Insights on TikTok: is it a suitable channel for your brand?(2)
Miguel Nicolás
03/06/2021
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There is no denying that it is making a lot of noise, but... Is TikTok the right channel for your brand? Let's extract a few insights.
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We started this series of posts by analyzing who, why and where from TikTok is used. Now we turn it around and focus on us as a brand. Because not all platforms have been equally successful in adapting to the needs of businesses.
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Insights on TikTok for brands
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The normal thing in social media when faced with a new network is to ask the question that titles the post: should I open this profile? Is it worth the effort and resources that I will have to devote to it? Is it really going to bring any benefit? What will it be?Read on and we will answer these questions with 4 clear insights.
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#1 – B2C segmentation
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There are other platforms for business-to-business selling, but that is certainly not TikTok's strong point. The vast majority of the accounts you can find on this network are individuals or brands that want to reach them.If your business is a wholesale one, at least for the moment, it does not seem to be your channel to sell. Even so, you can use it for purposes other than selling, as we will see later on.
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INSIGHT: It is true that, as we have already mentioned, the profile of users is no longer so teenage. Even so, the age range is lower than in other networks, and this usually means that they are further away from decision-making positions.TikTok definitely has nothing to do with LinkedIn, although you can always work on the emotional aspect of the brand.
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#2 – Your clients want video
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Well, yours and your competitors'. All potential customers of all brands find video one of the most attractive content marketing elements.
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It all started with YouTube and then, little by little, the rest of the networks joined in. In recent years, we have seen new players making a difference with a focus on video (Twitch in streaming and TikTok in short-form and vertical formats for mobile).
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INSIGHT: It is precisely the video that TikTok offers, almost exclusively and with all the prominence by filling the full screen.In addition, unlike other alternatives, audio is not muted; it is just another part of the experience without which the content is not understood.
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#3 – Other influencers and storytelling
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One of the differential values of TikTok is, precisely, having been able to create a new way of telling things and, at the same time, having given a voice to another profile of influencers.The usual thing for influencers -until the explosion of this new network- was to work a network (especially Instagram) and use the rest of the channels to dynamize their content. Of course there are exceptions, but we are talking about a widespread strategy.This can be done when most networks share a similar philosophy. The same video can be played with a similar result on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook... even LinkedIn and YouTube.TikTok has its own ecosystem and its own way of telling stories. Nobody wants to watch 5-minute corporate videos, beautiful sunsets do not add anything by themselves... If you want to rock here, you have to adapt to its synthetic, fast and surprising narrative.
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That is precisely why we find other influencers who manage these codes more effectively. Some come from other platforms that, until recently, were alternatives, such as Twitch; others are YouTubers converted to the channel; and many more are native influencers of the network itself.
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INSIGHT: If you want to have traction on TikTok as a brand, get in the mindset; you are going to have to create ad hoc content and, especially at the beginning, rely on the influencers that move the community. If you do it right, you will be that much closer to getting the most out of the network.
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#4 – Goals: we are not here to dance
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There are many prejudices about TikTok, but if used strategically, it can help us meet different branding objectives. Obviously, to do so, we must first define what we want to achieve or what we expect from the platform.Where it is strongest is in the so-called brand awareness or brand notoriety. Today it is one of the fastest growing channels, its audience is close to one billion users internationally (adding those of Douyin, its version for China). Use this showcase to show your products, but also to talk about yourself, your values, the people behind your brand...
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It is also a very good way to spread the word, but for that you have to find the right tone and the right face. Short and well-explained pills, without artifice or unnecessary technicalities.And it can also be sold on TikTok, of course. In fact, they are gradually launching their self-managed advertising platform worldwide and have interesting formats that, among other things, allow us to generate traffic to our eCommerce.
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INSIGHT: Plan your strategy carefully because you run the risk of being just another brand joining trends and having your staff dancing just because that is what users are expected to do on TikTok.
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Just one last thing before concluding: regardless of whether or not you are considering joining TikTok, for branding and brand protection reasons, we would recommend that you register your account. The growth is so strong that someone could get ahead of you with dubious intentions.
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After reading all these insights about TikTok, do you think your brand should get a place on the platform? Let us about your strategy!
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Images | Unsplash.