Do you want to promote your business and brand on the most downloaded app in 2021? You've come to the right place.

TikTok, the popular social media app, has only been alive since 2018, yet it's swiftly gaining widespread popularity. Everyone — and I mean everyone – uses TikTok, from celebrities to youngsters to cool grandmothers. But, as a marketing tool, how effective is TikTok?

On the surface, the site looks to be a place to find funny lip-sync videos rather than a way to promote businesses and services. Businesses, on the other hand, have a lot of opportunity to use TikTok to reach out to their clients in novel ways.

TikTok has the ability to easily outperform other social media advertising platforms, as our team has experienced firsthand.

What is Tiktok, and why should you be interested in it?

TikTok bills itself as a mobile video platform for short clips. Consider the Tok as a video-based Instagram or a short-form YouTube with a host of other capabilities.

TikTok videos can be anywhere from 5 to 60 seconds long, and users can add filters and cool effects to their videos with ease. TikTok also has a substantial music library. Users may pick the songs they want to utilize in their films, add additional noises, and lip-sync.

TikTok's algorithm uses artificial intelligence on the back end to suggest videos to viewers based on their prior viewings. Users may easily find new content thanks to this technology, making it simpler for producers (and businesses) to reach fresh, larger audiences.

The app is quickly expanding. It will be the sixth-largest social media network by the end of 2021. What are the forecasts for 2022? Even more so. Here are some more eye-popping numbers to urge you to integrate TikTok in your marketing strategy:

The TikTok app has been downloaded over 1.65 billion times since its launch in 2018.

• In the year 2021, it was the most downloaded app.
• The typical user accesses the app over eight times each day, and 53% of users are over 30; nonetheless, 18-24 year-olds are the most common demographic.

What is the impact of Tiktok on marketing?

Target TikTok account

More than half of the world uses social media, and businesses are increasingly using these platforms to advertise. To optimize their attractiveness and, as a result, their ROI, organizations must first study and develop content for these channels, just as they would for any other media.

Content creation, on the other hand, may be costly and time-consuming, particularly for those who lack the appropriate resources.

Tiktok comes in helpful in this situation. TikTok For Business, the app's new self-serve advertising strategy, allows companies, schools, and organizations to reach a bigger audience by giving easy-to-use tools for creating and evaluating content.

It doesn't matter whether you're a first-time user, a small company owner, or a multinational corporation on TikTok; as long as you create true tales and keep an active presence in the community, you may prosper.

In reality, TikTok advertising are particularly effective for businesses because they let them to participate in the native experience of their viewers. Advertising are artfully integrated into users' For You feeds (TikTok's algorithmic feed for each user), rather than intrusive pop-up advertisements or unskippable video ads.

You may communicate your brand's message without interfering with the user experience in this manner. Businesses may choose to blend in with the rest of the recommended materials or stand out to be noticed.

Unlike other apps, TikTok was designed with sound in mind. According to surveys, 80% of Facebook users see commercials without hearing them. When a relevant ad runs on most other sites, users watch it on quiet instead of reading subtitles.

This is sad since music and audio in general play a critical part in narrative, communication, and emotional connecting with an audience. TikTok has a considerable creative edge over other platforms in this regard.

What makes TikTok marketing unique?

When compared to other platforms, TikTok marketing is incredibly cost-effective. Because the app encourages true, unique material, you won't have to spend thousands of dollars on pricey, high-end video production.

You also won't have to pay for tools to help you modify material or measure your progress since the platform enables you to do both on your own. Businesses can swiftly take advantage of user trends to increase brand exposure and interest, create app downloads, and increase online and offline conversions.

You may utilize TikTok's Smart Video functionality to produce several videos from a single piece of creative content, reducing editing time and expenses. The Smart Video Soundtrack tool, for example, removes the need to license music for an ad, while the Video Template tool makes it easier to create advertising from still pictures.

It's becoming increasingly usual to see popular TikTok content replicated on other platforms as the social media world gets more interwoven. While cross-posted material earns millions of views, likes, and shares on other platforms, it lacks one essential characteristic that sets TikTok apart from the competition: interactive audience interaction.

How might TikTok be used by marketers?

TikTok is a great method for companies to connect with customers all around the globe in a fun and engaging manner. Many social media fads now stem from TikTok, and being on the cutting edge of these trends may help companies establish credibility on the site.

TikTok does not need large costs for video content creation since live footage filmed in daily situations has just as much of a chance of success as footage shot with a full-scale production.

TikTok provides marketers with a fair playing field when it comes to marketing and user engagement. Unlike other platforms, TikTok's algorithm enables users with zero followers to get millions of views on a single video.

TikTok may be used by brands to do many things

1. Begin by creating a branded channel

Create a personalized page and begin playing with different types of content. You may develop content rapidly and for little or no money.

The greatest thing you can do is stay on top of popular hashtags and content, then apply what you've learned to your own postings. Using the app's built-in filters, plugins, soundtracks, and editing software, create and share authentic content.

Although TikTok has a large organic reach, meaningful engagement can only be achieved if your content connects with your audience and follows the platform's guidelines. Simply placing your company's brand message here will not suffice.

2. Collaborate with those who have a lot of clout

Influencer marketing is the bread and butter of many firms' TikTok marketing strategies. Influencers that succeed on TikTok have developed devoted followings by providing relevant, high-quality material.

