Is TikTok a must for businesses? Discover the potential

Should my business have a TikTok?

It’s a question I hear often these days, especially because TikTok is growing rapidly!

My conclusion is that TikTok is a unique marketing opportunity. Particularly, but not exclusively, for D2C businesses.

There are also plenty of B2B companies that have had great success using TikTok. Take Adobe and Shopify as examples.

This is why businesses should consider jumping onto the world’s new favorite platform.

Here are some of the opportunities I see in using TikTok for business.

Consumers find businesses authentic on TikTok

Although there are both ads and paid influencers on TikTok, the social media platform is known for being authentic.

This is partly because TikTok encourages businesses to show a less formal side of themselves.

For even though serious topics are allowed, users are mainly there for easy-to-consume entertainment. And if businesses want success, they must adapt to the informal tone and vibe.

TikTok creates trends

Users on TikTok create content based on new trends. This means that ideas and products quickly reach a wide audience.

In fact, 85% of users have discovered new products and brands on TikTok, according to a 2021 survey.

Advertising on TikTok is therefore a great opportunity to capture an audience of trendsetters who are open to trying new products.

Even if you don’t have an account, you’ve likely encountered some of the trends that TikTok has spawned. Songs that trend on TikTok are played on the radio, and recipes from TikTok are featured in food magazines.

You get more for your influencer money on TikTok

Users engage more with content from influencers on TikTok than on Instagram, based on likes, shares, and comments.

Data from Upfluence shows that TikTok micro-influencers have an engagement rate of 17.95%, whereas micro-influencers on Instagram average 3.86%. Even mega-influencers have an engagement rate that is more than four times higher on TikTok than on Instagram.

This suggests that users are more loyal to influencers on TikTok.

TikTok helps you with TikTok For Business

In 2020, TikTok relaunched their business page TikTok Ads under the name TikTok For Business. Since then, TikTok has become one of the social media platforms that makes it easiest for businesses to connect with their audience.

The main feature of TikTok’s relaunch is that they began focusing on how their platform helps businesses create ad content that resonates with users.

When you sign up for TikTok For Business, the platform helps you create videos and messages that your target audience will like. It also shows you how to best reach your goals and budget.

This is a huge advantage for businesses because it increases the chances of users finding your ads relevant.

How do I use TikTok in my marketing?

There are three ways you can use TikTok in your marketing:

• Use influencers
• Create content from your business’s own profile
• Purchase ads on TikTok (via their Ads Manager, similar to Meta ads and LinkedIn ads)

If you don’t have the resources to produce videos, influencers can be a great option to reach users on the platform.

But if you want to get the most out of TikTok, grab your camera and start producing your own videos.