TikTok is the hottest new platform on social media that has been downloaded over 1.5 billion times globally and has over 500 million monthly active users. There’s plenty of opportunities for brands of all sizes to run a campaign centered around the platform. 

The app consists of creating 15 and 60 second videos that are user generated and that can be edited all within the app. 

Since its start in 2018, TikTok has evolved from a video-creation app meant for users to express their creativity to a marketing and advertising hotspot for businesses. 

If you use TikTok right, you can introduce your brand or product to a huge audience. Here are some ways that you can use TikTok to promote your brand. 

#1 Participate in a TikTok Challenge

There are plenty of unbranded, original TikTok challenges that businesses can jump on board with to attract followers and potential customers. You can gain TikTok influence by simply creating a video based on a trending challenge. 

To make an impact with original TikTok challenges, it’s important to keep an eye out for growing trends so you can create your own video in a timely manner that it is still relevant. 

To find trending challenges: 

Look on the for you page

When you sign up for TikTok, the “For You page” will generate content with video suggestions you’ll enjoy. This page will change over time as you begin following accounts and liking different videos. 

Checking your For You page regularly (and making sure to follow TikTok influencers your target market follows) will help you identify up-and-coming challenges that are worth recreating on your business account.

Look at trending sounds

To find trending sounds, go to the sounds section of the app and you’ll see a list of the top trending sounds. After tapping on a sound, you’ll see videos that have been created using that sound.

Look through the videos using those sounds and see if any share common elements. Look for recurring movements such as dance moves or editing tricks and effects. Watch what people are doing with the sound and if they are doing any transition that goes with the sound.

 

#2 Launch a Hashtag Challenge

Hashtag challenges are a big deal on TikTok. A fun hashtag challenge not only promotes your brand, but it also drives user engagement. 

By doing a hashtag challenge you want to encourage TikTok users to create or recreate content and add your branded hashtag to it. It is important to have a hashtag that is associated directly to your brand or uses your product as a prop.

When you search the hashtag created for your brand or the current campaign, you will see how many views it has received, ultimately telling you how many people it has reached. 

Another important aspect of a viral hashtag challenge is the audio. Most successful hashtag challenges will have a distinctive audio that plays as you undertake the challenge. 

                   

 

#3 Develop Influencer-Created Content

Most of the users on TikTok are under the age of 30. Generation Z is typically not interested in anything that looks like a traditional ad. So, working with TikTok influencers can really help create a connection with that generation of users if they fit within your target audience. 

Using influencer marketing will help to expand your reach. Influencers on TikTok have varying numbers of followers that vary on their degrees of influence. You want to make sure you find influencers who work within your niche and whose personalities align with your brand’s values. 

It is important to find the right influencer, so that they can effectively promote your brand or products.

TikTok influencers might:

  • Talk about your product in a TikTok video.
  • Post about it in the video description.
  • Link to your brand in the description

Some of the most popular TikTok influencers are David Dobrik, Addison Rae and Charli D’Amelio.

                   

#4 Advertise on TikTok

TikTok has introduced ads to the platform and as you are scrolling, ads of products that the user might be interested in will show up as they are scrolling. TikTok has precise targeting so you can make sure your ads are reaching the exact users that would be interested in your brand or your product(s). 

The platform has different types of ads available for their user to utilize such as:

Brand takeovers

  • These ads appear in the user’s feed before they see any other user content, generally when the user first opens the app for the day. Then, a user can either let the ad play, skip it or swipe up on the link to get to the brands website. 

Native ads

  • These video ads play between user content as the user is scrolling on the app. They can be anywhere between 9 and 15 seconds long. However, users can skip or scroll past these ads.

Sponsored hashtag challenges

  • Your business can pay to sponsor a hashtag challenge and obtain a custom banner across the Discover page. When users tap it, they’re taken to videos that your team creates explaining and demonstrating the challenge, all while promoting your brand. 

Conclusion

TikTok gives an exciting opportunity for brands looking to engage with and attract the Generation Z audience. The app is continuing to grow in popularity across the world and can help you gain relevance with the next generation of consumers.

Now knowing what a TikTok challenge is and the different ways you can get involved as a brand, you’re ready to start creating content!

If you need help with your TikTok promotion strategy, contact the Rhinos!