6 Min Read TikTok, it’s the latest golden child on the social media landscape, and it’s taking the world by storm.
What started out as a simple video app, designed to help users express their unique creativity, is evolving fast and is gathering momentum as quickly as Facebook or Instagram did.
But is the app just a bit of fun or are there real opportunities that you and your business can take advantage of?
In this blog post, we’ll introduce you to the world of TikTok and help you see why you might want to practice your lip-syncing skills sooner rather than later.
What is TikTok?
Simply put, it’s the hottest social media channel right now.
It’s not the biggest, that crown still lies with Facebook, but it’s one of the fastest-growing platforms.
The app, which is available on both iOS and Android devices, began life in 2018 and boasts over 800 million users worldwide.
TikTok enables users to watch and create videos between 5 and 60 seconds in length.
Creators have access to a myriad of filters and an overwhelmingly large catalogue of music to choose from to help them enhance their videos.
There are also a wide range of effects including stop-motion, split-screen, stickers, transitions and much, much more.
Even if you haven’t downloaded the app, you’ve likely seen content that was produced on it, thanks to its cross-channel posting capabilities, which enable users to instantly share their TikTok content on almost every other social media channel, for example at the time of writing there are over 44million instances of people using #TikTok on Instagram.
Who uses TikTok?
The party line is that it’s just an app for teenagers to lip-sync to, but there is so much more to it than that.
Yes, it may be the perfect meme-making machine for Gen Z, but more and more users of all ages are flocking to the app and its focus on fun is giving businesses the perfect outlet to show sides of their organisations that might not be appropriate on other channels.
In our experience, TikTok is right for everyone, so long as you know how to use it in the right way, especially when it comes to representing your business on the platform, but we’ll discuss that further below.
What can your business do on TikTok?
Be creative
If there is one thing you need to ensure if you want to be successful on TikTok, it’s that your brand or business uses it in a creative way.
While particular songs, dances or actions may become viral sensations, of which your brand should try to be a part of, it needs to do it in a way that stands out.
TikTok is the perfect place for your business to let loose and show its fun and creative side.
Don’t be afraid to be quirky and always make sure you put your own spin on a viral trend, it’s what will make your followers buy into your brand in the long term.
Be authentic
At eclipse marketing, we’ve honed our content creation skills over 3 decades and we’ve become masters at delivering high-quality content to fit the budget of any of our clients.
A key part of doing that is ensuring those brands and businesses are authentic across all of their social media channels, whilst making sure that their budgets aren’t consumed by the content creation process.
You might be wondering why we’re mentioning this…
Well, the same applies to TikTok.
If you’re not giving an authentic representation of yourself or your brand you’ll get found out fast.
Authenticity plays a big role in the success of a TikTok channel, so always remember to keep it real.
TikTok users want to see the real you, no holds barred, and if you’re struggling to think of how to do that, don’t worry, our digital marketing team can help.
Create fun budget-friendly content
As we’ve already mentioned, we’re experts at maximising our clients’ budgets, and you’ll be happy to hear that if you’re looking to delve into content creation on TikTok, you won’t have to blow your budget.
Whereas other channels like YouTube thrive on highly curated content with excellent production value, things are a lot different on TikTok.
If you have a smartphone, you have almost everything you need to get started on the platform.
It’s more a case of having fun, expressing yourself as a business authentically and making sure you capitalise on the trends and viral crazes that change rapidly on TikTok, as well as generating original content.
If that all sounds a little daunting, don’t worry, the eclipse team have accumulated hundreds of hours of experience on the platform and will be able to give you all the guidance you need to make your presence on TikTok a success.
Can I advertise on TikTok?
TikTok’s advertising potential is there for all to see, given its rapid growth and varied content, however, if you’re a UK based business you won’t be able to advertise immediately.
Advertising options are currently being tested by the platform in the UK, with only a handful of businesses currently advertising on the platform.
Your focus should be on exciting organic content when you initially venture into the world TikTok so that you are fully prepared for the moment paid-advertising options become available.
When should my business join TikTok?
There’s no time like the present. Although the userbase for TikTok is growing rapidly, it’s still a relatively new platform.
As a result, by joining now and establishing your business on the platform, you will make sure you’re ahead of your competition.
How can my brand or business be successful on TikTok?
A good start is all of the points we have mentioned above, but if you’re looking to take the promotion of your business to the next level, you may need to consider influencer marketing.
The type of content that is needed on TikTok means it’s an arena that influencers thrive in, thanks to easy product placement within videos and a high turnover of viral content and trends.
If you’ve never delved into the world of influencer marketing, don’t worry, our team are here to help.
How can eclipse marketing help you on TikTok?
As we’ve mentioned, our team have accumulated hundreds of hours worth of experience on the platform.
We’re continually studying TikTok trends and we’re bursting with ideas that will enable us to help our clients capitalise on these opportunities.
Making sure your business is a success on TikTok will require more thought and creativity than other types of social media campaigns, carrying over an idea or creative from an Instagram story campaign to your TikTok channel simply won’t cut it with the demographic on the platform.
Thankfully our team of digital marketing experts and creative designers will make sure you always stand out from the crowd, cut through the noise and ensure your TikTok content, is fun, creative and ready to wow your audience every time.
If you’re interested in getting started on TikTok or are looking to improve or develop a TikTok strategy for your business, please get in touch with us today.
