Stating that TikTok is enjoying attention now is putting it lightly. The app has been lauded as the highest downloaded app in 2019 till now with 60 million installs. The app has already crossed over a billion downloads on the play/app store. According to Sensor Tower, India constitutes 44% of the total downloads whereas the United States stands at 8%.
Why is this app interesting for marketers?
TikTok’s major demographic ranges between 16 – 25 with just 20% consuming the other age groups. Any platform that contains a big chunk of influencing young minds would be an attractive option for marketers. Brands targeting a younger portion of the audience involved in the entertainment or retail sector would be ideal to use TikTok for their next campaign.
You also have a choice – partner with TikTok influencers on the app, have them create content with some brand plugin or create a long term partnership with the app by opening an account and creating unique content. While the second one can be a time consuming and slightly more expensive option, the results are extraordinary if good content is posted. TikTok’s unique aesthetic takes care of it.
Possibilities of content on TikTok
The early adapter advantage is real when it comes to TikTok. A lot of brands have already done hashtag challenges, direct ads and campaigns which include homepage takeovers. The brands which did this in initial stages saw a very eager response from the users.
Some advertisers are no longer interest in placing brand-generated ads but are looking at user-generated content. If the content is well-made, the same can be easily recycled on other social media platforms too. TikTok has caught the attention of celebrities too. With TikTok becoming more popular and more monetized, celebrities have been trying out the platform for branded sponsorships, awareness or just out of curiosity.
The fact that TikTok is a discovery feed-based platform is more enticing to brands and makes it easier to target their demographic audience and generate endless interest. Since a lot of brands still haven’t explored the platform much, brands who are open-minded with TikTok have high chances of gaining the first-mover advantage.
Recently, Zomato foraged into TikTok for its food festival Zomaland, featuring a diverse range of restaurant pop-ups and performances across 10 cities. Zomato co-partnered with TikTok to host ‘TikTok Theatre’ with user-generated content by some of India’s favorite comedians and musicians.
McDonald’s also went the TikTok route in Malaysia by creating a challenge called the #BigMacTikTok challenge. The food brand partnered with TikTok to create music clips that were available to all the users for a dance challenge.
Possible digital TikTok strategies of a brand
Currently, TikTok’s strategy leaves no space for advertising or monetization through content for the users. Somehow, that only makes the user experience more relaxed and enjoyable. That’s not to say that the app won’t move in that direction which YouTube did at some point.
Here are some ideas for TikTok can help with your brand’s TikTok strategy
TikTok thrives on organic and user-generated content. These are not shot or clicked by professionals, but showcase the talent of the youth. If you have a business account on TikTok, a great idea would be to create behind the scenes content for your office folk. Before you do this, make sure that the employees are trained well to be in front of a camera, but the content has to be organic enough for the followers to be involved. This idea will work perfectly for products or services targeted for the younger generation like sports goods, entertainment, clothing, food and such. Who wouldn’t like to see what goes on in an office campus?
In a world where consumers are becoming increasingly skeptical of ads, the raw, unedited videos on TikTok can be a great way to showcase people using your brand in their everyday lives.
Smaller brands can showcase their products or services in a fun way. For eg, a small clothing shop can get in customers who try out their new season collections. This will look great with all the video settings and effects that TikTok allows its users to include.
TikTok faces challenges
Apart from the different challenges in the app, TikTok itself faces some challenges from various Governments in the form of bans. The app faced some trouble with Indian law. While it was restored to the app store after TikTok assured that it would work on ways to monitor and remove troublesome content, the micro-video site is again facing some challenges.
The Government now wants details from TikTok on what measures it is taking to curb abusive, obscene and or anti-India content within the app. – If answers fail to satisfy the government, TikTok can be banned in India. In their joint statement, TikTok and Helo said they are grateful for the immense support given by India’s growing digital community. TikTok has also confirmed that it is planning to invest 1 billion dollars in India over the next three years.
Conclusion
What is your brand’s take on running a campaign on TikTok? If you are looking for guidance, Greenroom is always here to help out. Do share your ideas and opinions with us below in the comments section or visit our website, Facebook, Twitter or Instagram pages to reach out to us.
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