TikTok marketing is a must for brands and businesses targeting younger generations. It can help your brand to get discovered by new people in your target audience, leading to more sales and revenues.
This comprehensive guide will explain the ins and outs of marketing on TikTok and how you can create a successful strategy. Also, you will find inspirational examples from savvy brands to start your TikTok marketing campaign on the right foot. So, let’s get started and discover effective strategies and tips for selling on TikTok.
What Is TikTok Marketing?
It is the process of using TikTok to promote a brand, product, or service. It can involve various strategies like TikTok influencer marketing, affiliate marketing, advertising, or creating viral content on TikTok.
TikTok marketing can help businesses achieve these goals:
- Increase online visibility and brand awareness
- Boost your sales and revenues,
- target new audiences (and customers),
- Receive feedback from TikTok users,
- Drive more traffic to your website or online store.
How to Get Started with TikTok Marketing
The first step is to create a TikTok Business account. TikTok Business accounts offer helpful features like:
- TikTok Analytics,
- Ads,
- TikTok Shop,
- Adding an Email Button and website link to their profile,
- Access to the business creative hub,
- Access to commercial music library (limited access to sound clips),
- Options to add calls to action (CTAs),
- Auto-replies to DMs,
- Automatic post schedulers.
How to Convert to a TikTok Business Account
Switching to a TikTok business account is easy and free if you already have a personal account. Just follow the steps below.
- Go to your profile.
- Click the three tabs in the top right corner.
- Select ‘Settings and privacy.’
- Tap on ‘Account.’
- Choose ‘Switch to Business Account.’
- Click ‘Next’ to confirm. Also, choose a category and select ‘Next.’ And voila! You successfully switched to a TikTok business account.
11 Strategies for Marketing on TikTok
Once you’ve set up your TikTok business account, it’s time to optimize your TikTok marketing strategy. While you likely won’t become TikTok famous overnight, these eleven strategies will set you up for success in TikTok digital marketing. So, let’s learn how to market on TikTok and make your brand stand out there.
1. Get to Know TikTok
Spend some time watching TikTok videos to better understand this social media platform. Explore the app’s features and note trending TikTok hashtags, reels, and sounds. Also, learn about the TikTok algorithm to see how videos rank in the ‘For You‘ tab. Having this knowledge will help you create engaging content and develop effective strategies.
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2. Conduct Research on Your Target Audience
Before diving into TikTok marketing, it’s crucial to understand the platform’s demographics. With over 1 billion monthly active users, the chances are high that your target audience is there. 32.5% of users are 25-34, and over 76% of American users aged 18-24 use the app. Therefore, after identifying your audience, research their content preferences and brainstorm brand ideas for efficiently marketing your products or services on the platform.
| Age Group | Proportion of US TikTok Users |
| 10-19 years | 25% |
| 20-29 years | 22.4% |
| 30-39 years | 21.7% |
| 40-49 years | 20.3% |
| 50+ | 11% |
3. Analyze Your Competitors
Gain a strategic advantage by analyzing your competitors on TikTok. Studying three to five similar brands and their TikTok marketing strategies will make you feel more strategic and proactive. Use the S.W.O.T. framework to identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.
Then, set specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and timely (SMART) goals for your TikTok marketing campaign.
4. Optimize Your Profile
To brand your TikTok account, you should also improve your TikTok Bio. Optimizing your TikTok bio should be your first strategy because it’s crucial for converting TikTok viewers into followers. When someone sees your content on ‘For You,’ they may want to check your profile for more information about your brand or business. Therefore, having a well-optimized profile can catch your audience’s attention and encourage them to follow you.
1- Add a Photo or Video to Your Profile: For your TikTok profile, upload a high-resolution photo of your brand logo. If you want to add a video to your profile avatar, choose an animated logo for your video.
2- Username: It should also be your business name with no spaces.
3. Write a Catchy Bio: You can use 80 characters to describe your business.
4. Email: Add your company’s contact Email
5. Link to Your Social Media Channels: You can connect your Instagram and/or other social media accounts.
💡Note: Once you reach 1,000 followers, you’ll also be able to add your website URL to your TikTok profile.
