TikTok, the world's fastest-growing social media platform, boasts over 3 billion downloads! Today, its popularity surpasses Facebook and Instagram.

But how does this bit of info translate to sales and meeting the bottom line for businesses?

You will be surprised to know that TikTok advertisements can reach over 945 million users over 18. The platform lists Generation Z and millennial users, giving you a wide reach of your potential target audience.

Let's talk about TikTok marketing and how it differs from traditional marketing.

What Is TikTok Marketing? 

TikTok marketing, in simple words, is brand promotion. That means you will promote your products and services to consumers on the TikTok platform.

Today, TikTok is the rage, all set to reach 2.2 billion users by 2027. If you're looking to build a social network or find an online customer base, TikTok is just the platform you need.

Now, if there is so much advertising already going on there, what will make your own stand out? Only one thing counts here: original stuff. People love real, authentic, relatable content that is pure and engaging.

That’s how content on TikTok has an edge over the significantly edited reels and advertisements you find on other platforms. 

Why Use TikTok Marketing?

TikTok is the fastest-growing platform, reaching a record of 1 billion users in September 2021—in just four years since its launch! By contrast, it took twice the time for Facebook and Instagram to reach that mark.

On TikTok, every video gets an equal chance to go viral. Unlike Facebook and Instagram, where you can only view content from the pages of people you follow or are friends with. 

A unique video or content that people relate to, no matter who puts it up, can instantly go viral here.

Since the content is genuine, many people actually buy what they see here. According to research, about half of the TikTok audience buys brands they've viewed on the app in some form, like a trend, ad, or challenge.

In fact, 89% of TikTok users polled in a survey said they bought beauty products they viewed on TikTok.

Another good thing is the platform links up with Instagram and YouTube, so whatever you put up on it also gets you views on Instagram and YouTube. Other benefits to businesses advertising on the platform include the following. Businesses can:

• Advertise their products and services
• Reach potential customers quickly and for free
• Spread brand awareness
• Get customers feedback
• Build an engaged audience
• Sell their products or services

How To Ace TikTok Marketing?

Of course, the first thing you need for TikTok marketing is a business account on the app. The business account features email buttons, a business creative hub, a commercial music library, a call-action button, DM auto-replies, and more.

You can also switch your private account to a business account for free.

TikTok is a bustling yet engaging and creative platform. The tone here is fun, so marketing your products is genuinely going to increase your reach and engagement. Check out this article: What Is Video Content Marketing?

The platform has also started out promoting certain ‘trends’ that people are hooked on and actively promoting brands and products. You, too, can use these trends or come up with your own and use that to your advantage.

For example, Laura Mercier came up with the #readySETgo challenge, which performed quite well on the platform. People started posting their own videos using their products and actively promoting the brand.

The more you track these trends, the more ways you can incorporate them into your brand message and stay ahead of the competition. The best part is that TikTok has no budgetary constraints or hefty ad promotion charges. 

You don't even need a fancy setup to shoot your TikTok videos. In fact, many of the videos that have made it have been shot in gardens, houses, and even car parking lots.

Another great thing about the platform is that even if you have absolutely zero followers, you can still get millions of views and likes on your videos. 

So, you should focus on making your content stand out rather than increasing your likes and followers.

Understanding The TikTok Landscape

On the platform, you will be competing with, of course, your business competitors. These are businesses in the same line as you, showcasing the same products.

At the same time, you would also be competing with other content creators who may or may not be relevant to your brand. 

It may seem overwhelming, but you can use this competitive ground to your advantage and watch how your competitors are doing. 

What kinds of content do they post? Which posts gain more user interest?

Looking at the posts with the highest level of engagement will give you an idea about the kind of content you should also be posting.

There is no need to copy ideas. You can take inspiration and build on that. 

Tiktok Marketing Strategy

So, are you ready to start your own winning TikTok marketing strategy? Here, we will go through the step-by-step process of planning and leveraging TikTok marketing.

Step #1: Create a TikTok Business Account 

First of all, you need to set up your TikTok business account. It's easy to create and the best way to keep you abreast of the latest trends and tools for business content creators. 

This platform is like a library. You get many performance indicators for your ads, customer information, and tools and features to edit your content.

So, just download the TikTok app from the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store and register for a TikTok account. Here’s how you can do it:

• Go to your profile page.
• Click on the hamburger icon. (It will be at the top right corner.) 
• Go to settings and then privacy.
• Under the account tab, you will see “manage account” click on that.
• Switch to a business account.
• Select the correct category for your account and complete your profile. 

Here’s a short video by TechWaves on how you can do it:

Make sure to always use the high-resolution picture of your logo as your profile picture. Your username, your business name, and preferably without spaces.

Next, you will write an 80-character bio about your business.

Step #2: Define your audience

TikTok is a diverse platform with something for everyone, so it's not just for Generation Z or millennials but also trending well amongst boomers. Moreover, Generation Alpha is an emerging market of future customers likely to use the platform.

