TikTok is the next big thing in the realm of social media marketing. With 800 million active monthly users, the platform has gained unparalleled global popularity. Other than its universal appeal, TikTok is also notable for its successful engagement strategy—one that has charmed users of all ages. From Gen X, millennials to Gen Z, TikTok has something to offer to everyone. 

As a marketer, there’s only one logical next step: get on board the TikTok bandwagon. In this article, we’ll help you understand how the platform works, the content that resonates with TikTok users, and how you can measure the impact of TikTok marketing. Let’s dive right in.

What is TikTok? 

TikTok is a video-sharing social network that focuses on curating and sharing entertaining content. It’s  credited with popularizing online challenges, setting dance trends, and making lip-sync videos go viral. What’s TikTok’s secret sauce? Accessibility and relatability.

Gone are the days when you need to invest in expensive shooting equipment or picturesque backdrops to get your content noticed. TikTok has steered away from the professional, manicured setups and has instead made regular, home-shot videos “cool.” And that’s one of the biggest reasons for its success and popularity. 

If you’ve got a creative mind, you can succeed on TikTok. This redefining moment of what it means to be a “creator” today has earned the platform its reputation of being a game changer. Who knows, your neighbor could possibly become the next social media star!

Why Should Brands Opt for TikTok?

While individuals have taken to TikTok like fish to water, brands are still warming up to the idea of this video-driven channel. But the brands that  are making their presence felt early on the platform are seeing exponential results in terms of brand awareness and engagement. Take a look at Chipotle’s growing following on TikTok. The brand has already amassed 22.6 million likes and  created challenges that are now  global sensations. For instance, their #GuacDance challenge has crossed a billion views, which has helped foster a ton of brand engagement.

What’s in it For You?

Quick Growth

If there’s a social channel that can help you achieve quick growth with little investment, it’s TikTok. This can largely be attributed to its algorithm. Unlike some other social channels, TikTok shares and spreads content in a way that isn’t impacted by the number of followers you have. That’s why people with less than 50 followers have received millions of views on their videos. Take a look at this simple candle-hack video. This video, that now has over 3 million views, was posted by a creator who then had fewer than 50 followers! It’s no surprise that TikTok chronicles several overnight success stories.

TikTok Ads

Ads are your shortcut to success on TikTok. By investing money, you’re saving time that you’d otherwise spend in organically building your following on the platform. 

TikTok gives you the option to choose from five different kinds of ads:

• In-feed ads
• Top-view ads
• Branded hashtags
• Branded effects
• Brand takeover
  

As a business that’s new on the platform, in-feed ads are your best bet. These ads are created using the same parameters that you’d keep in mind to create a video on TikTok. The difference: you can reach untapped members of your target audience and drive awareness and sales. 

Once you know what kind of ad you’d like to opt for, you can choose to target your audience either based on their “interest” or “behavior.” When choosing based on “interest,” you’re targeting people who have shown interest in certain activities or categories. If you choose to target viewers based on “behavior,” you’re choosing your audience based on how they've interacted on and with the platform in the last seven to fifteen days.

TikTok Influencers

Much like other platforms, collaborations and partnerships with influencers are highly lucrative ways of drawing attention to your brand. But choosing the right partner to represent your brand can be tricky, and TikTok recognizes that. As a solution, they created “TikTok Creator Marketplace,” a dashboard where the metrics associated with influencers are displayed. 

The data provided on the platform is a great way to determine which partnerships are bankable and will deliver the expected ROI.

What Kind of Content Does Well on TikTok?

TikTok has a very unique formula for success. It thrives on setting trends. So, the single most important question to ask when creating content for Tiktok is: How many people can redo or make a version of your video? Is your idea replicable? 

Create Challenges

While it’s hard to predict which piece of content can go viral, it’s easier to think along the lines of creating a challenge. If you come up with interesting challenges that people can put their own spin on, you’re  on your way to creating the next big fad.

Keep it Simple

The most interesting attribute of this platform is its simplicity. There’s literally no magic formula other than creating content that’s fun and entertaining. Think on the lines of:

• What will get a group of friends to crack up? 
• What will excite someone who is scrolling on social media out of habit? 
• What will encourage someone to accept a challenge and participate?
  

The easier and more relatable your concept, the higher your chances of getting it right.

Examples of Successful Content on TikTok

Netflix

‍Netflix recently hit 11 million followers on TikTok, and for all the right reasons. The brand has a tactful social strategy in place—it sticks to the simplest TikTok rule of riding the wave of trends. It chooses the trends that are making the most noise and creates top-notch content in those categories. It then goes a step further and creates clever captions.

Aerie

This retail brand might be new to the platform but they sure know how to make their content stick. Aerie has stayed true to the current climate and created a challenge to showcase positivity during these testing times. They also learned their lesson in building partnerships and brought creator Charli D’Amelio onboard to grab eyeballs. It’s safe to say this approach has paid off.

Fenty Beauty

Rihanna is just as solid a businesswoman as she is a singer. Her brand is arguably the most popular beauty brand on the platform. Her ingredient for success? Her brand is  focused on building a sense of community through their content. Using this meaningful tactic, they’ve garnered over 9.4 million likes on their page already. 

How to measure success on TikTok?

As of today, you can access TikTok’s analytics free of charge. All you need to do is upgrade to a “Pro” account, which is an easy, intuitive process and comes at no extra cost to you. From an overview of your performance analytics to a breakdown of your followers, TikTok shares a lot of data points, which can be used to inform your content marketing strategy. 

If you keep  close track of these numbers, you can learn about the content that resonates with your target audience, and also get a grasp on the best days and times to publish your videos. TikTok also provides detailed analytics for each video that you share. These help you gauge the total number of views that your video has received, its average watch time, and information regarding audience traffic.

The analytics are pretty straightforward so you don’t need to be a Math wiz to decode them. If you see a consistent increase in video views, likes, and followers, you’re headed in the right direction.

Conclusion

TikTok is a one-of-a-kind social platform. In a world where filters and presets have become the norm, this channel has succeeded in making “real” content the “new normal”. While getting acquainted with the platform may take some time, it’s worth the effort. To be successful, you need to think outside the box and get creative, but once you’ve decoded its best practices, you have the opportunity to gain a massive following and stand apart from your competitors.

To understand how your TikTok content is rolling up into your broader content goals, use the Knotch Content Intelligence Platform. Request a free demo here.