The RIGHT Way to Market Your Small Business on TikTok

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Photo by Aaron Weiss on Unsplash

If Gen Z is part of your target audience, you may hear about the app TikTok in your market research. You might find out that TikTok is one of the fastest-growing social media platforms in the world, currently standing at over 800 million users worldwide. 

What the heck is TikTok?

TikTok is a short-form video-sharing platform where users are encouraged to share stories in 60 seconds or less. Creators range from celebrities, influencers, artists, and more. Content on TikTok ranges from the funny to the weird and from the insightful to the heartwarming. 

In 2017, the app merged with a lip-synching app called Musical.ly, so most videos that are shared are recorded over other videos’ sounds.

Creators can add text or use in-app filters on videos they record and share. Additionally, users can “duet” with other videos, which will show their own video alongside the original.

I could go on and on with what the app is like, but I encourage you to download it and do some research of your own to understand the types of videos that are on there. Be careful, because it can be addicting!

TikTok is most popular amongst Gen Z, with 41% of its users aged 16 to 24 years old. Gen Z is quickly becoming the most financially influential generation, so connecting with this audience now is more important than ever.

With all this in mind, you might be thinking about creating some paid ads on the platform to advertise your business. However, this is NOT what I would recommend in order to reach and engage with users on the app. The reason? It’s incredibly easy to ignore the ads and promoted content on the app. They stick out like a sore thumb and are disruptive in a bad way.

Here’s what you should ACTUALLY do…

First off, if you haven’t followed my advice and downloaded the app to explore, make sure you do so right now. Don’t feel silly; there are plenty of adults over the age of 25 (myself included) that have spent a decent amount of time on there. Even Gary Vaynerchuk has a profile (and he sees a lot of potential in it). Carve out some time to do the following:

1. Scroll down the “For You” page and like some videos.

2. Pay attention to the way certain sounds and visual effects are used.

3. Notice how easy it is to scroll past or skip ads in the app.

4. Follow accounts you like by tapping the + icon on the right side of the video.

Now, think about some ways that your brand can contribute to the content being shared on TikTok. Are there trending sounds or hashtags that you can participate in?

If you’re still feeling lost, here are some content ideas from brands that are doing it the RIGHT way. 

(Pro tip: You’ll notice that most of these types of videos have been suggested in some of my previous posts on social media. Get the most out of your content by cross-posting these videos to multiple social media platforms!)

How-To Videos

Although I am located in Michigan, there is a cafe called Bagel & Deli Shop in Oxford, Ohio whose account I follow. Why? Because they share videos of how they make some of their locally-renowned bagel sandwiches on the app.

The videos are oddly satisfying to watch, and they make me wish I was in Ohio so I could try one of their sandwiches! I’m not the only one who feels this way either. This account first started posting content on April 17th, and as of today, they have around 37,000 followers!

What you can take away: Don’t expect to go viral in your first month, but the more helpful your content is, the more likely you are to gain a following. What is something you can teach a potential customer about what you do in less than 60 seconds? 

Helpful Tips

After spending some time on TikTok, you’ll start to hear that certain sounds and songs are more popular than others. I recently came across the account of a chiropractor by the name of Dr. Jordan Estrada who has built a following by posting his own remixes to these popular songs. His videos include recommendations and stretches for people experiencing back pain, neck pain, headaches, and more.

Are his videos cringeworthy? Yes. Does he have almost 400,000 followers? He sure does! Also, people find his content to be genuinely helpful. Imagine coming across this account and realizing that Dr. Jordan practices in your area. You would probably be calling his office for an appointment!

What you can take away: I wouldn’t recommend posting your own remixes of songs on TikTok, but you can follow Dr. Jordan’s lead by sharing helpful information and sharing your expertise. This will create trust in your brand and your services.

Demo Videos

Never underestimate the power of a demonstration video! Have you ever found your eyes glued to the screen of a “How it’s Made” video? What about a video showing how to use a cool product? 

This account belongs to someone that sells customized water bottles, mugs, and more. Their videos have a ton of views, and if you look at the comments, there are a lot of interested potential customers too!

What you can take away: People that are scrolling through TikTok are looking to be entertained, and learning something new in the process is just a bonus. Play on both of these things by showing a video of your product in action, or by showing your process in creating something behind the scenes. Make sure to use the hashtag #oddlystatisfying to target the right kind of audience!

Influencer Marketing

I touched on influencer and micro-influencer marketing in my previous post about marketing to Gen Z, and those types of videos have a place on TikTok too. 

Believe it or not, this dog is an influencer on TikTok! With over 5 million followers, Tucker the Golden Retriever brings joy to his followers with hilariously cute “review” videos. Influencers like Tucker have the power to introduce your product or service to a much larger audience. 

What you can take away: Identify influencers or micro-influencers related to your industry. Reach out and see if they would demo your product and what their rates are. If influencer marketing is way out of budget, brainstorm ways to develop a product or service that people genuinely want to talk about on their own. Are there people out there promoting your brand already? Give them more of a voice.

What’s great about TikTok is that you can use it as a sort of “test kitchen” to play around with different forms of content to see what works and what doesn’t. By focusing on entertaining and informing your viewers, you’ll create a strong following of potential customers and ambassadors that trust your brand.