TikTok has quickly become a cultural phenomenon and one of the most popular social media platforms, with over 1 billion monthly active users. And it’s not just for Gen Z-ers anymore; TikTok is increasingly being used by people of all ages, demographics, and tastes.
If you’re not already using the TikTok app for your lifestyle business, you’re missing out on a huge opportunity to reach a new audience. TikTok is an incredibly effective platform for promoting products and driving sales, but only if you know how to use it effectively. The app has given rise to an all-new marketing style, which can be difficult to crack for newcomers.
Fortunately, we have compiled all of the strategies necessary to develop a TikTok marketing strategy. Apply these tips, tricks, and ideas to your own account to build an audience, drive sales, and make money on TikTok.
Quick Takeaways:
- Set Up TikTok for Business: Convert your TikTok account to a business account to gain full access to metrics and audience insights, essential for tailoring your marketing strategy.
- Curate Your Feed for Inspiration: Engage with content relevant to your business and audience on TikTok to keep your feed filled with inspiring and trendsetting ideas.
- Engage with Your Audience: Build trust and respect by actively engaging with your audience through comments, replies, and resharing user-generated content (UGC).
- Leverage Influencer Marketing: Collaborate with TikTok influencers, especially micro-influencers, to effectively reach and engage with a more targeted audience.
- Analyze and Adjust Using TikTok Analytics: Regularly review TikTok analytics to understand audience preferences and engagement patterns, allowing for continuous optimization of your content strategy.
How To Create A TikTok Marketing Strategy
1. Set Up TikTok For Business
Once you’re ready to take TikTok seriously, create an account with your business name as the handle. Then, convert the TikTok account to a business account. This process is simple, but it allows you to build out a more complete profile and gain full access to metrics and audience insights.
To make the transition, open Settings and privacy from your Profile page. Click Manage account and Switch to Business Account, then choose your business category. Lastly, customize your profile with a website, email address, and photo or icon.
2. Curate Your Feed
To stay up to date on what is popular, it is important to curate your TikTok feed. The app’s algorithm takes into account the content you engage with, the searches you perform, or any videos you mark as “Not interested.” Every action including likes, comments, and shares factors into what videos you will see in the future.
To understand what is most relevant to your lifestyle business and your audience, use the app with purpose. Act like your customers and watch relevant videos, explore hashtags, and check out competitors’ accounts.
In time, your ‘For You’ page will become a constant stream of inspiration and ideas.
3. Evaluate The Competition
As you formulate a TikTok marketing strategy, follow or check in on the accounts of your competitors. Take note of the following:
- Which videos generate reach
- Which ones fall flat on engagement
- Editing styles that perform well
- Techniques used to grab attention
- How often the TikToks are promotional
- Any other patterns you see
Use these insights to inform your initial content strategy. As a rapidly evolving platform, there is no TikTok marketing rulebook – the best way to learn is by studying others.
4. Join Trends
TikTok culture evolves quickly and rewards relevance. So stay plugged into the TikTok community to spot trends early. Try to develop a sense of inflection points, and what influencer participation or characteristics of a trend may lead to virality.
By identifying popular or soon-to-be popular audio, marketers can take advantage of the wave of attention a trend brings. Search the Discover page or hashtags like #TrendAlert for ideas.
For the best odds of capitalizing on a trend, make it your own. Get creative, and make your video unique or funny. Consider adding an unexpected ending to keep viewers engaged and to encourage sharing.
5. Connect With Your Audience
Forming a personal connection with your audience adds a human element to your lifestyle business. This bond establishes trust and respect, which are essential components for winning over potential customers and driving sales.
A popular way of engaging your viewers is by encouraging comments, replies, and responses to your TikToks. Being active in the comments section allows your brand’s personality to shine and helps you come across as approachable.
Another great way to connect with your audience is through your TikToks themselves. Consider resharing high-quality UGC, or user-generated content, like reviews, unboxing videos, and product demonstrations. Consistently rewarding creators in this way creates a win-win relationship and encourages others to share their experiences with your business.
