How Any Business Can Succeed on TikTok
Wait…my business can create a piece of content...for free…and get the same amount of views as the Super Bowl…?
Yes. (Potentially).
We’ve never seen this scale of reach before, even in the heady early days of Facebook in 2008-09, and the window of opportunity will eventually close. This trend is dominated by TikTok and it has forced Meta to adapt accordingly, with the emphasis on Reels and “recommended for you” content. Snapchat and LinkedIn have been forced to rethink content distribution as a direct result of this, and Twitter appears to be making moves to embrace this type of viral content too. It’s all because of the explosive growth of TikTok over the past few years, particularly during the pandemic when isolation and a need for connection became acute on a global scale.
Attention and the time spent in the app is the most valuable metric to these channels. When attention moves heavily to one platform, the others must find a way to adapt and tip the scales back in their favor.
TikTok exploded because of how funny, light and engaging the content is. Instagram had become an aspirational lifestyle platform filled with celebrities and influencers showing off their wealth, while sacrificing substance. We’ve become starved for substance as consumers on social- seeking to be entertained or informed about quite literally anything. A local landscaping company can post a time lapse from mowing a lawn, edging the sides, and if it’s engaging enough, can amass 500,000+ views overnight.
The art is now the variable. Being thoughtful, creative and engaging about your field can and will do substantial things to your business.
So, this is all high-level social media philosophy. Give me something tangible.
Glad you asked! Below are sample tactics for three key verticals that can help to grow their audience, as well as suggestions on potential content for you to consider building:
1.) Software Services
● Develop a podcast and drop episodes on a realistic cadence for your team. Focus on the problem you’re solving. The length of each episode isn’t important—what is important is a focus on making it engaging and thoughtful and clearly of benefit to your target audience. Anchor your phones on a tripod to record video and to edit the show into smaller clips. Do your research in advance and be conscious of what makes the most sense for each platform (LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, etc.).
● Engage with other users and creators that are in your realm across platforms. On TikTok, you can Stitch, Duet, Reply. On Instagram, remix Reels. On all of them, react, comment, and reply regularly—be a consistent presence.
● Keep it light. These are humans on the other side. They respond to personality and ignore anything that sounds too robotic.
2.) Restaurants
● Develop content series around recipes, especially seasonally. Trust and empower your staff to recreate funny/outrageous interactions with customers.
● Give tips and tricks for how to make the best martini, how to sear perfectly every time, general cooking hacks, etc.
● Most of your chefs and bartenders can do their jobs blindfolded. Most of your customers and viewers, cannot. Explain why and how to everything you do. People love to learn, and have something tangible they can try!
3.) Consumer Products
● Invest in Influencer marketing. Message, DM, and email as many relevant influencers as possible on TikTok and offer to pay based on specific metrics met. Find what works for your business without insulting the influencer by lowballing them. For example:
● $300 if their post amasses 100,000 views
● $500 if their post amasses 250,000 views
● Don’t force it when it comes to capitalizing on trends. People are smart and can sniff that out from a mile away.
● For instance: There was a recent TikTok trend where creators would say “They’re a 10 but they drive a Jeep Wrangler”, “They’re a 7 but they are around your age in the grocery store”. The trend is meant to poke fun of how things that may seem unrelated can influencer whether you are attracted to someone. The popular handheld water supplement Mio, posted a TikTok capitalizing on this trend and said: ‘He’s a 10 but he drinks plain water.’ Most of the comments were completely dunking on the brand with 2nd hand embarrassment. Don’t be Mio. (Watch here.)
● Engage with other users and creators that are in your realm across platforms. On TikTok, you can Stitch, Duet, Reply. On Instagram, remix Reels. On Twitter, reply to users directly.
These tactics are not specific to one industry. They all work, if done with the right commitment and effort. The next year and a half will be your time to capitalize on the explosion of organic reach through viral video. It is possible with the right level of commitment, thoughtfulness, and creativity, you can achieve great results.
If you need help executing this, shoot us a note and let’s discover how we may help.