To TikTok, or not to TikTok: Should your brand be on the popular video sharing platform?

TikTok was the most downloaded app of 2021, and in the UK has around 17 million active monthly users. A quarter of these are aged 15-24 -year-olds, around 12% are 25-34, and roughly 8% are 35-44.

In short, it is of course worth exploring whether or not you or your brand should be on the platform, but only if you have the right content for this specific audience – a dumping ground for any old repurposed content, TikTok is not!

We launched a TikTok channel for suspension trainer innovator, TRX, which quickly amassed over 30,000 followers – 10,000 of which were in one month alone. The key to that success? A robust strategy, a dedicated team of social media and design specialists, and relevant TikTok-specific content that resonates with fitness communities and similar niche audiences. Through research and social listening tools, we identified what these audiences wanted, and we gave it to them.

Following this success, many of our clients are asking for our help in deciding if TikTok is the platform for their brand. Here are some key discussion points we’ve been sharing with them.

The mission statement

Let’s start with TikTok’s mission statement – to inspire creativity and bring joy. Could your brand inspire creativity in TikTok’s predominantly Gen-Z users? Can you educate TikTok’s users in some way? Could you create brand content that inspires?

Respect the culture

There’s a certain tribalism among TikTok users that can at first be difficult to get your head around. Respecting and understanding that culture is vital for success. There’s huge opportunity to explore different content streams and hit new target audiences on TikTok, but try not to force it – square pegs rarely fit into round holes!

Utilise trends, hashtags and platform functions

TikTok is a fun platform, so you need to make sure your content reflects that energy. Jump on trending video themes, add sounds and effects, play with templates, maybe even dance! A simple Google search will provide lists of the trending hashtags that are relevant to you or your brand.

Invest time to build your presence

Creating a TikTok video takes time and effort. A lot more so than you might be used to when creating content for the other key social platforms. For a successful account, there has to be significant time investment.

Repurposing content from other platforms

The advice used to be a hard no, but with the arrival of Instagram Reels, many influencers and brands are now using both, and sharing similar, if not identical, content on each. If this is part of your strategy, don’t forget to include bespoke TikTok-only content in the mix!

When to recycle content

Time and resource limits mean creating bespoke content can be a challenge. Look back at your archive video content – YouTube is a good place to start – to see if there’s anything that’s still relevant and can be edited into short, TikTok clips. You can now upload 30-second, 60-second and 3-minute videos to TikTok.

Don’t over-egg the pudding!

TikTok videos don’t need to be super-polished or big budget. Simple piece-to-camera videos with text added using in-app editing tools can perform well. The key is posting what people are interested in.

Test and learn

Always! There isn’t a secret formula. Some content will be successful, some won’t. Don’t expect to become an oversight success, but persevere, learn from content performance, and you’ll soon start to grow your reach and engagement.

Outsource the heavy lifting

Our in-house social team offers a range of services; from auditing your current TikTok channel and strategy, to creating bespoke TikTok strategies, channel management, and content design and creation.

Are you interested to hear how we could develop a TikTok strategy to help you engage with a new audience? Get in touch with us today to have an informal chat about TikTok for you or your business.

Get in touch with the team