Take this approach one step further with the Duet feature. Duets are side-by-side TikToks that allow you to engage with existing videos. Businesses can blind react to customer testimonials, add context to videos, or answer frequently asked questions.
Again, this strategy emphasizes that there are real people behind your business account. Both the original creator and the broader audience will appreciate and remember your personal interactions.
6. Involve Influencers
Influencers are TikTok users with an engaged, but not necessarily large, following. While the top TikTok influencers certainly have the ability to increase brand awareness, they’re not always accessible to solopreneurs.
Oftentimes, more approachable and budget-friendly “micro-influencers” are actually more effective at driving results anyway. These creators have more targeted followings and stronger connections with their audience.
There are a few key ways to leverage TikTok influencers. The first is by sponsoring content. This involves paying the influencer to feature your product in a TikTok.
The second way to collaborate with TikTok influencers is through a brand takeover. A takeover is when an influencer is active on your TikTok account, rather than their own, for a day. This is a great way to draw the creator’s audience toward your account and educate them about your business.
Finally, TikTok influencers can be used to supercharge any content or upcoming promotion. If you’d like to bring attention to a sale, a new product, or branded hashtag, engage an influencer to Duet the video with commentary or participate themselves.
No matter what approach you take, influencer marketing on TikTok is a powerful way to connect with a new audience and drive sales.
7. Experiment Consistently
There is nothing more important on TikTok than creativity and authenticity. Within those boundaries, however, the platform provides an opportunity for a wide range of styles to succeed. So don’t restrict your brand to just one type of promotional video.
Test out TikToks with:
- On-brand comedy
- Behind-the-scenes shots
- Previews of upcoming drops
- Interviews with any team members
- Dance challenges
- Well-known landmarks, if you’re a digital nomad
Use a variety of editing styles, effects and filters, and audio tracks, and pay attention to what your audience responds to.
Every time you experiment with a new format try to glean a new insight. Over time, you will hone in on what TikToks perform best and you can lean into those styles more heavily.
Plus, with such a rapidly changing algorithm, what works today may not work tomorrow. Continue to experiment with your TikTok marketing strategy to find and maintain a competitive edge.
8. Analyze Results (And Adjust)
TikTok provides a number of detailed analytics to businesses on the platform. To access them, click on the “View Analytics” button under “Creator tools”.
The TikTok analytics page includes an account overview, content insights, follower insights, and a live overview. From here you can review data on everything from video views and profile visitors to interactions, time spent watching, and audience demographics.
Use TikTok analytics to track which videos perform best, what time of day your audience is most active, and which TikTok effects or audio tracks generate engagement. This data will help you better understand your audience and tailor your content to their preferences.
TikTok marketing is still in its early stages but that doesn’t mean there isn’t already fierce competition. To succeed you will need to track results and adjust your strategy accordingly.
9. Share Your Top Performers
Make the most of your top-performing TikToks by sharing them on other platforms! Use a TikTok video downloader to remove any TikTok watermarks, and then upload to Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, and Snapchat Spotlight.
You can also post TikTok videos on your brand’s website or blog, or use TikToks as ads on other social media platforms. By cross-promoting your TikTok videos across the web, you’ll reach a wider audience and drive more traffic (and sales) for your lifestyle business. It’s a simple strategy, but an important way to squeeze as much as you can out of your best content.
10. Advertising On TikTok
Once you have cracked the code and developed a successful TikTok marketing strategy with organic videos, scale your business to the next level with TikTok Ads.
There are four main TikTok ad types:
- In-Feed
- TopView
- Branded Hashtag Challenge
- Branded Effects
In-Feed
In-Feed Ads appear in users’ TikTok feeds between other videos and are denoted by a “sponsored” label. They can include elements like images, videos, and CTAs.
TopView
TopView ads are the first video users see when they open the app. According to TikTok, TopView is the platform’s “most effective ad type in driving sales impact.”
Branded Hashtag Challenge
Branded Hashtag Challenges encourage users to interact with a brand in a more meaningful way. The audience is challenged to create a video demonstrating a specific action or talent while using a branded hashtag. These campaigns can be used to generate brand awareness, valuable UGC, and new trends.
