Bringing TikTok ads into your social marketing strategy
With almost 800 millions of active users in the world, TikTok is becoming one of the indispensable platforms for marketers. In this op-ed, Kathryn Peake, Content Marketing Manager at MakeMeReach, explains why TikTok is a great opportunity for advertisers today, and how it can help drive sales as part of a cross-network social ads strategy
Want to know more about how social networks impact, and will impact, business? Find now all the interventions of the HUBDAY Social & Digital Advertising HUBDAY Social & Digital Advertising in video !
It’s undeniable at this point that TikTok represents a major opportunity for brands today. With its sustained popularity and growth, it is increasingly an unmissable stop in successfully reaching key audiences. As a network serving up a different kind of content than the networks most of us have been working with for many years already, it can feel like something of an effort to get started on TikTok. Even though it takes time and energy to begin marketing on a new network, for many advertisers, it’s worth it. Let’s take a look at why being on TikTok is beneficial for most brands, and how the network can fit well into a multi-network social strategy.
Isn’t TikTok just for Gen Z?
The short answer is: definitely not. Even if the early adopters of TikTok were largely younger generations, the platform has grown far beyond this base. TikTok certainly remains a great place to reach younger consumers, but TikTok is seeing major growth across generations and geographies. According to Kantar, 32% of TikTokers are between 25 and 34, and 35% of users are 35 and older. The app has nearly tripled in size since 2018, and now counts some 100 million monthly active users in the US, and another 100 million across Europe. A recent study projects that TikTok is on track to surpass 1 billion monthly active users in 2021. No matter who your audience is, it’s likely they’re already on TikTok or will be soon.
No matter who your audience is, it’s likely they’re already on TikTok or will be soon.
One of the things that really makes TikTok stand out is the engagement of its users. First, they tend to be dedicated to the platform, opening the app several times a day and spending several hours per week consuming content. Second, users are deeply engaged with TikTok. The platform is defined by the creativity and authenticity of its content, which encourages anyone and everyone to participate. That means when it comes to formats like Hashtag Challenges, it’s easy for brands to get people to participate, and the impact can be huge.
To succeed on TikTok, get creative
TikTok is unlike other social platforms, which has helped drive some of its success. First and foremost, it’s fun and entertaining. 3 out of 4 users report they feel they can really be themselves on the platform. That authenticity is a key reason users love TikTok, and is also a key to success for brands on the platform. That also means your advertising on TikTok shouldn’t look like your advertising elsewhere. Brands should play with the codes of the platform to create ads that are memorable and engaging and fit in with what the TikTok audience is looking for: fun, surprising, creative content.
Brands should play with the codes of the platform to create ads that are memorable and engaging and fit in with what the TikTok audience is looking for: fun, surprising, creative content.
Building an integrated social strategy with TikTok
Even if your TikTok ads don’t look like your campaigns on other networks, you shouldn’t think of them in a vacuum. Do that and you’ll run the risk of limiting their impact. At MakeMeReach, we’re big champions of cross-network ads strategies. Since each network has its strengths, running ads across several networks is the key to reaching customers across the entire journey to purchase. We’ve seen this at play with countless clients, including the travel brand Different Roads.
Just think about the way you purchase new products. You might see an ad in your Instagram stories, recognize the product in a TikTok video, then see another ad in your Facebook feed before thinking about making a purchase. TikTok has advertising options to reach customers across the full funnel. But to have a strong impact and drive results, you should break your ads out of siloes and have conversations with your customers across all the networks where they spend their time.
Want to know more about how social networks impact, and will impact, business? Find now all the interventions of the HUBDAY Social & Digital Advertising HUBDAY Social & Digital Advertising in video !
