Instagram and YouTube star with over 3.6 Million views combined on YouTube alone. Now, seeing the value TikTok offers, Alex Catonni is also securing her share of this free real estate.
What makes TikTok such a friendly environment for new creators is its new algorithm. Still in its early stages, TikTok’s AI algorithm puts a high value on organic content — making new content creators an overnight hit.The platform also makes it easier for brands to partner up with influencers for future branded content.If you are looking to hook in more Gen Z audiences and turn them into leads, TikTok influencers will be your most effective weapons. Brands such as McDonalds, Louis Vuitton, and Amazon are paying TikTok influencers an ungodly amount of dollars to reach Gen Z users who are not into Facebook or IG.
If you’re new on TikTok and looking to get started in your content strategy, consider checking out their creative frameworks for new creators.
TikTok has outlined in detail what types of native and engaging content creators can start working on to build their audience.
For one, every content creator has the chance of going viral. Even when you do not have 10K followers to readily tap into, for as long as you have entertaining and relatable content, you can pull in thousands of views overnight.
Digital Darlene here talks about her journey and it got 3.5 million views.
Going viral without a high-production budget was nil, not until TikTok came to the scene.TikTok made it easier for beginner content creators to consistently produce short videos without costing them an arm and a leg.
Because of this, more and more creators are turning to TikTok when publishing new content. Along with it are millions of their followers ditching other platforms.
How much does TikTok understand its users?
TikTok has nailed the fact that users hate being interrupted in their entertainment. And so, the platform shies away from making ads a compulsory watch.
It’s largely different from any other social media platform that pumps ads one after another to gain attention.
They know that humans are wired to hate ads and they banked on this psychology.
All three major platforms are accused of ad fatigue with Facebook at the lead.
You only have to open your Facebook account and scroll around a little bit, and boom, an ad is right at your face.
Every 3 organic content or so, you’re hit with an ad. What’s worse, you can hit skip after 7 seconds. Some won’t even let you do so.
TikTok on the other hand has revolutionized its approach when it comes to brand promotion. The platform encourages brands to “Put people first, ads second” to gain trust from impatient users. The first of its kind.
Each internet user’s attention span is growing shorter. They want faster and shorter entertainment literally a scroll away. And TikTok is feeding that need.
Its short videos provide us with relatable and entertaining content. You’re not only gaining relevant information, but you are also getting short bursts of dopamine — you’re happy hormone.
This pushes TikTok users further down the rabbit hole in search of the next funny content. The next thing you know, half of your afternoon has gone away without you noticing.
Its Stitch, Reaction, and Duets are the advanced features that boosted User Generated Content over the years. As long as the original creator enabled Stitch and Duets, any TikToker can create new content in response to the original one.
Another thing that makes TikTok addictive is how users can comment anonymously. Shy viewers can engage without the fear of getting judged or stalked through their profiles.
TikTok’s consistent media format makes content production super scalable.Ask any veteran Social Media Manager out there and they’ll tell you how content creation is a huge challenge. Varying formats mean creating a different set of content.
Instagram’s Story, Reels, Video, and Carousel content also take time to produce, not to mention captioning. This makes UGC harder to encourage.
Another proof that TikTok is a cut above the rest is its dashboarding feature. They are rolling this update to combat overconsumption
There are a lot of gripes against TikTok. Among them is how it affects attention span and turns users into TikTok addicts.
The platform is now providing dashboarding alerts if a user has gone beyond the 100-minute mark. It especially targets users under 17 years old.
If influencer marketing is one of your social media marketing tactics, now is the right time to get your brand started on TikTok.The platform is at the helm of its trend and shows no signs of slowing down any time soon. Its popularity is closing the gap with Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. More users will follow soon.As a rookie platform, TikTok has a bigger real estate for brands when it comes to influencer marketing. New means its possibilities are still growing.
A smart marketer never puts his eggs in one basket alone. If you’re active on several social media platforms, why not invest in TikTok marketing, too?
According to Bidmic, a tech platform, TikTok has effectively driven the stats of all other marketing channels of one client.
Their client’s TikTok content is the main reason why their target audience chooses to signup for an email subscription.
If you’re on TikTok or planning to be (which you should) and looking to find high-performing influencers, you’re in luck!
Sociata is TikTok’s first official partner in Eastern Europe, The Middle East, and Africa (EEMEA region).
Sociata is a social media influencer platform that allows brands to collaborate with the best influencers in their niche.
With Sociata's iScore feature, you’ll never have to second guess whether your chosen influencer will be a success or not.
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