The question that crosses the lips of many brands time and time again is: Should my business be on TikTok? The short answer is yes.
It’s not just people dancing to the latest trending track, it’s the app of choice for billions of people across the world for unwinding after a long day at work. Many of us will often find ourselves in a TikTok hole, close to getting repetitive strain injury in our thumbs from all the scrolling.
But why should your brand care about TikTok, I hear you ask? Well, for starters, the statistics speak for themselves. Ofcom data show that 23.3 million people in the UK are using the platform.
It’s not just young people on TikTok, either. Spend a bit of time on the app and you’ll quickly see content aimed at your age group or from likeminded individuals thanks to the intuitive algorithm, which showcases all the content you might be interested in and filters out the content that isn’t for you. In a saturated market of social media, TikTok has perfected the art of capturing our attention, and doing it quickly.
TikTok may not be the answer when trying to run a campaign focussing on long-term behaviour-change or running an awareness campaign, but brands can use the platform by embracing TikTok and its quirks to create impactful storytelling and increase sales.
We chatted to our spottydog pack to see what they thought about whether a brand should be on TikTok:
Emily: “TikTok is a fantastic channel, particularly for engagement! There are brands on there who can credit their success to the channel and have grown their sales overnight. I wouldn’t say it’s for every single brand, but even those brands that have a more glossy, professional feel on other channels can use TikTok to show their fun side and connect to customers in a different way. My personal favourite example is M&S!”
Luke: “Absolutely, brands should be on TikTok, but don’t force the issue. Make sure the content you share is engaging and relates to your brand. The content that goes viral will shock you! It doesn’t have to be polished content that will go viral, but content that resonates with your audience and optimises your brand identity. Take this example from @WorcsAcuteNHS, an incredibly moving story that jumped on a trending track to highlight their caring staff. Embrace the trends! An account that does this brilliantly is the Black Country Living Museum. They use a clever mix of educational content alongside popular audio that links back to their brand ethos.”
Jack: “Asking if your brand should be on TikTok is like asking if you need air to breathe — the answer is always yes! Think about it: TikTok has roughly 1.67 billion active users, and 78% of them purchase products after a creator features them. Now, I’m no prospector, but I’d say that’s a goldmine of potential profit waiting to be picked. However, the average user clocks less than an hour a day on the platform, so you’ll want to make sure you’re seen. To do that, you’ve got to go big or go home — by that we mean you’ve got to go viral. So, here’s your first tip: spend 55.8 minutes (that average user’s daily usage) a day swiping through TikTok, get a gist of all the current trends, and drum up a way to spin your brand into that trend, and three, two, one…it’s time to go viral.”
Bronia: “TikTok offers a unique opportunity for brands to experiment with their social media marketing. Often, brands feel trapped by the platforms they’re using and the audiences they’ve nurtured on those platforms. TikTok, however, is where brands can test a new style of content, play with their TOV, and potentially reach an entirely new audience. Take Duolingo, for example. An app loved by language learners has become a TikTok sensation, gaining 8.1M followers on the platform by posting relatable, funny, engaging content. ”
So let go of the marketing theory and be more TikTok. People go to TikTok to laugh, to learn, to join in and to escape, so jump on in and embrace the trends. Users will skip past a paid ad and anything that doesn’t feel authentic. Remember content that is fun, down to earth, and authentic will capture your audience, alongside your strategy TikTok could be the answer.
If you’re looking to embrace TikTok and want some guidance, get in touch to see how spottydog communications can support your business.
