Mediastreet
Tag

TikTok

Browsing
In News

8 Ways to Market Your Business on TikTok

No Comments

By Faith Walls

From Dunkin’ Donuts to the NBA, countless brands have hitched a ride on TikTok, the latest social media bandwagon. Since its launch in 2018, the user-generated, video-based app quickly grew from its China origin to an international sensation. With nods to its predecessor, Vine (RIP), TikTok turns nearly every content creator into a top-tier video editor and storyteller. The platform delights millions of users with its endless stream of FYP (For You Page) content, that is specifically geared towards your searches, interests, and frequently viewed subject matter.

This firehose of varietal media serves as sort of a time vortex. New users should be warned, your innocent “five-minute scroll” before bedtime can quickly turn into a three-hour content binge before you can say “lights out.” The average user spends at least 45 minutes on the app each day. Naturally, this rapid-fire of content consumption makes TikTok an alluring marketing tool for brands. If you can get your business name simply in the feed stream, you’re doing okay. But with a little creativity, you can take it a step further and generate content geared towards keeping viewers engaged.

 8 Best Ways to Market Your Business on TikTok

1. Don’t Aim For Perfection

Contrary to the polished and pristine standards of Instagram, TikTok won’t need you to be editing out blemishes or cropping out that mess on the floor. The app thrives on seemingly authentic content. You will likely find the most engagement when your content is true to your brand personality and intentionally crafted.

2. Paid Ads

If the user-friendly algorithm isn’t enough, the platform is also delving into the realm of paid ads. If you have experience using Facebook Business Suite, you are already prepared to tackle TikTok ad campaigns. Curiously, the platform’s paid ads are designed quite similar to Facebook or Google.

You essentially have two options when it comes to TikTok ads: interest targeting and behavioural targeting. Interest targeting works the most equivalently to Facebook Ads. Through this method, you can structure your ad placement to target a specific audience.

Behavioural targeting works a bit differently, allowing you to generate your ads based on user behaviour on the app within the past seven or fifteen days. This unique method ensures your content is geared towards individuals who are active on the platform.

3. Use Hashtags Liberally

While hashtags may be considered a bit archaic on Instagram, the metadata geo tracker is receiving a much-needed reboot on TikTok. As you plug your videos into the platform, be sure to use niche hashtags and plenty of them. This is an optimal method to grow your page organically.

Joining or creating a hashtag challenge is another way you can add your content to the Discover page. This starts with creating a catchy video often with a specific sound and adding a corresponding hashtag. These campaigns easily go viral as the engaging trend of choice catches on.

4. Join In On Trends

Much like the hashtag challenge, following other trends on TikTok is an ideal way to stay up to date with popular content on the platform. Users enjoy seeing different brands take part in funny and engaging content, as popular dances, challenges, songs, and video effects surge in viewership.

5. Be Bold With Your Original Content

The platform allows users to create 15 to 60 second videos using numerous filters, voiceovers, and virtually any song snippet. This limited-time window means you have less than a minute to optimize the “elevator pitch” of your brand. Keep in mind that TikTok is built on consumer engagement; the more user-friendly your content is, the higher views and comments you can expect. Keep your videos concise and attention-grabbing. Always prioritize quality over quantity.

6. Utilize Influencer Marketing

Influencers are an optimal way to gain viewers and to expand your reach to a brand new audience. Though one normally associates influencer content with the visual aesthetics of Instagram, influencers are taking to TikTok in order to gain new sponsorships. The process works similarly to Instagram, where there is an exchange of incentives – either monetary or product – for the promotion of your business. Influencers already have a loyal following, so placing your brand in front of a wider audience is an effective way to increase awareness.

7. Partner With Other Creators

TikTok is famous for its “duet” feature, where users can record videos that build upon another video. This popularized trend has resulted in a vast expanse of creative efforts – from barbershop quartet ditties to personal story prompts. Partnering with like-minded creators and utilizing TikTok live videos opens up the conversation with the audience and helps your brand feel personable.

8. Track Your Analytics Data

As you launch your promotional content and experiment with different trends, be sure to track your engagement through TikTok Analytics. These statistics provide valuable insights regarding your audience demographics and viewership. Don’t be afraid to try out different approaches as you go.

By Faith Walls

Sourced from HEYSocal

 

Read More
By
In News

Instagram to Pay $600 to $35K for Creators on Reels to Compete With TikTok

No Comments

By Urian B

Instagram is willing to pay from around $600 all the way up to $35,000 for creators to make content on Reels. Reels is Instagram’s app designed to compete with the trendy social media platform TikTok.

Instagram Reels vs. TikTok

TechCrunch and Business Insider reported that Instagram is putting aside a massive amount of money to give to creators to post videos on its own TikTok competitor Reels.

Instagram has just announced its own bonus program for Reels in July. This was the time when Mark Zuckerberg. The CEO of Meta noted that the company would be paying a whopping $1 billion to creators throughout 2022.

