5 Cutting-edge TikTok marketing tips for growing startups in 2022
TikTok is one of the more recent social media platforms that has recently taken off. The app, which allows its 1 billion active monthly users to make short, music-focused videos and edit them with lenses, filters, and augmented reality features, has been compared to a combination of Vine, Twitter, and Instagram.
Although TikTok was initially popularized by teenagers, young adults have since taken an interest in it (nearly 70% of its active users are under 40), making it a prime target for any brand trying to capture the elusive attention of millennials and Gen Z.
TikTok is a fantastic platform for companies to advertise in a way that doesn’t feel forced or artificial, which is becoming increasingly popular in engagement marketing.
Let’s take a look at how TikTok functions.
As with any social media site, you’ll be instantly black-listed if you come across as not knowing what you’re doing or not following the rules of social platforms. Create a profile on the app, follow popular users, and create practice content as you spend time there until you feel like you have a good understanding of the platform’s culture and what real users are interested in. Spend time on the app by making a profile, following popular users, and creating practice content until you feel like you have a handle on what real users like to engage with and the platform’s culture.
According to Mike Prasad, founder, and CEO of Tinysponsor, “a business needs to first be active on TikTok in order to be successful on TikTok.” Users should “be motivated to follow you.” Remember that authenticity is key in this situation; avoid trying to make memes if that isn’t how your business operates. Produce material that supports your unique objectives and is consistent with your brand. Having said that, let’s look at a short guide to cutting edge tiktok marketing tips for startups:
1. Learn the fundamentals of tik tok
The best way to understand something is to experience it. So download the TikTok app and take a look around. Download the TikTok app to learn more about what it has to offer. View popular and trending music, peruse various hashtags, and learn how the “For You” page functions. You can create a few practice videos using your favorite sounds or popular sounds. Find some sounds, or any sounds you like, to make a few practice videos. You can save these drafts in TikTok for future reference and don’t need to publish them. As you use the app, pay attention to how other businesses use TikTok for online marketing.
2. Study the way TikTok is being used by your competitors.
Once you’ve mastered the basics, see how your competitors use TikTok. Because it’s a new platform, keep in mind that not many competitors may be utilizing it. Furthermore, even if they do have a TikTok account, it might not be active. If so, look for brands in related fields and learn how they utilize TikTok for marketing. Examine the strategies they employ to reach their intended audiences. You can determine what kinds of video content are popular and which ones are ignored by observing rival companies and companies operating in complementary markets. The more you learn about best practices on TikTok, the more comfortable you’ll be creating a strategy for how your business will market on TikTok.
3. Establish who your target audience should be
Be cautious about vanity metrics. Although many views are fantastic, they are only useful if they result in sales. Because of this, most companies use TikTok to expand rather than just garner a lot of likes. Many likes from the wrong audience don’t help you meet your business goals. Ask yourself the following questions first:
- What principles does my company uphold?
- On TikTok, what goods or services are appealing to potential customers?
- Who am I and what do I offer that is different?
- Which demographics are most likely to be associated with my brand?
Use these introspective questions to guide you in producing content that appeals to the appropriate audience. If you already have customers, you already understand your audience. The only thing left to determine in this scenario is whether or not this audience utilizes TikTok. You must understand your target market if you’re starting a new business. You can identify your audience with the aid of competitor analysis and customer surveys.
4. Find out the ways you stand out.
Many similar businesses compete for people’s attention, and there’s a ton of distracting content on TikTok. How can your company be distinctive? Finding your special selling point would be beneficial. How can your business stand out? To establish your unique selling proposition, ask yourself the following questions:
- Why should customers choose my goods or services over those of my rivals?
- Why should people purchase what I offer?
- In what ways do my goods and services benefit customers?
Discover what makes your brand a star and highlight this in every promotion or advertisement. Tell your brand story.
5. Create content
Many business owners and marketers overthink how they will use a new social platform while spending months, if not years, researching and never actually using that platform. Stop overthinking and trying to make things perfect. Start creating content focused on your target audience. Expect that your first few videos will not be instant viral hits. Video content creation takes time to master and is not easy for a new business on TikTok. Even successful brands often miss the mark on TikTok. Start with a simple video that introduces your brand. If you can incorporate humor into your video, it will help to make the video more popular. Or, you could immediately dive in and participate in trends or try to create your own. Be confident, take the risk, and just do it. Ultimately, it’s hard to succeed without trying many experiments. Some of your experiments will fail, but that’s okay. This is true for every company marketing on TikTok. The experiments that succeed will make it all worthwhile.
Before I conclude this, let me quickly show you some advertising options on TikTok to determine which options work best for you.
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Different advertisements options that exist on TikTok
1. TopView Ads
TopView Ads are placed at the top of a user’s TikTok feed when they open the app, and they can be up to 60 seconds long. This is TikTok’s largest ad format, making it a crucial marketing tool that can draw customers in and raise brand awareness. Since this is the largest ad type that TikTok offers, it is a key marketing tool that can grab consumers’ attention and increase brand awareness.
2. In-Feed Ads
Similar to Snapchat or Instagram story advertisements, In-Feed Ads function similarly. They must be 60 seconds or less, play in full screen, and be skippable (although the ideal length is 15 seconds). They show up on the “ForYou” feed of the user.
3. Brand Takeover Ads
Brand takeovers let one company control an app for a single day. You can make three to five second-long picture or video ads that play at the top of the app, similar to TopView Ads, except they cannot be skipped. Your advertising can also contain links to both internal and external landing sites. Look at impressions and the CTR to assess the success of a brand takeover.
4. Branded Effects
You may develop branded effects that people can use in their films, such as games, stickers, filters, and special effects. This is a simple strategy that requires little work to market your brand. These interactive activities are a fantastic way to spread like wildfire.
5. Branded Hashtag Challenges
Businesses can hold hashtag challenges, in which you develop a hashtag and a prize for the winner. For instance, DreamWorks organized a successful hashtag competition to promote its Netflix series, in which the company asked users of the TikTok app to record a video of themselves dancing to the theme song and submit it online with the hashtag #SpiritRidingFree. With over 2.6 million engagements and over 4.3 million total video views, the campaign touched over 34.4 million users.
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