TikTok: How can your brand think of a strategy for this network?

TikTok is the buzz of the moment. And with good reasons! After all, in 2019, the app hit 1.5 billion downloads, becoming the most downloaded social network in the world, according to the Sensor Tower platform, and has already ranked fourth among the networks with the most users. This was shown by a survey by Interactive Infobase made.

Known as the generation Z social network, the eyes of these young people (born 1990 to 2010) are not the only ones who have been shining when talking about TikTok: brands are also aware of the possibility of having it as another relationship channel with their public.

Of course, a lot of study is still needed, because this platform is establishing itself now and has been proving that it is quite different from the others, such as Instagram. But we can already learn some lessons by understanding how brands behaved on social networks so far. 

The Brands and Zuckerberg

To initiate digital advertising, brands relied on their expertise in traditional media. Thus, the sponsored images and videos were very similar to TV commercials, billboards, and flyers, for example. And that worked for a long time. But with the creation of Facebook, which aims to establish connections between people, brands realized that they could make original content available on their profile.

From then on, social networks became an interaction channel where content is published to arouse public interest in following the brand profile, liking, commenting and sharing the posts. And then came the influence marketing, where the brand speaks to its own audience through the profile of a personality.

As social networks change rapidly and each has its own peculiarities, specific actions need to be taken. On Twitter, for example, messages should be more relaxed, routine and straightforward. On Instagram, brands prefer to post more original photos to bring their feed closer to non-commercial profiles.

And how does it work with TikTok?

The communication of brands with the public on TikTok is still experimental and, therefore, the strategies on this platform are not very consolidated. It’s like the other social networks, there is no magic formula that works for all companies. But some brands, such as Guaraná Antarctica, are already exploring this new territory.

It co-created with influential tiktokers, creating her own profile and, more recently, entered into a partnership with the platform, which will curate influencers for the brand and promote insights. And, in addition to the actions in the digital media, Guaraná Antarctica launched a personalized can, with a QR code that directs to the brand profile on TikTok.

With the performance of Guaraná Antarctica and other brands that are also testing the possibilities of this platform, it is possible to understand some important points for communication with tiktokers, which we will explain in the next lines.

Find out if this social network is for you

Before creating a profile on TikTok, you need to know if your brand’s audience is enjoying this social network. For this, it is essential to have knowledge of their profile, today’s generation Z dominates the platform. According to the Global Web Index, 41% of network users are between 16 and 24 years old, a research made by the App Ape Lab found that 55.6% are men.

It is also important to understand if your company is able to communicate with your audience on TikTok. So, you need to look inside, study your strategy and analyze whether the content and tone of your brand can suit the language of that platform.

Understand the language of TikTok

It has been described as “a happy social network”. Therefore, content with more explicit advertising bias or more incisive calls probably does not work well on TikTok. Instead, challenges, duets, tutorials, memes and other content that pique curiosity are more likely to become popular.

But the rule is to have no rules! The app offers several tools for the production of videos, this make the contents become more and more elaborated in a practical and intuitive way. Therefore, creativity is the key word of TikTok and everything that is unexpected gains strength.

Bet on co-creation

In addition to publishing content through a company profile, you can also consider partnering with a profile already known on TikTok. It may be an easier and faster way to reach your audience and gain more followers. You just need to pay attention to a few details!

Thus, tiktoker Bruno Carvente, who shared his experience on the network during the YouPix Summit 2019 – one of the main events in the country on social video and influencers – gives a golden tip! He recommends that brands and creators think together the best way to combine product enhancement with a language suitable for TikTok, in order to communicate with the public more effectively.

It is important to highlight that these strategies and good practices are mainly related to organic feed and engagement. TikTok also has paid media, monetization through contributions to lives and several other tools and possibilities. To better understand, you can download the app, know its types of content and explore its features from the perspective of users. This way, it will be easier to think about effective strategies and get closer, in fact, to the audience of your brand!