Build Your Brand With TikTok

We have covered TikTok in a couple of our other blogs, but the power behind brand-building on this platform is so great that it deserves another promotion. Digital marketing is all about being at the forefront of trends, and sustainability; two things that TikTok have proven over the last 18 months. 

Community engagement 

In our blog looking at the origins of the Shopify platform <we took a trip down memory lane to the early 2000s when online shopping and digital marketing were in a very different space. People were experimenting with what worked, SEO was in its infancy, and the psychology of the online shopper was not what it is today. It is almost as if we have come full circle and now traits previously related to physical high-street shopping socialisation can be seen online. 

If you think about the first online shops, they were usually for niche items, or for bulk orders to supply high-street stores. The experience of 'going shopping' was to meet up with friends and family, take your time to browse the physical stores and decide what you liked. Often having discussions and comparing products before making a choice. Online it was driven by need; you had an item in mind, you found the supplier, you purchased units of that item. 

Now this has flipped. The high-street is often used for 'emergency' shopping where you need an item right that minute and cost is not a barrier. You head to a shop (usually after checking the products online) and get the item. However, in the digital world of social media, with the advent of TikTok videos, Reels and YouTube Shorts, people can review an item or ask a question within 60 seconds, share this, and build a response from fellow users who also want to discuss the pros and cons. very much like going shopping in real-life with your friends. 

TikTok is marketed for a younger, more tech-savvy generation. They grew up with the internet and so their default response to something is to use the digital tools at their disposal. There is not a part of their memory where a real-life store was their only option. The pandemic and isolation turned these online audiences from consumers into a community. 

Is there room for my brand in this space? 

People often talk about 'noise' online. They will tell you that social media platforms are 'noisy' and you will struggle to get heard by your target audience. While it is true that social media is saturated with adverts and promotions, a savvy marketing agency will know how to reap the benefits of each platform and use the algorithms to your advantage. 

For example, an expert in TikTok would use very different creatives to capture the attention of a young person who has a short attention span, compared to a Facebook creative aimed at someone in their 40s for the same product. There is room for your brand because the demographic for TikTok is vastly different to other social media sites you may already be advertising on. 

Another great feature of TikTok is that there are very often 'niche' videos that get 'accidentally' clicked on, and then become a feature of the user's 'For You' section. For example, if you are interested in a video from the thumbnail but it turns out to contain different content, once you've clicked on it the algorithm will end up showing you similar videos for a few days. Therefore users are more likely to stumble across something or be exposed to advertising on TikTok than on Instagram or Facebook (Meta). 

Why should I care about TikTok? 

This is a very good question, and depending on your age and personal interests, you may ask this at least once a day! New users can have negative experiences with the app that deter them from pursuing an 'interest' in TikTok. You hear stories about people who have logged on and been bombarded with bodybuilding gym videos, or young girls dancing, and then they don't give the app time to find the videos that they are truly interested in, uninstalling it after a day or two. 

This shows you the difference in mentality of the TikTok users, compared to other online sites. They tend to be a lot younger, have shorter attention spans, be able to persevere through 'boring' or 'inappropriate' content, and are less likely to argue the toss over points that don't affect them. Branded as 'snowflakes' by some, this Gen Z community of active users has boosted TikTok to boast millions of members, with comparable spending power. 

In 2021 alone, users spent $23 billion dollars within TikTok commerce. This was mainly generated through short ads where the user was intrigued by the product or matched the target demographic for the product. Then, they clicked on the ad and browsed the website before purchasing. Less of a 'direct sales' route, more of the 'building a strong customer base' route. Again, it all comes back to a community aspect. 

How can I get people to stop scrolling? 

Now that we've given you an insight into some of the ways that TikTok works in 2022, we want to answer your burning question – no matter what the platform... What is the universal key to getting a potential customer to stop scrolling past ads? 

As much as we bemoan younger people's lack of attention and focus when it comes to immediate gratification on social media, you have to admire their ability to spot fakery a mile off. If they can tell you're being pushy, with no substance behind your ad, and no attempt to make it for the TikTok aesthetic – then they're like to ignore your efforts. 

However, if you have the right marketing in place, you can play on the trending memes, comedy, vibes and culture that TikTok breeds, then you are more likely to impress users. Community and honesty are two values that are paramount when you start your journey into TikTok advertising.