TikTok Marketing

 

    TikTok is the newest popular social media platform to emerge. It grew exponentially in popularity during the Covid-19 Pandemic. People were stuck at home and looking for new ways to connect and entertain themselves. TikTok provides a canvas of short form videos and simple editing tools that allow the average person to create videos with visual effects, audio overlays, duets, and more. The average TikTok user spends an average of 23.5 hours per month. That’s nearly two waking days of media consumption. This mass consumption of media creates an absolute goldmine for brands to advertise to a broad audience of over 1.05 billion people globally. TikTok currently generates $5.04 billion in yearly ad revenue.

Here’s the thing, I think it takes a very specific type of brand to successfully market on TikTok. Brands marketing more serious products and services may struggle to reap the benefits of TikTok advertising. For instance, I don’t think I would buy insurance from an advertisement on TikTok. On the other hand, fun products like bubble machines or clothing do very well on the platform. Understanding the platform and the appropriate products for the setting is important when developing a social media strategy. It would be senseless to spend the time and resources on TikTok marketing when it ultimately isn’t beneficial to the brand. 

In some cases, marketing on TikTok could be more damaging to a brand’s image than not advertising at all. Imagine you’re scrolling through your feed then suddenly get an ad for your local funeral home. First of all, that would be a jarring transition of content. Secondly, that’s something you likely won’t remember in a positive light. It’s something you’ll recall when the need arises for funerary services. You won’t want to hire a business that’s posting TikTok ads to bury your beloved Grandmother. There’s an implied lack of dignity.

This is obviously an extreme example, but you get the gist. Knowing what platform is appropriate for your brand is crucial. TikTok has a ton of potential for conversions, but it may not be the place for everyone.