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5. Create High-quality Engaging TikTok Videos
Using TikTok for marketing requires making high-quality, original videos. To do so:
- Study successful brands and get ideas from them.
- Pay attention to tending reels, audio clips, challenges, and video types.
- Try to test diverse content to see what resonates with your target audience.
For example, you can show your team at work or your product in action and use humor with trending sounds. Be sure to keep your TikTok content short, fun, and original.
However, it can be highly challenging and time-consuming for marketers to create engaging and creative TikTok content that grabs people’s attention and gets them talking about their brand. So, what is the solution?
✨This is where AiGrow steps in, providing professional support to boost your TikTok marketing growth through content creation, design, and scheduling. With AiGrow, you can be confident in your TikTok strategy, knowing that professional account managers and custom plans are there to ensure your growth and safety.
For a better understanding of how AiGrow works, watch this video:
6. Post Consistently
Achieving success via social media, including TikTok, requires consistency. Choosing the best times for posting on TikTok (when your audience is online and active on TikTok) increases your online visibility and engagement. Remember that quality matters, but quantity helps too. So, creating and following a content calendar ensures you stay on track and maintain a steady flow of content, which is crucial to building and retaining your audience.
7. Collaborate with TikTok Influencers
A TikTok influencer marketing strategy involves joining forces with the right creators and influencers to promote a brand or product on the platform. Working with the right influencer will help you understand TikTok marketing trends better and spread the word about your brand. For example, in this TikTok video, a makeup brand collaborated with a makeup influencer to promote their products.
@kevikodra Never. Skip. Skin prep. Secure the glow and I promise your makeup will thank me!! 🫶🏼 @ONE SIZE BEAUTY #OneSizePartner #SecuretheGlow #BOBAprimer #makeup #makeupartist #beauty #beautyhacks #celebritysecrets
♬ original sound – kevikodra
✨However, finding the right match for your brand can be difficult. Here, Ainfluencer comes in handy for your TikTok marketing campaign. Ainfluencer helps find the right TikTok influencers for your brand by connecting you with niche and relevant influencers.
Ainfluencer: Best TikTok Influencer Marketing Platform
8. Run TikTok Advertising
TikTok ads, with their potential to reach over 945 million users aged 18 or older, are a powerful tool for promoting your products or services. They can significantly boost your sales and help you stay competitive in the TikTok digital marketing landscape.
So, to be brief, don’t ignore the power of TikTok ads to boost your sales and stay competitive in TikTok digital marketing.
9. Boost Your TikTok Engagement Rate
Boosting engagement is an essential TikTok marketing strategy. Metrics like comments, likes, shares, and saves determine the success of a video. So, encourage viewers to comment by asking a question and letting them answer however they wish.
Remember that comments play a significant role in TikTok’s ranking system. In short, the more comments a post receives, the higher it ranks. Reply to comments to prompt further interaction and connect with followers. This strategy increases visibility and builds a stronger community around your brand.
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10. Humanize Your Brand
The TikTok community loves authentic content. The more authentic and natural your marketing feels, the more viewers trust your TikTok marketing for business. Here are some ways to humanize your brand and make your followers feel like they are part of the business journey:
- Show behind-the-scenes.
- Try to promote your business in a more subtle, fun way.
- Trigger emotional responses in your target audience.
11. Test, Test & Test
It’s crucial to experiment on TikTok. There’s no formula for going viral on TikTok, so be creative, have fun, and try new things. If something falls flat, learn from it and move on to the next experiment. This approach helps you understand what works and keeps your content fresh and engaging. So, don’t hesitate to experiment with different features of this social media app.
Inspiring TikTok Marketing Examples
In this section, we’ll look at some real examples of brands that have succeeded using TikTok marketing. Let’s examine them and learn from them.
1- Chipotle
Chipotle’s TikTok marketing was successful due to its engaging TikTok challenges and collaborations with influencers. Their first success was the #ChipotleLidFlip Challenge, which saw over 100K users replicating the action. They followed with the #GuacDance challenge, garnering 250K video uploads and 430M video starts in six days. The challenge also led to 800K guacamole sales on National Guacamole Day.