Reels Pays Up to $35,000 to Creators

The reports reportedly shed new light on just how much individual creators are now being offered for their own Reels. The report also details how many views are needed to get the maximum bonus pay out.

TechCrunch also points out one Reddit post where a person was offered all the way up to $35,000 if their own Reels reaches 58.31 million views in just a month. This is reportedly in line with what Business Insider reports regarding Sam and Cori Werrell offering to make Reels content for their already significant 283,000 Instagram followers.

Creators Offered Smaller Sums

On the other hand, smaller creators have been offered smaller sums. A creator with about 52,000 Instagram followers, Maddy Corbin, was offered up to $1,000. She noted that she knew people that were offered about $600 to $800.

According to the story by The Verge, TechCrunch now reports that the bonuses look to be increasing over time. Another creator with 24,000 Instagram followers was just offered a higher $8,500 to get 9.28 million views.

Payments are Still Testing

It was also noted that a Verge staff member that had 15,000 followers was also offered the same pay out. It was noted that there doesn’t seem to be any particularly firm rules regarding how payment amounts would correspond to follower counts.

Instagram reportedly told TechCrunch that the whole program was still in its early age and still experimenting with the given format. The company noted that they continue to test out payments towards more creators. The company expects them to fluctuate while they are still getting started reportedly.

Snapchat, YouTube, Reels vs. TikTok

Both Snapchat and YouTube were also offering their very own creator incentives. In August, YouTube actually announced that they would pay up to $10,000 a month for certain popular videos. In September, Snapchat also announced its very own Spotlight Challenges.

Snapchat reportedly offers a prize pool that would range from $1,000 to $25,000. There are now two different possible interpretations of these particular platforms’ bonus schemes. The Meta-owned Instagram currently wants to give more to creators to incentivize them to post more content.

Feature Image Credit: Image from Alexander Shatov on Unsplash Website

By Urian B

Sourced from Tech Times

Read More
By
In News

Millennialgram: is Instagram’s new $390m campaign enough to lure Gen Z crowds away from TikTok?

No Comments

By Aimee Dawson

The Yours to Make initiative includes an installation at London’s Saatchi Gallery created by digital artist and curator Zaiba Jabbar using Reels

Instagram's “Yours to Make” initiative aims to attract young people to the platform Instagram

Instagram’s “Yours to Make” initiative aims to attract young people to the platform Instagram

In a column about art and Instagram, it’s easy to ignore the other apps scrambling for social media dominance. But the fight for attention is relentless, and while Instagram may be the art world’s social platform of choice, such favouritism tends to be generational. In the mid-2010s, reports started to show that fewer young people were using Facebook while the number of over-55s signing up was growing. It was soon coined “Boomerbook”. Meanwhile, Facebook bought Instagram in 2012 initially to neutralise the threat of competition, but soon the app began to mop up the pool of young people abandoning Facebook.

Now we are facing “Millennialgram”. According to a recent survey

undertaken by the financial services firm Piper Sandler, 35% of US teenagers say Snapchat is their favourite social media platform and 30% prefer TikTok, while Instagram comes in third at 22%. A report from the New York Times

last month revealed internal documents from 2018 in which the company had named the loss of teenage users to other social media platforms as an “existential threat” and a further document from October last year that read: “If we lose the teen foothold in the US we lose the pipeline.”

The latter leaked document laid out Instagram’s marketing plan for this year, and now we are beginning to see it unfold. The platform openly announced what it calls “the next chapter in Instagram’s brand story” on its website in September. Called “Yours to Make”

it aims to “showcase how you can explore who you are with Instagram”. The announcement was accompanied by a video that shows young creatives using the various features and products on the Instagram app, including the hip-hop artist Topaz Jones, the Native American make-up artist Madrona Redhawk and the digital creator Justin Yi—“real creators and everyday users who are using our platform to push the boundaries of creativity and experimentation”, Instagram says.

The New York Times says Instagram has allocated a marketing budget of $390m this year, mostly aimed at wooing teens. In the UK, the Yours to Make film is accompanied by a social-first content series created with Channel 4’s 4Studio, a brand partnership with the culture publication Dazed, targeted digital and video adverts, and “experiential activity” such as an installation at London’s Saatchi Gallery (4-9 November).

The work at Saatchi will consist of a free-to-access, interactive “motion art installation” in the galleries—a “digital portrait of British youth culture” with Instagram Reels video content from 50 handpicked Gen Z creatives. It has been assembled by the digital artist and curator Zaiba Jabbar, who says she has been inspired by “the breadth of creativity” in the Reels. The platform is also inviting users to submit Reels about their own journeys of self-discovery—tagged #YoursToMake—for the chance to be included in the work. Time will tell if Instagram can Reel the kids back in.

