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Is your marketing team hanging on the verge of diving headfirst into the sea of TikTok or running the other way as fast as you can? If so, you’re not alone.Brands worldwide are starting to realize the opportunity TikTok offers while simultaneously wondering if they really want to step into that seemingly chaotic world.Should you jump on board and use TikTok for B2C marketing? Or would it be a waste of time, based on your business objectives and audience?We’ve compiled this guide to help you decide. As a B2C business or marketer, TikTok could be the best next step for your business. It all depends on your customer base, vision, goals, and imagination.
TikTok has become known as exciting, controversial, and “the defining social app of Gen Z.” So why should B2C businesses hop on the bandwagon? And which industries, specifically, have the best chance of success? By the end of this article, you’ll know what you need to know to move forward in the right direction.
TikTok has nearly 700 million monthly users around the globe. About 80% of its users are in the 10 to 40-year-old range, spanning Generation Z and Millennials.While your business may not be targeting high schoolers right now, you’re more than likely targeting the most important consumer group today: Millennials.And keep in mind that it won’t be long until those youngsters join their older counterparts as consumers and business professionals.
Entertainment is the most popular category on TikTok, which is no surprise. Other categories that get a lot of attention include:
Source: Gordon Ramsey
If your business falls into any of those buckets, then you should be on TikTok. If it doesn’t, you should still consider giving it a shot. We would argue that virtually any industry can find success on the app by letting loose, having fun, being authentic, and getting creative.People are motivated to join TikTok for a myriad of reasons. Individuals often join to feel a sense of community, belong socially, inspire, and get inspired. Others love sharing knowledge and advice in a fun new way. It can even help people build their self-confidence and find a space that allows them to share their talents with the world in a unique way.B2C brands may take a slightly different angle, using the app to build a loyal fanbase they can pitch their products to eventually. On TikTok, you can create engagement you can’t get on other platforms. Launch campaigns that connect with people, make them laugh, or teach them something valuable.
Now that we’ve covered the basics, it’s time to get down to business and learn how a TikTok growth strategy can help you soar. You’ll discover how to find a niche, set up a business account, create a TikTok content strategy, and gain exposure as quickly as possible.
Starting with research is always a good idea. Explore the platform for yourself to learn how it works and what types of businesses and consumers are out there. Also discover who’s doing what well. Look for themes that seem to resonate with people.Are there specific video and production styles that you could successfully adopt? Start brainstorming ideas for your TikTok business strategy.
What is a TikTok pro account, and what does it do? That’s a great question – and quite common at that.TikTok for Business is a relatively new endeavor (launched in June 2020). TikTok created a new global brand and platform to help businesses create marketing solutions using creativity tools to tell stories and start meaningful conversations.You can use tools to create unique and trendy videos with sight, motion, and sound. Grow your audience and maximize ROI while tracking performance in real time.
Before developing your TikTok content marketing strategy, you need to take care of some prerequisites. Start by defining your target audience, identifying your top goals, and researching current trends. Once you’ve checked all these boxes, you can build out your content strategy from there.
Do you know what niche your business falls into? Your content theme should align with your overall business goals and support your brand.Let’s say, for example, that you’re a personal trainer wanting to grow your online audience and gain new clients. You love storytelling, so you decide to focus on user-generated content. You ask your clients to send in a short 30-second video testimonial or a snippet where they share an impressive skill.Nike does something similar, and their page is booming – with 1.6 million followers.
Source: Nike
Hashtag challenges are prevalent on TikTok, and they can take off like hotcakes. If your challenge is successful, you can increase engagement and build brand awareness quickly. You can also get people to talk about your products and services and encourage them to visit your business website.To create a TikTok hashtag strategy, start by studying your competitors and other TikTok users. What’s worked in the past? What can you produce that will inspire people to recreate your creation?Consider SEO as well. Trending, relevant, relatively generic hashtags will likely perform much better than ultra-specific and unfamiliar ones. However, don’t choose hashtags that are too popular and overly generic either. Your content could quickly get lost in the sea of other posts.Use the search bar in TikTok to enter hashtag ideas and identify new trending hashtags.
Source: Pringles
You can create your own filters and effects on TikTok or use pre-created ones to customize your video content. Add effects before or after you make your video.You can also search for videos on TikTok that use different effects and tap the effect’s name to save it to use on your channel.
TikTok sounds can help you get creative – and help your video go viral. If you’ve scrolled through TikTok, you’ve probably noticed that many of the videos use the same sounds or songs. That’s a clue that the sound is trending or has already gone viral.You can browse the TikTok Sounds Library to search by popularity, genre, and other filters. You can also use Discover to search for specific songs and see how others are using them.
The most-liked and most-viewed TikTok can change rapidly. Keep an eye on what’s trending on TikTok, and be ready to jump on board and replicate it. Your content may continually evolve, and that’s okay. Just remember to add your own spin to make your video unique.
Another strategy you can add to your marketing repertoire is partnering with an influencer. Choosing the right influencers can give your business a boost and grow your exposure quickly, connecting your offerings with more people in your target audience.Chipotle has done a great job of using influencers to grow its following on TikTok quickly. They’ve featured Avani, Zahra, Zach King, and various other micro and mega influencers.
Source: Chipotle
Just look at these engagement rates on TikTok compared to Twitter and Instagram! This goes to show that you don’t need to partner with the biggest influencers out there.
Source: Influencer Marketing Hub
You don’t need to rely solely on organic reach to grow on TikTok. Consider integrating advertising into your content strategy to support your efforts.TikTok allows B2C businesses to promote their brands using different types of ads:
TikTok opens a world of opportunities for B2C businesses in many different industries. The app’s marketing and advertising tools can help you easily and quickly create videos to inspire and entertain your target consumers.Once you cover the basics – researching, strategizing, and planning – you can start the fun stuff. Create videos that appeal to younger generations and expose your brand to those who can’t wait to take up whatever you have to offer.If you’d like some help getting started or managing your TikTok marketing and advertising strategies, Kubbco would love to chat with you! We’re a full-service social media agency with the skills and experience to take your business to the next level.Contact us to start discussing campaign objectives!
Ready to delve into other articles about B2C marketing on TikTok? Go get ‘em.
As CEO of Kubbco, Chris leads the company's vision and uses his 20 years of advertising experience to drive results for our clients.
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