They know how to use the platform's features, functions, and trends to their advantage. When you partner with an influencer on an ad campaign, you can take use of their skills and experiences, as well as their followers, to achieve extraordinary results.

The Creator Marketplace, TikTok's own influencer marketing site, makes identifying influencers simple. Creator Marketplace was created with the express purpose of bringing businesses and content providers together for marketing purposes.

3. Launch a #hashtag campaign

Creating hashtag challenges for people is a great way for marketers to start a cultural trend. Millions of people might be drawn to a brand's campaigns via top-rated challenges.

If you want your material to get noticed, you need first do some hashtag research. You must determine which hashtags are popular, which hashtags your target audience uses, and which hashtags are important to your business.

You can't use a hashtag simply because it's popular; it needs to be related to your video. Otherwise, viewers who click on hashtags will be disappointed and unlikely to return to your account.

Remember that TikTok is mainly designed as a source of fun, not a sales pitch. Users want to be entertained, thus they're seeking for compelling content. To attract your audience's attention, you should employ clever and strategic hashtags, as well as content.

4. Target new audiences with your advertising

• TikTok's advertising overview dashboard as an example
• TikTok is a profitable ad platform since it has a comparable reach to other platforms like Instagram, yet it is currently underutilized by marketers. As a result, creating impressions and hits might be far less expensive.

Big Sea's first effort into TikTok advertising was in 2021, and we can tell you that the stats are there. We were conducting a social marketing campaign on TikTok and Instagram at one point (with unique but similar visuals across platforms).

Whereas Instagram's cost-per-click was as high as $9.35, TikTok's cost-per-click was just $0.47. Every single one of the over 20 audiences had a similar slant toward TikTok in terms of click-through rates.

Marketers may create in-feed advertising, customized hashtag challenges, and banner ads using the app's dashboard. Advertisers may use demographics like age, gender, and location to target persons who have visited similar content.

Additionally, similar to Facebook Ads Manager, marketers can use the TikTok Business Manager to develop and manage large-scale campaigns, set budgets and dates, and access a variety of information.

How can I get TikTok Business Manager up and running?

• Go to the profile page for yourself.
• Click the Settings and Privacy option in the upper right corner.
• Select Manage Account from the menu.
• Click the Settings and Privacy option in the upper right corner.
• Select Manage Account from the menu.
• From the Account Control menu, choose Business Account.
• Choose the category that best describes your account.
• After that, you can finish your profile by adding a company website and email address.

What is the best way to establish a TikTok marketing strategy?

Trends on TikTok may seem to be random, and there is no such thing as a failsafe marketing strategy. You may, however, take reasonable steps to help your firm prosper on the app. Here's how to develop a TikTok marketing plan that grows with your TikTok experience.

1. Become acquainted with Tiktok

It would be a mistake to approach TikTok advertising in the same manner you would approach Instagram or Facebook. TikTok is a completely distinct kind of platform, with its own set of trends, features, and user behaviors.

For a time, immerse yourself in TikTok videos. Examine the app's different features and keep track of the most popular filters, sounds, and effects. Keep a watch out for Branded Hashtag Challenges, which require users to repeat an activity or lip-sync to a song or dance.

Learn about the TikTok algorithm as well. Knowing how TikTok selects and displays videos in a user's feed might assist you in developing a content theme and engagement strategy. The TikTok Business Learning Center offers courses to help you brush up on all things TikTok.

2. Define your target market

In TikTok, figure out who you'd want to connect with. Before you develop any content, learn about the TikTok demographics and identify people that could be interested in your company.

• Check on other social media sites for your target audience and see if there are any similarities on TikTok. Don't rule out the potential of reaching out to new or unexpected audiences, however.
• There may be segments on the platform with comparable or somewhat different interests than your primary audience.
• Authors on Twitter, readers on Tumblr, and artists on TikTok, for example, may all be part of a comic book publisher's audience. Find out what sorts of stuff your target audience enjoys and interacts with once you've identified them, and then start brainstorming content ideas for your firm.

3. Conduct a competitive analysis

You're already losing out on the action if your rivals are utilizing TikTok. This might be a method to obtain a competitive edge if they aren't on TikTok.

Look for at least 4–5 comparable companies on the platform and see what they're doing. Make an effort to learn from what has worked and what hasn't worked in the past.

Because TikTok is a creator-led platform, don't rule out including TikTok celebs and influencers into your TikTok marketing efforts. Find specialists in your profession, whether it's education, eCommerce, or charitable work.

4. Make goals that are in line with your aims

You may produce TikTok videos only for the sake of amusing your audience, but it's best if you have particular goals in mind that are relevant to your overall company objectives. It's critical to have a justification for your projects, whether you're aiming to reach a new audience, improve brand recognition, or deepen customer relationships via participation on the platform.

Make successful objectives using the S.M.A.R.T. goal model or similar framework, and evaluate your progress periodically.

Last but not least, TikTok comes out on top.

Because of its popularity on social media, video has become a powerful tool for communicating with potential clients and consumers. It's past time for your company to enjoy the benefits of this tidal wave.

Remember that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to achieving momentum on TikTok. Allow yourself to be creative, have a good time, and go with the flow. If an experiment fails to provide the expected results, take notes and go on to the next one.

Thanks to Alex Dunn at Business 2 Community whose reporting provided the original basis for this story.