Chipotle also ventured into the metaverse with the hashtag #Boorito. In addition, they reviewed an off-menu meal with TikTok users Alexis Frost and Keith Lee. These influencers gave the meal full stars. Customers flocked to their local Chipotle restaurants to try the meal, causing some locations to run out of certain items. As a consequence, Chipotle added the meal to its menu.
What Can We Learn from Chipotle’s TikTok Strategy?
Here are some key points from Chipotle’s successful TikTok marketing:
- Launch branded hashtag challenges,
- Collaborate with influencers,
- Create timely and relevant content (Act quickly on trends),
- Use trending sounds and music,
- Leverage user-generated content (UGC),
- Keep content unpolished and authentic.
2- Gymshark
Gymshark gained 5.5 million followers and 102.3 million likes by posting daily, focusing on engaging and motivational content. They adapt trending hashtags and challenges to fit their brand. Their TikTok features relatable fitness memes and workout videos rather than products.
What Can We Learn from Gymshark’s TikTok Strategy?
- Partner with micro-influencers with higher engagement rates.
- Create engaging and trendy hashtag challenges that fit the brand.
- Inspire active community participation.
- Consistently post content (uploading up to 40 videos per month).
- Focus on relatable fitness content instead of just promoting products.
- Build a fan-led community.
Conclusion
TikTok marketing is essential for reaching younger audiences. Now that you’ve read this guide, you’re better prepared to launch your marketing on TikTok.
By following the mentioned TikTok marketing strategies and keeping a vigilant eye on trending videos, reels, and brands, it is possible to enhance your TikTok brand presence and achieve your marketing goals.
Now is the time to dive deeper into creating your own TikTok marketing campaign. Turn your knowledge into action. Don’t let the fear of starting hold you back. Once you take that first step, you’ll discover your path toward more effective TikTok marketing.
FAQs on TikTok Marketing
Now, let’s answer some of your frequently asked questions about TikTok marketing.
Q1. Is TikTok Good for Marketing?
Yes, TikTok is an excellent marketing tool for the following reasons:
- Wide Reach: The app’s reach surpasses most other social media platforms.
- Growing Popularity: TikTok’s user base expands daily, making it an essential marketing tool.
- Youthful Demographic: It is an ideal platform for brands targeting younger consumers.
- Global Audience: TikTok allows marketers to connect with audiences worldwide in a creative and playful environment.
- Rapid Growth: TikTok has grown faster than Instagram, Snapchat, and Facebook, becoming one of the fastest-growing social media platforms in history.
Q2. What Are the Benefits of Marketing on TikTok?
Here are some key benefits of marketing on TikTok:
- Increased Brand Awareness: The platform’s 1.04 billion monthly active users worldwide provide vast reach. Being active on this social media platform with such a large user base enhances brand identity and fosters deep audience connections, boosting overall brand growth.
- Best for Targeting Gen Z and Millennials: TikTok marketing is highly effective for reaching young audiences. Therefore, businesses have an excellent opportunity to connect with Gen Z and millennials on this platform. TikTok’s popularity among younger users makes it an invaluable tool for brands targeting these age groups, fostering loyalty and expanding reach.
- Interacting with Your Target Audience in a Unique Way: TikTok offers businesses an exciting, original, and fun way to engage with their audience. Its format makes following a company enjoyable, with dynamic videos showcasing products alongside catchy music or sounds.
Q3. How Effective Are Influencers and Affiliate Marketing on TikTok?
TikTok’s affiliate marketing and influencer marketing are highly effective. TikTok influencers have a 5.2% engagement rate on affiliate links, far surpassing Instagram and YouTube. TikTok micro-influencers see engagement rates up to 30.1%, compared to Instagram’s 1.8%. TikTok’s focus on authentic, relatable content drives strong engagement, making it also ideal for affiliate marketing. With over 1 billion monthly active users, TikTok offers a powerful platform for influencer and affiliate campaigns.
Q4: How Much Does TikTok Ad Cost for Marketers?
TikTok ad costs start at $10 per CPM (cost per mille), with an average CPM of $9.16 as of November 2023. The minimum campaign budget is $500, while daily budgets are $50 at the campaign level and $20 at the ad group level. Prices start at $0.50 CPM and $0.02 per click, providing flexible options for marketers.