By Aimee Dawson

Insta’ gratification

Insta’ gratification is a monthly blog by Aimee Dawson, our Associate Digital Editor. Looking at how the art world and Instagram collide, each article tackles a topic around the innovations and challenges that spring up when art enters the digital world.

Sourced from The Art Newspaper

Read More
By
In News

TikTok launches new global experience and products for marketers to reach users

No Comments

By Emma Shepherd

TikTok has today launched its first global experience designed to help brands and marketers embrace TikTok and reimagine how they connect with their communities.

TikTok said it’s excited to introduce new creative, branding and commerce solutions to help brands of all sizes drive commercial impact.

TikTok’s general manager, global business solutions, Australia and New Zealand, Brett Armstrong, told Mumbrella what that means for brands and marketers within the local region.

“I’d say that TikTok has now really become established as a mainstream marketing platform in Australia and New Zealand. We’ve seen advertisers from sectors spanning Auto, FMCG, finance, QSR, media, telcos, technology, retail and beauty, collaborating closely with us to drive innovation and creativity in advertising in this region,” Armstrong said.

“I’m really proud of the work we’ve partnered on with highly creative, out-of-the-box marketers like the team at Budget Direct, as well as Optus, who’ve been with us from the start, taking risks and being first movers.”

Armstrong added he’s seen many large-scale brands advertise on the platform, including Macca’s on its 50th birthday, and brands like Athlete’s Foot, Mecca and Afterpay have stretched the platform to develop bespoke campaigns that meet their needs.

“Our agency relationships have also grown from strength-to-strength and our dedicated team are close partners with media groups including Omnicom, WPP, Publicis, Mediabrands and Dentsu, as well as creative agencies like M&C Saatchi, DDB and BMF are also key for TikTok locally,” Armstrong explained.

“We’re bringing some truly innovative solutions to Australian and Kiwi brands. I know that many of our partners will be really excited by our new commerce solutions, these developments have been hotly anticipated. TikTok Shopping is one product that I’m certain will be a game-changer for us, in terms of helping brands reach consumers where they are, in droves – and that’s in-app. Measuring impact continues to be top of mind for both advertisers and agencies locally, and the tools we are announcing in this space are really going to deliver new value for our partners, which I know is news that they’ll respond to,” Armstrong said.

TikTok said it will be strengthening brand and creator collaboration with creative tools. When brands join TikTok, the platform tells them to “think like marketers and act like creators”. 61% of TikTok users say videos on TikTok are more “unique” than on any other platform and seven out of ten say TikTok ads are enjoyable, according to recent data collated by the platform.

TikTik is growing its suite of creative solutions that enable advertisers to embrace creativity on the platform and also to help connect them and collaborate with TikTok’s diverse ecosystem of creators.

TikTok Creator Marketplace is a self-serve portal provides brands with access to a variety of creators, while the Application Interface (API) enables access to the platform’s first-party marketplace data for creator marketing outfits such as Whalar, Influential, Captiv8, to provide brands with services to help manage the entire end-to-end process of creator marketing on TikTok.

Open Application Campaigns mean that brands can post campaign briefs to creators across TikTok Creator Marketplace so that they can self-apply and participate. Branded Content Toggle tool allows creators to mark videos and disclose commercial content without disrupting their creative flow.

Lastly, Customised Instant Page mean brands can create landing pages that load in seconds – 11 times faster than standard mobile pages – to let users dive deeper into a brand’s message by watching videos or swiping through different content.

According to the platform, these solutions will enhance brands’ experience on the platform, how they connect with audiences, and how they are discovered by the community.

TikTok’s global managing director, product marketing and strategy, Jiayi (Ray) Cao, told Mumbrella: “This is the moment that we hope will give the industry more of our insights about TikTok, especially for the commercial products, where we are going. It’s all three components, our creators, we want to really help them thrive on the platform, and how does that really benefit advertisers? We want to be able to connect to dots between our creators and the advertisers and our brands. The second part is really how we enable the committee and the brands to get better connected? Oftentimes, brands are seen as quite alienated from traditional advertising, but TikTok are really trying to help brands relate to their audiences. We’re really building this to help brands unlock new opportunities on the platform.”

“This is the first time the advertisers will be hearing from us directly, which is really exciting. We do have detailed roadmaps for when our products will be rolled out in each region globally. Australia and New Zealand are very important for us, as we have already run some tests of our products in the market. For example, we launched Collection Ads in Australia just six months ago, and now it’s gone global. For shopping, we’re testing aggressively in South-East Asia on our shopping solutions, and that will soon be launched in Australia, at the end of the year,” Cao concluded.

For more on this story, the team spoke about it on the Mumbrellacast

 

By Emma Shepherd

Emma Shepherd is a senior journalist at Mumbrella. With over seven years of print and digital experience in the industry, she’s previously worked as a reporter for media outlets Bauer Media (now Are Media), Yahoo Australia, and The Daily Mail among other positions.

