BY Rachel Cagle
TikTok may have begun as a social media channel dominated by Gen Z and younger, but the pandemic changed that. Bored and curious members of all generations downloaded the app while they were stuck and home and bored, and now they’re hooked. Even consumers who don’t have TikTok downloaded on their phones are under the channel’s influence since popular videos often make their way onto other social media platforms. TikTok provides a HUGE opportunity for brands to not only reach, but connect with their target audiences.
Having trouble believing that? Just type “TikTok made me buy it” into a search bar. You’ll be met with articles, videos and more showcasing products TikTok helped increase the popularity of and sales for. And those products aren't just the TikTok leggings and reversible squid plushies. They range from household cleaning products to vehicle accessories to electronics, beauty products, kitchen products, and everything in between. No matter what your client specializes in, they can find success in promoting it on TikTok. That is, as long as they know how to effectively reach viewers.
How to Reach Consumers on TikTok
Take Advantage of the App’s Resources
TikTok Pulse, the company’s contextual advertising solution, “lets advertisers place their brand next to the top content in the For You Feed,” according to a report from TikTok. “TikTok Pulse places brands at the heart of TikTok communities and alongside the trending content that is driving conversation and action.” By taking advantage of this resource, your clients can have their ads placed among the app’s current top 4% of videos. Pulse also offers post campaign measurement tools so your clients know how their ads are performing.
This will get your client’s ads in front of viewers, but let’s talk about how to catch and hold their attention.
Make Videos that are Easy to Watch
Let’s talk details. According to another report by TikTok, your client should be posting vertical videos. That’s how people hold their phones, making videos easier to view. And when’s the last time you turned your phone to better watch an advertisement?
Adding captions to your client’s video is also helpful. You can use them to transpose what is being said in the video if someone is talking or spice up a visual video with extra content to help viewers get to know important aspects of your client’s product or service. Adding the right hashtags can also help your client’s videos show up on more people’s feeds.
Be Creative
TikTok also recommends taking advantage of the MANY creative effects available on the app. Add a voiceover to a video. Add a fun effect on the background or the person speaking or acting. Or you can take advantage of the option to duet videos. Duet a video of someone using your client’s product or service to cheer them on or add more information. Or even better, find videos of people struggling with a problem your client’s product or service could help them solve. Either way, you’ll take advantage of being visible to that person’s followers.
Using popular sounds in your client’s videos can also help them appear on more users’ feeds. Even if your client doesn’t want to use the sound, you can include and mute it to still reap the viewers the sound will grant.
Overall, TikTok recommends that you, “Experiment, be creative, and post different kinds of videos to see what resonates.”
Does Your Client’s Target Audience Use TikTok?
Check out your client’s target audience’s profile on AudienceSCAN on AdMall by SalesFuel. You’ll be able to get a full breakdown of the social media channels they use the most. (And remember, your client’s TikTok videos can be repurposed and shared on numerous platforms.)
Photo by Good Faces