So, you need to find your audience here. This will allow you to customize your messages and increase your chance of bonding with a suitable customer base.

Here’s an interesting video by Archie Mereuta on how you can find your target audience on TikTok:

Some factors that will help you outline your audience are as follows 

• Location: Identify the area where your customers physically live.
• Age Group: Select an age bracket for your customers.
• Gender: If your product is gender specific, it's a good idea to identify the gender as well at this point.
• Hobbies or Interests: Some people enjoy exercise or fitness training, while others enjoy life. Knowing the interests or passions that resonate with your brand is very important so your message resonates with customers.

Step #3: Choose your Promotion Plan

Jot down your promotion strategy. The platform allows you to create original content, but you can also look up TikTok influencer marketing or go for affiliate TikTok marketing. 

Hook up some TikTok influencers to promote your brand. 

It is best to go with influencers who regularly post content relevant to your brand. For instance, if you have a clothing business, you should look for an influencer who promotes or models clothes.

Many brands also use TikTok affiliate marketing, where the influencer promotes their product with their personal code, giving the new buyers a certain discount on every purchase.

A good example here is the NFL. The brand created a draft montage of “A Whole New World” from the ever-popular Aladdin movie.

It was an instant hit, combining news about the upcoming draft with humor.

Check out this one by The Merkins: 

Affiliate Marketing on TikTok

There are three affiliate TikTok marketing plans.

• The shop plan: In this type, you offer a specific commission to your influencers on every sale they make.

• Open Plan: In this type, the commission differs for different products and is also open to other influencers.

• Targeted plan: You only call in specific influencers for particular niche products in this plan.

You can also find influencers who work as Shopify collaborators, collaborating with brands that go with yours, like complementary product lines.

The good thing is that you can easily reach these influencers directly via messages. You can also send them free products and ask them to post videos of their experiences and honest reviews.

For example, Sephora actively uses influencers for TikTok marketing. Here, sabrynasalmon is reviewing some of the products she just bought.

Use Hashtags 

Hashtags work amazingly well on the TikTok platform. They are an excellent way for brands to promote interactive messages, get user responses, and increase their reach. 

Millions of users connect with the brand this way and create videos relevant to the campaign.

 Hashtags are very powerful on the platform. For instance, one of the most popular hashtags, #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt, just emerged a few years ago. Today, over 7.2 million people use hashtags in their posts.

Here are a few points to keep in mind when using hashtags by Robert Benjamin.

Step #4: Start Your Brand Channel

You can create your brand page and start by putting up different types of content to see what works. Here are a few content strategies to attract customers.

You don't need a budget or even time to create content. You can follow the trending hashtags and recreate content or incorporate the trending memes into your brand message.

The platform features built-in filters, sound bites, and editing tools to help you create and edit your content.

Keep in mind that the platform's reach is fantastic, but your content can only have an impact if it touches hearts or resonates with your audience.

Step #5: TikTok Advertising 

You can use your ad budget on the platform to reach an even wider audience here.

A large majority of TikTok users (71.2%) stated they shopped whenever they found something interesting on their TikTok feed, and over 58% of users said they used the platform for shopping inspiration.

Let's look at another interesting stat: in just over a year (between 2022 and 2023), the number of shoppers on TikTok increased by 40.5%. The outlook for the future is also good. By 2026, the number of purchases is expected to increase by 67%. 

Tiktokers recommend posting 1-4 times a day to get your product or content noticed.

Today, TikTok has hundreds of influencers, and many brands are using their advertising to the fullest extent. However, the platform is still not quite saturated. 

So you can still do affordable or free advertising in general, get clicks and likes, and promote your brand message here. You can also use in-feed ads featuring videos, images, and shopping links. Then there are, of course, hashtags, challenges, carousel ads, and Pangle ads.

However, the main factor is that your content should make an impression and stand out. A good example is the Zoomerang app. The app has created in-feed ads with strong CTAs to pique the interest of TikTok users.

Check out this interesting compilation by Zoomerang itself featuring content by different influencers showcasing the app effects in their videos:

Tips to Create an Effective TikTok Marketing Strategy

Now that you have your marketing strategy, you can use the platform to build your audience. Here are a few further tips that’ll help you. 

• Post authentic stuff only. 
• Remember that simple and sweet sells.
• Get whatever gear you can to help your videos get better.
• Reply to the comments to increase the connection with your followers.
• Don't stop posting. Even if the post is sitting in your drafts, post it.
• Also, go live when you can. People connect with people more than content. 
• Post-behind-the-scenes acts: These acts form a human connection as people see that you are just like them behind the scenes.
• Check out these 6 video marketing strategies to optimize your sales.

Wrap Up

Judging from the incredible growth of the TikTok platform, the sooner you create your account on it, the sooner you'll reap the benefits. The outlook is great, as it is predicted that TikTok will have over 955.3 million users by next year. 

Yes, competition will get tough, and you'll need to be more creative, but it will also allow longer videos and more analytical metrics. So, the future is TikTok. Start now to make every second count!