Sourced from Mumbrella

Read More
By
In News

11 Creative TikTok Ideas For Businesses

No Comments

Sourced from Forbes

With people’s attention spans growing shorter by the hour, it’s no wonder that TikTok has become an addictive source of content for millions of busybodies around the world. From comedy to advertising, TikTok users can use the platform to create any 15-second video clip they dream up and share it with the world.

TikTok has become an interesting part of many business’ marketing campaigns, which can be wildly successful if the clips tick all the right boxes. Below, members of Forbes Business Council share some of the most creative ways businesses can use this popular platform to advertise their products or services.

1. Use Your Account To Connect The Community 

When doctors create a TikTok account, it’s a great way to improve online visibility and connect with the community. It gives them a platform to talk about current issues, like vaccine misinformation, and answer questions patients frequently ask. It can also help build trust with patients who increasingly rely on online sources to find a new doctor. – Ty Allen, SocialClimb

2. Promote Health And Well-Being In Fun Ways

Who doesn’t want their workplaces to be fun and healthy? I think that because of the fact that TikTok engages a larger audience as compared to creative banners, organizations have started to use them for spreading or promoting messages in a lighter way. I recently have seen organizations promote the importance of getting vaccinated through TikTok videos and I found it extremely interesting. – Neha Madaan, Vanator

3. Make Videos Funny, Memorable, And Catchy

TikTok is best used by businesses in the advertisement angle they take. I say, funny always wins on TikTok. Video ads that are too professional will be overlooked. Make them funny, memorable and catchy and everyone wins. A good strategy is to consider the flight date of the campaign and match it to whatever is trending by putting a business spin on it. As it’s said, don’t make ads, make TikToks. – Olivia Friedman, Institute of Higher Global Studies

4. Encourage Users To Use Products In Unique Places

Recently, I saw a consumer products company hold a contest whereby they encouraged their users to post TikTok videos of them using the product in strange and exotic places. I saw videos from the pyramids, the Taj Mahal, the jungle, a safari in Africa and more. The videos were highly entertaining and a creative use of a social media platform. – Adam Coffey, CoolSys

5. Experiment In A Playful And Humorous Way

TikTok is by far my favorite social media platform because it’s authentically entertaining and you don’t have to struggle to come up with unique ideas. It’s a perfect place for brands to experiment in a playful way and your videos can go viral if you post often. Telling a story with a little humor will always work, so add a bit of it when trying to advertise. – Abigail Aboitiz, 247 Health Solution LLC

6. Use Hashtag Challenges To Boost User Content

I have seen businesses using hashtag challenges like Samsung did while launching their new Galaxy phone, which helped them to boost user-generated content. It’s a very creative idea, and you can encourage many users to watch and join your challenge. When they tap on it, the hashtag takes them to other videos that your team has developed, explaining the challenge and promoting it altogether. – Sanket Shah, InVideo Innovation Pte Ltd.

7. Share Personal Experiences To Build Authenticity

TikTok is yet another platform to share personal experiences. Skincare companies ( The Ordinary, Curology, Glossier and Clinique for example) have excelled in utilizing this feature by working with people to share their testimonials in user-generated content, building an authentic brand image and trust with their consumer base. – Jill Strickman, GENUINE: The Real People Company

8. Show Kindness With Charities And Global Missions

Businesses that are utilizing this platform for showing kindness done with charities and global missions for good have stood out to me. The benefit is the awareness toward the causes being supported that others may not have been aware of by way of a business showing an act of kindness. There is a social benefit to this and it usually returns goodwill back to the business. TikTok for good and get a ROI. – Paul L. Gunn, KUOG Corporation

9. Share Bite-Sized Pieces Of Information 

I love the way young financial management experts share bite-sized information on TikTok to make wealth building and management more accessible to the masses. This is innovative and encourages the next generation to think differently about finances, as well as build personal financial skills — something large financial institutions have struggled to achieve. – Kamales Lardi, Lardi & Partner Consulting GmbH

10. Show The “Why” And Brand Story In Your TikTok

It’s great to see businesses that show the “why” in their TikTok. Your brand story is incredibly important for connecting with customers, and what better way to share a message than a medium created for that. TikTok can help share your story, your mission and humanize you. It’s more than sharing your business; it’s sharing your life’s work. Plus, you can do it however you like. – Steve Byrne, EquiSource

11. Make Sure Platform’s Tone Matches Your Brand

The largest demographic of TikTok users are ages 16-24, which means the platform is especially effective in driving product or service trials amongst this group. I’ve seen the platform used effectively by skincare and beauty brands, but it’s important to make sure it’s the right platform and tone for your desired audience to avoid embracing a trend that’s not strategic based on your objectives. – Muraly Srinarayanathas, Computek College

Sourced from Forbes

Forbes Business Council is an invitation-only, fee-based organization for successful entrepreneurs and business leaders.

