Should My Business Be On TikTok?

Dads and their peculiar behavior. Why do they seem to shake things before snacking on, case in point: almonds? You thought it was only your dad? Thanks to TikTok, we’re finding out dads everywhere are performing this ritual regularly. Just like that, we’ve cracked the case.

It’s one of the many ways TikTok has taken off as the premier social media destination.

What’s a TikTok? It’s a short-form, video-sharing app that allows users to create and share 60-second videos, on any topic, like dads and their bizarre customs. Many have gravitated towards its light-hearted and unique approach to sharing content. From partaking in fun new trends to sharing humor, TikTok has become an entertaining tool to generate user-friendly content and engage with audiences of all types. There’s a home for anything on TikTok, and this could mean a unique opportunity to market your business.

Content on the app spreads like wildfire, and each day the number of worldwide users skyrockets. Many brands have started to take advantage of this exposure by sharing fun and relevant videos that show off company culture. You’ll notice these videos tend to be more focused on entertaining, rather than selling. The reason? Younger audiences have populated the platform. In fact, about 50% of users are under the age of 34, making a majority of them in the millennial and Gen-Z segments. But this doesn’t mean your business doesn’t have the opportunity to reach its target demographic. Rather, creating fun and interesting videos can show off the human side of your brand, deepen relationships with followers and expand brand recognition and exposure beyond the platform.

Deciding if TikTok is Right for Your Business

Many bigwig companies have started to pay attention to TikTok’s rising popularity. Well-known companies like Wendy’s, Washington Post, and even the NBA are posting regularly on the app. Sharing content on TikTok, in addition to other social networks, may extend your company’s reach across a diverse audience. But before signing on, you and your team should answer the following questions: Is my target audience on the app? Who am I trying to reach? What message am I trying to convey? Think about the types of content you’ll be sharing and to whom it would be relevant and valuable. The app isn’t for everyone, especially if you’re using the bulk of your resources on other marketing avenues that already work well for your business. Additionally, you’ll likely have more success utilizing TikTok to expand brand awareness, rather than generating new business directly from the app. Defining your goals and strategy can help ensure you’re getting the most out of the platform.

Are competitors, colleagues and customers using the app?

In the process of deciding if your business should be on the app, it’s important to identify who else is actively using it. Have competitors found their way on the platform yet? Is your ideal audience TikTok-ing? Review your existing customer and prospects lists to see if there is an additional opportunity to engage with them on TikTok. Begin by following your customers and colleagues to see what they’re sharing and interacting with. This can help you to develop your strategy and further identify what type of content users would like to see.

What type of videos will you share?

After initial research and planning, it’s time to develop some ideas of your own. Content on TikTok typically falls into two categories: entertainment and education. Will your videos aim to entertain followers or inform them? If you’d like to entertain your audience, showing off the personality of your team is a great way to do so. Sharing a mix of both entertaining and educational content is a great way to provide valuable information about your business while providing a fun and unique twist that catches the attention of consumers. Experiment with ways to make sharing information visually-appealing and easy to understand.

Let’s get creating.

After you’ve brainstormed some ideas, it’s time to get filming. Are you aiming to entertain your audience? Allow a few of your brave teammates to showcase unique talents, like dancing or singing, or create a fun welcome video, letting users know you’re new to the platform. Perhaps you could create funny meme-like videos that people within your industry would find amusing and relatable.

If your first round of videos are aimed to educate followers, don’t worry — informing people doesn’t have to be boring. Check out this TikTok by Lush for example. In under 60 seconds, they show followers how to use a new soap product in an aesthetically pleasing way. The voiceover works to appeal to our senses and create a gravitating experience for consumers.

Other ideas include experimenting with a video featuring a moving infographic, pop-up text, music, etc. Videos with these added features are more likely to perform better than a video of someone standing and talking to the camera. So, don’t forget to have fun with it!

Get trendy with it. Go viral.

With TikTok becoming one of the most popular apps, it’s important to stay on top of the ever-changing trends. The discover tab is a great resource for businesses to stay up-to-date with viral content. Here you can explore top-performing hashtags and other special events and national holidays, like #DonutDay, to participate in. Hashtags are very important to use when sharing content. They make your videos easy to find by placing them in searchable categories. Adding multiple hashtags in your video captions provides a greater opportunity for content to go viral and gain more traction. 

Additionally, dance videos are one of the highest-circulating forms of content on the app, so don’t be afraid to ask team members to participate in a dance challenge (in between projects, of course). You might even schedule a day during the week where you set aside time to create these types of videos. Perfect for a #FridayFunDay!

All things considered, if you’re looking for a unique and light-hearted approach to market your business, TikTok is the social platform for you. These tips can help you get started on the app and grow your business’s reach even further. In a world full of ever-changing trends and platforms, it’s important for your business to stay on top of it all.

Happy creating!