How to use TikTok for brand building (1)

There are still too many people who see TikTok as a network of dancing kids, but that vision is quite reductionist and can hurt you as a brand. In previous posts, we have already talked about where it comes from, who it moves and much of what this platform can bring to a business.

 

Today, we are going to focus on the virtues of TikTok for branding and brand awareness (and there are many).

TikTok is not an ordinary social network. There is interaction between users, there are profiles... but conceptually it is much further from Instagram than from YouTube (although its concept is unique in many ways).

 

In a way, we should see this platform as a competitor to television, because its experience is immersive. While the rest of the networks can act as a second screen -and in fact they do-, the fact that we are facing content in which the sound is always on makes them incompatible.

 

 …and it is clear to all of us that television was the greatest enhancer for brands building.

Right now, no network or digital platform is able to give you the potential reach that TikTok gives you.

 

To some extent, it is because they do not  limit the organic reach of posts as much. In contrast, on Meta networks, for example, they reward who you are and the size of your community, while TikTok focuses on the quality and representativeness of the content. It is not uncommon to see on TikTok small accounts that have videos with hundreds of thousands or millions of views.

 

While Instagram and Facebook have been tweaking their algorithm for years to restrict non-paid reach, this platform has opted for a more honest approach to creation (at least so far, as you never know when these things will change).

 

This makes it easier for content to go viral and, consequently, for our brand to have a greater reach.

We have already said that its users are not exclusively proud members of the Z generation, but it is true that a large part of the community moves in an age segment that fits with that range of 13 to 25 years as a top.

 

In fact, we are experiencing a growth in the number of users in the upper part of the bracket, and with 25 years we understand that they have purchasing power, so being present among their top of mind as a reference brand is interesting.

 

In the lower part of the bracket it is also important to build a brand, because we are cementing a future relationship with tomorrow's customers.

The networks' ability to prescribe is one of the characteristics that have made them key to branding strategy and online sales.

 

The difference between Instagram and TikTok, again, is in the basic concept that has shaped them.

 

On Instagram influencers strive to project an aspirational lifestyle in which the perfect framing and the ideal smile matter more than the brand they are promoting. In fact, the brand is "an add-on" that steals the spotlight from the influencer.

 

However, TikTok is all about naturalness. It is true that the videos are not as beautiful, but this "handmade" spirit gives the brand a freshness that is much closer to the social proof that generates an 

Let's not lose sight of the fact that brand building is not an objective in itself, but an end in itself to increase company's profitability.

 

The best thing about TikTok is that all this notoriety is reflected in sales. For some time now, the platform has been focusing on the advertising side of interaction with brands. This, together with its prescription capacity, makes TikTok sell.

 

Just take a look at #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt hashtag, testimonials from thousands of users who have bought a product they discovered on the platform. Let's just say that the network does not  just stay at the top of the sales funnel, it also pushes towards conversion.

The well-known  UGC (User Generated Content) that is so hard to achieve is somewhat easier to achieve on TikTok.

 

Partly because it is a more  an everyday approach than that on Instagram and people tell their lives from a less commercial view. Also, since showcasing products is a type of content that is frequently demanded and consumed, and one of the keys to having visibility on TikTok is to keep a good rate of publication... users will generate content if your product is sufficiently attractive.

Something that is striking from the first moment you investigate the platform is that we can find niches and interests of all kinds: cooking, travel, beauty, decoration, gaming, cinema, literature, sustainability... Whatever you can imagine, there is always a community behind certain hashtags.

 

Logically, the more niche it is, the less users it will support; but building a brand on them is more efficient than doing it for the general public. The subject matter is critical when it comes to being relevant.