Read More
By
In News

TikTok takes aim at Facebook and Instagram with its new shopping features

No Comments

By Scott Nover

TikTok unveiled new shopping features for brands, positioning it to compete with the largest social media companies on e-commerce.

The Chinese company, owned by ByteDance, has been steadily rolling out shopping features over the last year, partnering with Shopify and Walmart among others. Now, TikTok is giving marketers a suite of shopping tools including shoppable links, livestream shopping, and product galleries in ads. TikTok Shopping first piloted in the US, UK, and Canada in August.

This functionality pits TikTok against Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest, which dominate US social commerce, effectively the buying and selling of products through social media. According to the research firm Insider Intelligence, Facebook will sell to 56.1 million users in 2021 on its main app and to 32.4 million on Instagram. Pinterest will attract the third-most buyers with 13.9 million expected, the research firm said.

Mike Proulx, vice president and research director at the research firm Forrester, said in an interview that social commerce is becoming “much more of a native user experience within social media apps.” Forrester research shows 38% of US adults buy products monthly on social media.

Claiming 1 billion global users as of this week, TikTok poses a rising threat to Facebook in one of the most important potential growth areas for both companies.

Social commerce has swept China

In the US, social commerce is still nascent compared to China. Chinese consumers will spend about $351 billion on purchases mediated by social media in 2021, Insider Intelligence projects, while Americans will spend about $37 billion. It’s a growing sector: social commerce sales are expected to rise 36% in the US this year.

WeChat, the ubiquitous chat app owned by Tencent, dominates social commerce in China. But ByteDane tripled its sales on Douyin, TikTok’s counterpart in China, to $77 billion in 2020, according to one Chinese media outlet. While livestream shopping in the US focuses on apparel and beauty, Chinese consumers are accustomed to buying everyday goods like groceries and meals off of influencer-led live streams. It’s uncertain that those habits will translate to the US market, but social commerce is widely considered a promising slice of growing e-commerce sales.

TikTok made me buy it

Since it rose to prominence in the US, TikTok has played a small but growing role as a recommendation engine for shoppers. While dwarfed by direct sales from competing platforms, viral posts on the platform have driven huge sales for a few products: CeraVe skin products, a cleaning paste called The Pink Stuff, catnip called Cat Crack and certain pair of now-famous leggings.

One of the company’s new slogans, “TikTok Made Me Buy It,” has become a rallying cry for creators trying out viral products, but until now the company has not equipped businesses with the tools to actually sell direct to consumers. That’s finally changing as US customers become increasingly comfortable shopping on social.

Feature Image Credit: REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration

By Scott Nover

Sourced from QUARTZ

Read More
By
In News

3 Reasons to Reconsider the Branding Power of TikTok, From a Gen-X Skeptic

No Comments

Sourced from Inc.

It’s not “if” TikTok has potential as a business platform; it’s when your company will decide to leverage it.

Roger Patterson is an EO Vancouver member and the founder and CEO of visual marketing platform Later, and co-founder of accelerator Launch Academy. We asked him about the business case for TikTok. Here’s what he shared.

My first impression of TikTok was typical for a Gen Xer: The platform seemed like a hub for tweens to flaunt dance moves and indulge in pre-adolescent narcissism. But after participating in a company hack week where the mission was to build an integration with TikTok, my eyes opened to its possibilities as a serious business tool.

With more than a billion monthly active users globally, TikTok has become the fastest-growing social media platform of the decade–but with 63 percent of its users under the age of 30, executives are quick to disregard it.

And while increased screen time among the under-15 demographic during the pandemic contributed to its growth, the platform is more than short-form dance videos–it’s the next generation of content creation.

With its suggestive algorithm, musical navigation and brilliant editing tools, TikTok has mastered compelling, short-form video as a service in a way legacy platforms like YouTube and Instagram have not. The latter may have secured more placement in marketing budgets for now, but TikTok as a legitimate new content channel is forcing brands to re-evaluate how they engage consumers.

If you’re a Gen Xer, Boomer or traditionalist doubting TikTok;s business ROI, here are three reasons you should reconsider:

Branded Entertainment Has Become a Must-Have

First and foremost, TikTok is about entertaining its users. Entertainment has become a new form of brand currency, and it’s a must-have. Social media influences 71 percent of consumer buying decisions–and that funnel starts with interest and awareness. Millennials and Gen Z in the US alone have a combined $350 billion of buying power, and they’re also turning to mobile video as a primary source of entertainment.

Brands need to start thinking of entertainment as a service–a way to add value to consumers first and establish a relationship before moving to transaction.

Importantly, entertaining content doesn’t need to exclusively be a frivolous distraction. Done right, TikTok videos can be a gateway to brand education, tying to a brand’s mission or higher purpose in more creative and authentic ways.