Branded Effects
Branded Effects are another ad type with the potential to go viral. Brands can create unique games, stickers, filters, and special effects for use in TikTok videos.
TikTok Ads allow you to reach a larger audience, generate leads, and boost sales. But TikTok Ads are not cheap; prices start at $10 per thousand views. So make sure you have perfected your organic TikTok marketing strategy before investing in paid ads.
TikTok Marketing Strategy: Summary
If you are learning how to start an ecommerce business or you already manage a lifestyle business, TikTok is a great platform to market your products or services. The app may seem daunting at first, but with a little creativity and some trial and error, you can develop a TikTok marketing strategy that works for you.
Remember to keep your videos fun and engaging, focus on creating quality content, and use TikTok analytics to track your progress. When done right, TikTok is a powerful marketing tool for growing your business. So what are you waiting for? Get started making TikToks today!
TikTok Marketing Strategy: FAQs
How can TikTok be used for marketing?
TikTok’s unique digital marketing landscape allows businesses to leverage its platform for marketing success through engaging video content. By creating content that resonates with the TikTok audience, such as funny videos and viral moments, and utilizing tools like trending hashtags, businesses can effectively increase their website traffic and social media presence. Using a TikTok business account enhances the ability to gain valuable insights and tailor content to the target audience.
Why is TikTok so successful in marketing?
TikTok’s success in marketing can be attributed to its highly engaging and interactive nature. The platform’s algorithm promotes short-form video content that captures attention quickly, making it ideal for digital marketing. TikTok trends and branded hashtags help in creating content that is both entertaining and aligned with marketing efforts, leading to higher engagement and visibility.
What is the best strategy for TikTok ads?
The best strategy for TikTok ads involves a mix of organic content and paid campaigns. In-feed ads, brand takeover ads, and spark ads are effective for reaching a broader TikTok audience. However, leveraging TikTok influencer marketing by collaborating with TikTok influencers can amplify marketing content and impact. A successful campaign also involves using relevant hashtags and aligning with trending content on TikTok’s Discover page.
What is the best content strategy on TikTok?
The most successful strategy for TikTok content revolves around understanding the TikTok algorithm and audience preferences. Create fun, relatable, and original TikTok video clips that align with your brand’s message. Utilize hashtag challenges to engage your audience and consider a content calendar to maintain a consistent TikTok presence. Remember, your own strategy should reflect your brand’s personality and target audience.
How can small businesses optimize their TikTok marketing efforts?
Small businesses can optimize their TikTok marketing efforts by focusing on organic content that resonates with their audience. Creating a TikTok for business accounts provides access to analytics for better understanding of TikTok performance. Small businesses should focus on creating engaging video content, leveraging relevant social media channels, and incorporating social media posts that align with current TikTok trends.
What role do influencers play in TikTok marketing?
Influencers are pivotal in TikTok influencer marketing, offering a way to connect with a wider audience. Collaborating with TikTok influencers in influencer marketing campaigns can enhance brand visibility and authenticity. Influencers can help a small business or any brand create content that is more likely to resonate with the TikTok users, leading to increased engagement and marketing success.
How can businesses track their success on TikTok?
Businesses can track their success on TikTok by monitoring their TikTok analytics. This provides valuable insights into TikTok performance, including video views, engagement rates, and audience demographics. Analyzing these metrics helps in refining TikTok marketing strategies and understanding the impact of different types of TikTok advertising and content.
What are some creative ways to use TikTok for business growth?
Creative ways to use TikTok for business growth include participating in TikTok hashtag challenges, using branded hashtags to create engaging content, and experimenting with different video editing styles. Businesses can also host their own social media challenges on the TikTok platform, encouraging user participation and creating viral moments that boost overall social media marketing efforts.
Daniel Anderson is a marketing expert who writes about finding opportunities and making money online. Daniel teaches readers how to start a side hustle, scale through digital marketing, and plan for financial freedom. Learn everything you need to know to conquer your personal finances with step-by-step guides at TheMoneyManiac.com.