Photo by Solen Feyissa on Unsplash
TikTok has grown to be the most popular social media platform in the world, and it’s showing no sign of slowing down; even better, it has adapted itself for eCommerce. 71.2% of TikTok shoppers said they made a purchase when they found something of interest in their feed (Statista 2023). TikTok marketing is the process of using TikTok and its featured content to promote one’s brands, products or services. We have created Tiktok Guidelines as a simple checklist for brand owners and marketers to use as they define their strategy for using TikTok to build brand and grow sales.
Understand Your Audience:
What’s the intersection between your brand’s target customer and active users on TikTok? How will you target prospects in the channel? Fundamental questions like these will help you use the channel wisely and avoid common pitfalls like aiming for an audience you cannot reach.
- Know your prospects and customers: Marketing on any channel starts with a deep understanding of who your best customers already are. The simplest way to compile customer data into a usable form is to build 3-5 customer personas with demographic information, relevant interests, key pain points and “Jobs that need to be done.” ·
- Define relevant TikTok user demographics: Thinking about your actual customer profiles, you can reach TikTok users by age, gender, geography and language. If you are using a TikTok influencer strategy, you will need to consider who your target customers listen to for purchase inspiration or advice. Chances are, your customers will be influenced by people who are sort of like them but younger or with other characteristics.
- Identify TikTok user interests: From makeup to sports gear, you can research audiences on TikTok by interests and find those intersections with your brand or category. TikTok even allows for keyword research.
- Identify TikTok user behaviors: You can connect with TikTok users who interact with specific hashtags, video or creator categories. Build a list of actual behaviors that might indicate those users might be interested in your product.
Set Goals:
Setting clear objectives from the very beginning will allow you to measure if you are reaching meaningful goals.
- Create a S.M.A.R.T goal framework: have a realistic vision and consider whether your goals are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and timely.
- Clarify brand vs. conversion: There was a time where most social media channels were considered most suitable for brand building and awareness. Today, people are buying products and services within TikTok. It helps if you are clear as to whether your goals are more about building brand and awareness or whether you need to actually sell product through the channel. Or both.
Find your TikTok Voice:
The aim is for your brand to be its true self, TikTok thrives on authenticity and finding an original voice to promote your products is a great way of increasing engagement.
- Define your authentic brand voice: Authenticity resonates with TikTok users. Your content should showcase your personality and values, but most importantly don’t make it sound like a sales pitch. Spend time on TikTok to see how other individuals and brands speak and behave on the channel. It’s easy to use a forced voice in TikTok which users will reject.
- Set up an enticing profile: Explain exactly who you are and what your brand does, make your profile picture an image of your logo, and write a short but descriptive company summary in the bio of your page.
Create Your Content Strategy:
From Creator-led videos to quirky product videos, TikTok is the most engaging social media platform of the bunch. That means users spend more time and have more interactions on the platform, and they’re open to engaging with brand content. 78% of TikTok users are there to find funny or entertaining content, while 35.1% use TikTok to follow or research brands. How will you create or partner with Creators for truly engaging content? It may look easy, but it’s not. And having a strong understanding of TikTok and its algorithms will strengthen your TikTok marketing.
- Tap into TikTok trends. Whether it be a new hit song, a viral dance, or a funny meme; you can harness these trends and use them to your advantage.
- Teach via TikTok: #LearnOnTikTok started during the pandemic and led to an explosion of educational content across the platform. What can your brand teach people that they would find valuable?
- Put a face to your brand: TikTok users appreciate brands that ‘let loose” and aren’t afraid to bring them behind the scenes or meet the team behind a brand - often doing self-deprecating, sometimes silly things.
- Go live with Livestreams: TikTok Live engages more audiences than other social platforms. From product launches to Q&A sessions to customer feedback sessions, there are a ton of ways for brands to create live content that engages.
- When in doubt give things away: Giveaways and contests are standard on TikTok and one of the more genuine ways brands can bring value to users. Who doesn’t like free stuff?
- Promote your Creators: if you work with Creators (see below) or Influencers, part of your content strategy can be promoting and celebrating them. Not only is it the right thing to do, itn extends the reach of your brand content.
Work with Creators:
Creators are almost like any other normal user on TikTok and are one of the most trusted methods for brand promotion. Their big advantage is that they know how to create deeply engaging content for their followers. Partnering with Creators drives them to create their version of great content and helps build trust between brands and audiences.
- Find Creators relevant for your brand: If you are a food and beverage brand, find Creators whose specialty is F&B. Sounds simple, right? The best way to find great content creators is to work with KittyKat’s Creator Network of over 500 Creators. We can match your brand to trusted and talented TikTok Creators.
- Brainstorm with Creators: The best way to create engaging content with a Creator is to collaborate with them on the idea. They know content and their audience. You know your brand. Together, you can find the most compelling ideas.
Measure your Performance:
Analyze your TikTok channel to understand where your brand’s strengths are and pinpoint the areas that require adjustments. Having a good understanding of TikTok marketing and analytics ensures you’re in a comfortable position to promote your brand as effectively as possible.
- Choose your KPIs: Key performance indicators are those handful of numbers that reveal if your marketing or selling program is working. It’s easy to get inundated with digital metrics. That’s why it's important for you to choose the KPIs that matter most for your ad campaign, your organic channel and your Creator work. From Cost-per-Result (ad campaigns) to Post Reach Percentage to Engagement Rate - each of these might easily make your list.
- Analyze and optimize: The whole point of watching the right KPIs is to modify your strategy and tactics to deliver better results for your time and media investment. Analyze your content and channel performance and make sure it drives good next-step marketing decisions.
Building the perfect TikTok profile is no easy task, however this strategy checklist is a useful tool for ensuring all the basics are sufficiently met. Follow our TikTok guidelines; pay attention to your audience, set goals, and establish an authentic personality across your profile and you’re on the way to building a successful account. For more ideas and inspiration, check out KittyKat’s TikTok and connect with us.