Early Adopters are Rewarded with Influence 

Just as Snapchat graduated from the exchange of ephemeral photos to include video, stories and chat–a formula brands quickly acclimatized to–TikTok is showing signs of breaking out of its Gen-Z niche. The platform just launched a TikTok Resumes pilot program and a new Shopify partnership to support social commerce. Recently, Vimeo integrated with TikTok Business: The first video creation platform to do so.

While the platform’s expansion into more mature markets is inevitable, research shows those who get in early have a distinct advantage–higher social status, increased customer loyalty and influence–over competitors who are left playing catch up. Not to mention, building an authentic community on any social platform takes time.

Retail giants including Walmart and Amazon are already diving in head first, securing their position on the platform, as other brands figure out how to embrace the new kid on the social media block. The Washington Post, for example, may not seem a likely brand for TikTok success. However, the legacy publication was an early adopter, turning its news into funny, bite-sized videos that appeal to an entirely different audience than its print or web presence. The reward for its efforts: 40.9 million likes.

Connectivity is the New Word of Mouth

In January, TikTok star Barbara Kristoffersen posted a video of herself wearing a vintage Gap hoodie in brown, a colour the retail giant hadn’t produced since the 2000s. The post went viral, garnering more than 6 million views. By February, retro Gap hoodies were a common sight on style influencers across all platforms. Just a few months later, Gap was taking preorders for a reissue of the iconic pullover sweatshirt.

The fact is, social connectivity is the new word of mouth. And Gen Z’s status as the most socially connected generation of all time can’t be ignored. These are the consumers most likely to be talking, sharing and posting about your brand.

Hesitations some have about social media in general, and TikTok in particular, are legitimate. Between privacy issues, concerns about spyware and misinformation bubbles that just can’t seem to be popped, the internet can feel like a scary place. But ultimately, at its best, social media allows people to connect around shared interests and businesses to relate to their customers in a more direct way–through conversation, not broadcast.

TikTok may be whimsical and fast-changing, but it’s not going anywhere anytime soon. Much like the social media platforms that came before (Facebook started for university students, and is now a key player in the $48 billion social commerce market) TikTok will eventually grow up, expand its demographics and monetize in new ways.

It isn’t a question of if TikTok has business potential; it’s whether Gen X wants to lead the way in harnessing it, or follow.

Feature Image Credit: Alamy. Illustration: Inc. Magazine

Sourced from Inc.

Read More
By
In News

5 Questions You Should Ask to Determine Whether TikTok or Instagram Is Better for Your Influencer Marketing Campaign

No Comments

By

Here’s a breakdown of how both platforms compare and what makes each one stand out in the influencer marketing space.

If you’re responsible for keeping your brand focused on the right social platforms and leveraging the right influencer partnerships, you’ve probably spent some time wondering whether you should focus on TikTok or Instagram.

TikTok and Instagram both offer distinct attractions for their users. While both are visual, TikTok is more audio and music-driven and has a more creative and spontaneous feel to much of its content. Instagram, on the other hand, is a more established platform with a more polished aesthetic. Because of its longevity, a sophisticated advertising and influencer network has developed on its ecosystem, which can make it easier to venture into known-commodity partnerships with influencers.

Where are your time and resources best spent, and what differentiates the two? The right answer often differs for each brand and that the difference depends on their audience and goals.

What’s your target audience demographic?

The platform you prefer may vary depending on which types of users you’re seeking to connect with. TikTok’s overall audience skews younger, with half of all Gen Z American adults accessing the platform, as compared to only 22 percent of millennials and 14 percent of the 50-64 cohort.

Instagram has a wider user base among all demographics, with 48 percent of 30-49 year olds on the platform and a third of the 50-64 age range. Its growth has stabilized and it’s not experiencing the same rapid user base expansion as TikTok.

How are you hoping to get seen?

Instagram has an advantage on influencer choice, because the network is more established and there are more influencers working there. Because Instagram has been an influencer option for a while, influencers may have a formula in place and be more certain about tried-and-true ways to gain attention from their specific audiences.

Sponsored content and advertising make frequent and expected appearances in Instagram users’ news feeds, while on TikTok, only 5.7% of content creators post about brands, products, or services on a daily basis. That number grows to just 17.3% on a weekly basis, with 60.8% of content creators reporting that they have never shared sponsored content on the app, as per our most recent research where we polled 1,743 influencers from more than 20 countries. This is, by far, one of TikTok’s greatest advantages and presents a great opportunity for marketers looking to capture people’s attention in a less saturated space.

Which metrics are you using to gauge success?

TikTok’s structure and users’ top content interests (#comedy and #dance) mean marketing efforts need to be more subtle, humorous and creative to attract interest. It’s not the platform for a hard sell nor for brands who want to have tight and rigid control of influencer content.

