The TikTok phenomenon is on the rise, and it’s not just the users who are excited. TikTok now boasts approximately 1.2 billion monthly active users, a number that has surged to 1.7 billion in 2023, as reported by Viralyft.
Also notable, Facebook has 2.9 billion active users, WhatsApp has 1.6 billion, and Instagram has 1.4 billion. TikTok is on its way to becoming one of the top social media platforms ever.
To put things in perspective, consider these figures. TikTok has been downloaded more than 3 billion times! (Only Facebook has more installs.) Worldwide, there are 7.9 billion people. So almost four in ten individuals alive today have TikTok!
As usage of the video-sharing app grows exponentially, brands and technologies are scrambling to get in on the action.
Luckily, TikTok is open to everyone. The social media platform presents an unparalleled opportunity to reach a vast and engaged fanbase. It’s also a superb option to expand your company’s brand and reach new customers. The businesses already utilizing this remarkable medium have seen impressive benefits.
Whatever you think about TikTok, one thing is certain — you cannot dismiss it. Record-breaking numbers for the app and its viewership make it even more popular than ever.
We’ll show you why and how you can connect with consumers and market your brand on TikTok.
What is TikTok?
TikTok is a social media app that enables users to create and publish videos on any topic. The realism and rawness of the videos are two of the greatest irresistible appeals. The format and vibe of the entire platform are engaging and keep users’ attention for hours on end.
Most of the time, videos are amusing or informative. Currently, the top ten most popular categories of content on TikTok are:
#1 – Entertainment
#2 – Dance
#3 – Pranks
#4 – Fitness and sports
#5 – Home renovation and DIY
#6 – Beauty and skin care
#7 – Fashion
#8 – Cooking and recipes
#9 – Life hacks and advice
#10 – Pets
How long are TikTok videos?
In February of this year, TikTok began allowing users to post videos as long as 10 minutes.
It seems the platform has been testing the expanding length of supported videos for years. TikTok upped the video length to three minutes in July 2021 from the former increase of 60 seconds. When first introduced, videos were capped at 15 seconds.
Thanks to the extended video duration, creators may now film their cooking demos, tutorials, instructional content, and humorous sketches in more detail.
TikTok’s increased video length has made it much easier for content providers to share on the platform. Navigating through a creator’s feed to find the proper video in a series was inconvenient and frustrating for consumers.
TikTok marketing
Brands are just scratching the surface when it comes to TikTok marketing. The social media format’s commercial potential just got a lot better, thanks to the addition of longer videos.
TikTok is prime for marketing, with many promising approaches. For example, you can use TikTok to promote your brand, generate leads for your business, and build your customer base. Here are some of the most exciting was to market on TikTok.
Build a brand
Brand awareness measures how well customers know a company’s name or product. It is the basis of building a brand. The more recognizable your brand or product is, the better. Consumers are more likely to trust, believe in, and stick with well-known brands.
One of the most common business uses for TikTok is to build a brand. It is quick and straightforward. You can create and publish engaging and authentic videos that showcase your products and services.
You can also add behind-the-scenes footage of your business, exciting facts about your brand, or engaging Q&A sessions. These types of videos are great for building your online presence and gaining exposure for your brand.
Right now, TikTok ranks as one of the best marketing channels for building your brand. But, as with other viral social media platforms, the race is to the swift. The time to start marketing on TikTok is now.
Generate leads
A highly effective way to use TikTok is to generate leads for your business. People are flocking to TikTok to learn and get questions answered.
People are flocking to TikTok to learn new things and get answers to questions, even questions they didn’t know they had.
Marketing centers on understanding consumers’ problems and pains that your products solve. Speaking to these benefits and solutions works very well on TikTok.
Take advantage of the current craze and create TikToks that answer frequently asked questions or address prevalent concerns about your product or service.
Publish lead-generating videos that answer common questions or address concerns your product or service is solving. For example, if you sell beauty products, you can create videos about how your skin will feel after using your products, how to get the best results, and what the ingredients are so that viewers can make better decisions.
Grow customer base
If you are looking for new customers– and honestly, who isn’t–TikTok is once again the key. Another great way to use TikTok is to build your customer base.
You can create and publish how-to or review-based videos that showcase your products.
For example, if you sell fitness equipment, you can create how-to videos that show people how to use various pieces of equipment or how to modify an exercise to work around a piece of equipment that isn’t available to the general public. Also, consider publishing review videos that examine different products and how they compare to each other.
Companies with the most success driving new customers with TikToks are using brand ambassadors and creators.
SNO-GO is a ridable snow bike that uses Wooly to run its brand ambassador program. One of the brand’s creators, Kane Williamson, was asked, “how he brings the snow bike on the lift?” In response, he produced a video on his iPhone that showed how he gets on a ski lift with his SNO-GO.
The video went viral. At last count, the TikTok has over 2.6 million likes and over 34 million views!
The video was successful as a result of a few essential elements that brands can copy.
TikTok marketing captivates
The first reason the video was so popular what that it was relevant. The TikTok content tapped into an actual question. Another big plus that help captivate audiences was t he marketing team didn’t originate it. The inspiration came from a more authentic and natural source.
According to Nielsen,
82% of customers look for recommendations from their peers before making a purchase.
UGC
When it comes to engaging users, authenticity is crucial So the second advantage of this video is that it wasn’t made by the brand Frankly, even with all our brilliance, a brand ambassador is far more credible and impactful.
Authenticity is critical when it comes to attracting and retaining customers. And nothing is more genuine than user-generated content.
UGC, also known as user-generated content, encompasses a wide range of media, including written material, images, photos, videos, and reviews. In contrast to most other forms of content, this one isn’t the work of commercial entities. To put it another way, everything created by and shared with the people is what we mean when we say “UGC.”
Most user-generated content stems from the individual opinions and experiences of its creators. The viewpoints, ideas, and convictions expressed in user-generated material are those of the creators themselves.
Consumers place 2.4 times more confidence in UGC than in brand-generated content. (Source)
Creators flourish on TikTok
Thirdly, the creator is a specialist. His entire account, @thesnogocriminal, is dedicated to this product. When consumers want truthful information from people who use the SNO-GO, he is the go-to person.
