If ‘The Wipe it Down’, ‘The Renegage’ and ‘The Flip Switch’ challenges all sound like bad pop-band songs to you, then you may not yet have fully explored the wonderful world of TikTok. Yet with 1 billion monthly active users, few people are unaware of the explosive growth of the video-first social media platform.
Originally considered the reserve of younger generations, TikTok is now becoming a permanent fixture on mobile phones across the globe with vast communities built of all demographics.
With such growing popularity, brands and influencers are beginning to recognise the opportunity the platform presents and more are joining every day. In this article, we explore why adding TikTok to your marketing mix might just be the smartest marketing move you make this year.
Reach Your Audience Where it Counts
Marketing is all about attention. After all, you want to grab the attention of your audience in a way that compels them to take action - whether that is making a purchase from your business or following and engaging with your content as an influencer.
The easiest way to grab your target customers attention is to be active in an environment where their focus is already drawn.
Think of it this way. If you run a coffee stall, do you think you would make more sales by locating your business in the middle of an empty field, or by locating it on a busy street with lots of shops and offices?
Sure, shout loud enough and you may just be able to grab the attention of one or two passersby in the field - but on the busy street, you are likely to get lots of attention and sales simply by being in the right place at the right time.
With more and more active users joining TikTok every day, by joining and being active on the platform you drastically increase your chances of getting noticed by the people who matter the most to your brand.
Improve Brand Relevancy
Staying relevant as a brand or influencer is now more important than ever. The ease with which information can now spread has given recent rise to social movements focused on everything from environmental issues to global equality.
This shift means that individuals are now more concerned about digesting content and spending their money with those who share their values. In fact, one 2020 consumer culture report highlighted that a massive 71% of consumers actively seek out and buy from brands that align with their values.
Joining TikTok offers brands and influencers an opportunity to join in the conversations that matter most to them and their audience. Plus, on a less serious note, being on TikTok can help brands stay relevant by creating the type of entertaining content that resonates with their audience and keeps them engaged.
Boost Engagement with Video Content
As a video-first social media platform, TikTok offers brands and influencers an opportunity to develop their skills at creating the type of content that really drives engagement - video.
The rise of video as social media users’ favourite content is hardly surprising given its highly engaging and energetic nature. It is clear to see from the stats:
78% of people watch online videos every week
55% of people view online videos every day
54% of consumers want to see more video content
In fact, one study by Buffer found that video content on social media platforms averaged 59% more engagement than other types of content.
Benefit From Organic Reach
In recent years the leading social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram have made it harder for brands and influencers to reach as many people through organic methods of content publishing. This has likely been due to the companies behind the platforms wanting to increase advertising spend.
Arguably, a large part of TikTok’s success has been due to the huge organic reach it offers users whilst other social platforms have reduced theirs. This means that many brands and influencers have been able to build large audiences and drive higher levels of engagement without the need for the mammoth advertising budgets required to do the same on other social media platforms.
Some reports highlight organic reach as high as 118% for brands. Huge in comparison to the average 5.5% organic reach found on Facebook.
Of course, there is a trade-off as creating content for TikTok can be more time consuming than the typical content published on Facebook and Instagram. Yet with such promising reach and engagement, the time investment is well worth your while.
Get There First
With some of the facts and stats we have outlined so far in this article, it is hardly surprising to find that significant numbers of brands and influencers are starting TikTok accounts and increasing their activity. Yet, in 2022, there is still an opportunity to be an early adopter and start building an engaged audience on the platform before your competitors.
This is easier in some industries and niches where TikTok has not been widely accepted as a crucial part of the marketing mix - this is especially true of the B2B space. However, by increasing the quality and quantity of content, even businesses and influencers in already TikTok active niches can get ahead of the curve.
Adding TikTok to Your Marketing Mix: Summary
From reaching your audience in a place that they already hang out, to benefiting from massive organic reach - it is clear that TikTok offers a vast range of benefits to brands and influencers who are considering including the platform in their 2022 marketing mix.
It is important to remember that content created for platforms such as Instagram and Facebook typically aren’t a natural fit for use on TikTok. Therefore, becoming active on the platform can require a significant investment in original content creation - but an investment that is sure to pay off.
So, why not create yourself a TikTok account today and start exploring what others are doing in your niche? We have to warn you - you might just get addicted.
Written by Owain of Make It Mana
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