However, it is the ideal place to level up on organic engagement and to create relationships that may boost loyalty and migrate followers over to your other social platforms. In fact, 87.1 percent of TikTok influencers and content creators say their engagement rate is higher than on other platforms.

TikTok’s potential reach also far outstrips any other social platform because its algorithm doesn’t limit views, so if you’re planning campaigns that grow reach and awareness, TikTok might be the best place for your influencer marketing efforts.

If your focus is on a quicker sales cycle or moving your target audience from the middle to the bottom of the sales funnel, you may be better off with a consistent storytelling strategy on Instagram Stories where you link directly to your landing page or ecommerce site.

How well-versed are you in influencer marketing?

Do you already have an established influencer program, or are you just getting started? Your own knowledge level may influence the direction you lean with your platform choice.

If you’re accustomed to working with influencers and have a good grasp on your goals and metrics, you may feel ready to venture directly on to TikTok. You’ll know where you need to go and what you need to do, and you can guide the partnership based on your previous experience, especially if you use an influencer database to source the right people for your niche.

If you’re new to the influencer marketing world, you may want to leverage the knowledge of Instagram influencer partners.

Instagram influencers we surveyed said they typically spend at least three hours daily using the platform, which means they likely have their audiences’ likes, dislikes, and propensities down to a science. If you can source the right influencers for your campaigns, you can rely on them to serve as co-strategists as you plan your new influencer marketing campaigns.

In our recent study on TikTok influencer marketing, marketers surveyed said that analytics and tracking is one of their biggest TikTok challenge areas. If you’re confident in your influencer marketing knowledge, and you’re willing to experiment a little, you can easily and creatively overcome these challenges and get attention in a less saturated market.

Is there a clear winner for brands building an influencer marketing strategy?

In the battle for brand positioning, there’s no clear winner between these two powerhouse platforms. Instead, you can find the right place to showcase your business when you think strategically and evaluate which media sources your ideal buyer consumes.

Not many things in business come down to feeling alone, but you can evaluate which brand feels like a natural fit based on the criteria we mentioned, then continue to adjust while monitoring performance data.

You may find that one platform is clearly right for your brand or you may see opportunities to connect with your target audience across both. As each platform refines its offerings, algorithm, and business-focused features, you can continue to experiment accordingly with your strategy.

And, if you find you’re ready to dive into something new, TikTok can provide a welcome platform for experimentation. By getting your brand in the space, you can see where content is resonating for your audiences, define your goals, then align with the right creators and make a splash.

By

Sourced from Entrepreneur Europe

Read More
By
In News

How to make your brand stand out on TikTok

No Comments

By

We are all influencers is a motto in which I firmly believe because the size of our audience does not matter but how we speak to them.

Some brands seem to have understood it very well and applied it to their strategies with influencers on TikTok , the social network of the moment.

Amazon, for example, has been able to take advantage of the videos that users create organically to reuse them in their favour and promote certain products.

Thus, the e-commerce giant is taking advantage of organically driven video trends such as “ Things TikTok Made Me Buy ” (“Things TikTok Made Me Buy”) or “Things You Didn’t Know You Needed From Amazon” (” Things You Didn ‘ t Know You Need Of Amazon ”) to share unsponsored content that users create on their TikTok accounts.

In addition to amplifying organic user-generated content, Amazon is investing heavily in influencer marketing for TikTok through collaborations to promote offers and increase brand recognition during the year’s busiest commercial campaigns such as Mother’s Day. , back to school, the holiday season and, of course, Prime Day.

Reply to @itsdai_ebb ## greenscreen ♬ 20min by Iil Uzi Vert –

 

The key to Amazon’s success with TikTok influencers is that they give them the creative freedom to innovate and create out-of-the-box content that is perfectly suited to the unconventional language of this Chinese-born social network.

Another brand that has known how to find influencers among users is the fast food chain Chipotle, which today has positioned itself as a benchmark for challenges on TikTok.

Chipotle leverages hashtags and influencer marketing to engage customers and create trends on TikTok. It is not intended to create scripted blockbusters, but genuine and creative user-generated content. The key to his videos and challenges: spontaneity.

For example, the #LidFlipChallenge drove a digital sales record for the company and generated more than 110K videos related to this challenge. The #GuacDance Challenge, launched in collaboration with TikTok creators including Brent Rivera and Loren Gray, generated 500 million impressions from 250K fan videos submitted.

Got it to land w / o catching it in mid-air ## ChipotleLidFlip ## lidflipchallenge ## lidflip ## lookmanohands ♬ Flip – Future

 

Endorsement from TikTok influencers and content creators, whether sponsored or organic, increases brand awareness and builds trust and connection with the audience.

What should we do?

Audience The first thing every brand should ask itself before considering TikTok as part of its digital strategy is if its audience is on that platform.

If the answer is positive, there is no better time than now to start building a presence on TikTok and not wait, as happens with many brands with other social networks, for the social network to be saturated with marketing campaigns to launch and try to draw attention.

