If you’re dismissing TikTok as a kids-only platform that promotes dance videos, you might be leaving money on the table.
As part of Americaneagle.com’s annual event dubbed the Americaneagle.com Forum, Digital Marketers Caroline Letzel and Vanessa Cozzone revealed exactly how this works and why your brand might want to tap into the unprecedented 885 TikTok Million users aged 18 and above (as of January 2022).
Read below to view the highlights of their presentation.
Five Common Misconceptions about TikTok:
TikTok is Just for Dance Videos
While many people think that TikTok is a Gen Z platform for dance challenges, it has grown to encompass every kind of content and community you can think of including financial advice, home décor ideas, travel Inspiration, fashion finds, and sports news. Some of the most influential TikTok brands include NBA, Chipotle, The Washington Post and Gymshark, just to name a few.
TikTok is for Kids Only
A whopping 92.39% of all TikTok users are aged 13-34, painting a clear picture of the platform’s appeal to teens and young adults, However, demographics tend to skew older as time goes on, a trend that is predicted to continue in the next few years.
You Can Recycle Instagram Content for TikTok
While the two social platforms share some similarities, they also require distinct marketing strategies and they both prioritize high-quality, engaging content that is tailored to the app.
As opposed to Instagram, TikTok relies on advanced AI capabilities to serve the interests of its users without needing explicit signals and the number of followers is not a requirement for reach, as it is for Instagram users. It’s worth mentioning that TikTok has more built-in video editing tools than what Instagram offers with Reels.
You Will See Immediate Results from TikTok
Virality is one of the main pulls for the majority of brands on TikTok, but in order to get on the For You page of your target audience, you need to ‘speak’ to the algorithm. At a high-level, the TikTok algorithm focuses on three main areas:
- User interactions (e.g., videos you like & share, accounts you follow, content you create, comments you post, videos you add to your favorites, creators you hide, etc.)
- Video information (e.g., captions to identify keywords that signify what the content is about., hashtags to categorize the content., etc.)
- Device settings (e.g., device type, country setting, language preference)
Tip: TikTok is based on a machine-learning algorithm, it’s important to take the time to test out new approaches, gather insights, optimize strategies, and scale campaigns over time.
TikTok Isn’t Right for My Business
TikTok cites a study revealing that 56% of users feel closer to brands they see on the platform, particularly when they publish human, unpolished content. What’s more, 37% of users have a household income of over $100,000, strengthening the belief that users hold a good amount of buying power.
Organic TikTok Best Practices
From ideal posting frequency to content themes, here are some ways to ensure your TikTok videos get noticed:
- Posting frequency and times: 3-5 posts/week on average
- Hashtags: 2-3 keywords that are relevant to posts and brand overall
- Top performing content: videos that are both authentic and entertaining
- Top content themes: behind-the-scenes of your business, upcoming product launch teasers, comment replies, customer spotlights, success stories, or industry tips and tricks.
- Ideal video length: 21-34 seconds
- Best ways to keep up with the trends: use trending sounds, make (current) pop culture references, leverage humor, test different video format
TikTok Business Accounts & Paid Campaigns
Unlike creator accounts, business accounts can get you access to business tools such as ads and analytics. You also gain an ecommerce storefront. The only caveat is that you lose access to trending sounds and can only access a small library of commercial sounds that don’t typically go viral.
In other words, to run ads with a business account, you must sacrifice the virality aspect of the trending sounds. Done right, however, paid campaigns can lead to massive gains.
A paid structure for TikTok might look like this:
- Objectives: increase reach, drive traffic, boost video views, improve lead generation, gain more followers, drive website conversion, etc.
- Budget (minimums per day): Campaign Level - $50; Ad Set Level- $20. For a month-long campaign, we recommend a budget of $1,500.
Here’s a client success story that will give you a deeper understanding of how carefully curated paid campaigns can lead to outstanding brand growth of TikTok:
Since launching TikTok ads, Red Gold Tomatoes has gained 14,000 new followers on the platform. In order to achieve this, the Americaneagle.com digital marketing team implemented campaigns with community interaction and video views as the two main objectives:
With a budget of $400 for 2 weeks, the results were nothing short of impressive:
- 108,891 Reached Audience
- 126,847 Views
- 1,899 Likes, 6 Comments,32 Saves
- 44.5% Results Rate
How to Get Started with TikTok
TikTok can be an incredible platform to drive brand awareness, but if you want to get the most out of it, consider these questions:
- Is my audience on the platform?
- Can I provide value to my audience on this platform?
- Is the time and resource investment worth it?
- Can I do things on this platform that I can’t do on my existing channels?
- Does the platform and the opportunities it provides align with my social media goals?
For best results, we recommended adopting a “Crawl, Walk, Run” approach:
First, secure your TikTok handle, upload a profile picture and a bio and create a content calendar. Next, start posting at least twice per week, creating engaging captions and using trending sounds and music (remixes). Don’t forget to also interact with like-minded brands.
Lastly, in the ‘run’ phase, boost your posting frequency to five times each week, and focus on crafting a paid strategy.
Boost Your Digital Marketing Strategy Today
Americaneagle.com has a dedicated team who can implement a strategic, creative social media strategy that shows measurable results. They have experience with TikTok, Instagram, LinkedIn, and various other forms of social media to increase your brand’s reach and awareness. Additionally, Americaneagle.com has a full digital marketing services department with expertise in search engine optimization, PPC management, email marketing management, and much more.
Contact us today to get started.