Content . Creating content for TikTok is challenging because you only have a few seconds to grab attention before users decide to move on to the next video. TikTok users expect to be entertained or informed, or both, with each video, so you have to be absolutely clear about what the end goal is. In terms of content creation, brands need to understand that authenticity, entertainment, and originality are highly rewarded on TikTok.

The aforementioned examples from Amazon and Chipotle are a sign that these brands understand that TikTok requires its own approach because it is a different audience that expects to see different content that grabs people’s attention from the first second and is useful and educational, but not boring.

Hashtags and Challenges . Know the culture of TikTok well and find ways in which the brand can communicate and integrate naturally. Knowing which hashtags are trending and joining or creating viral challenges will help increase brand awareness, gain followers, and show your community that the brand is part of the TikTok movement.

Influencers . A recent study conducted among advertisers and influencers in the United States, Europe, and Latin America showed that TikTok is driving social commerce, but the impact comes from user-generated content, demonstrating the power and importance of integrating influencers into marketing strategies. TikTok marketing of brands.

According to the survey, 68 percent of content creators reported making a purchase based on a post from someone they follow on the platform.

Finally, remember that the best allies for a brand can be found on the same social network … because we are all influencers .

Feature Image credit: Amanda Vick vía Unsplash 

By

Sourced from Entrepreneur Europe

Read More
By
In News

What Marketers Can Learn From TikTok and Dating Apps About Loyal Customer Relationships

No Comments

By Chris Kuenne

Brands must focus more on the ‘why’ than the ‘what’

Over the next five years, the global marketing industry is forecasted to grow by 19%. By 2026 brands are expected to spend $66 billion annually on data, technology and new analytical approaches to convert shoppers into buyers, up from $27 billion in 2021.

This conversion funnel obsession has inadvertently confounded brand marketer’s single most important goal: creating enduring relationships with their best consumers. Think about the barrage of re-marketing campaigns that hit you when you considered buying cowboy boots: weeks of banner ads and emails trying to convince you to buy Justin, Lucchese and Corral cowboy boots in black, brown or tan.

For loyal consumers, this modern junk mail and digital harassment likely turned them off, as these brands demonstrated how little they really understood their best customer.

The key to building loyal relationships with a brand’s most valuable customers is to understand how their motivations and preferences drive brand choice, usage and lifetime value. Put simply, companies have been investing in data that reveals what people are doing or might do next, but not why they are doing it.

As digital marketing shifts from conversion craziness to relationship building, how can companies access and operationalize the data upon which true relationships are built?

Look at TikTok’s business model

To start, they can look at online dating and TikTok.

A swipe right on a dating profile is simply much more reflective of who these consumers are.

In the online dating ecosystem, individuals reveal deep insights through their clickstreams. Depending on the particular app or dating site, those looking for a match reveal everything from their sexual orientation to their political views. With this high-resolution data, a dating app could ascertain, for example, that when a 28-year-old woman increased her age preference for the men she was interested in by five years and included those who had previously been married after a series of flops with men her own age, that she was not only motivated to date older men but also likely looking for a more serious relationship.

TikTok is similar. Its business model is to keep users engaged for as many hours as possible by serving increasingly relevant content based on preferences discerned from the videos they watch. TikTok builds out user profiles rooted in viewer preferences directly revealed from high-resolution behaviours, often delivering content users wouldn’t have found just by following their friends.

Acknowledge the power behind the swipe

It isn’t that online dating apps and websites and TikTok aren’t making decisions based on clicks, like other brands are. But their personalized recommendation models are trained on clickstream data that explicitly underpins the preferences and motivations they are seeking to understand, in a way that a click on an ad for cowboy boots on Instagram does not.

A swipe right on a dating profile is simply much more reflective of who these consumers are. This allows these companies to effectively predict what their audience wants next, building deeper customer relationships and a more loyal, more profitable customer base.

So how can credit card marketers or home goods retailers, whose businesses are not based on high-resolution behavioral data like Tinder and TikTok, make the leap to discern preferences and motivations?

Just as an online dating website uses every swipe and match to extrapolate composite profiles, digital marketers in industries from financial services to consumer technology can build deeper customer relationships through emerging methodologies that quantitatively define personas. These techniques combine survey, behavioral and transactional data with advanced analytics to discover clusters based on how consumers’ underlying motivations and preferences drive their economic behavior (brand choice, frequency, price sensitivity, etc.).

Systematically understanding consumers’ motivations and preferences at scale will allow all digital marketers to make the next big leap toward greater personal relevance, more enduring customer loyalty and enhanced customer lifetime value.

Feature Image Credit: Bloomberg/Getty Images

By Chris Kuenne

Chris Kuenne is chairman and CEO of Rosemark.

Sourced from ADWEEK

Read More
By
Load More