TIKTOK, The Secret Sauce for Success in the Digital Age.
What is the secret to increasing your company’s quarterly revenue by 50%?
Throwing on a green owl suit, plopping in front of an iPhone and posting the final product on TikTok.
… At least, that’s what worked for language learning app DuoLingo last fall when they hired Zaria Parvez, a college senior, as their social media coordinator. When Parvez spotted the company’s mascot, a green owl named Duo, sitting in the office last September, she decided to poke fun by creating a TikTok.
He exploded.
As Parvez continued to create content, she turned Duo into a character — a freelance owl who pressures people to complete the app’s daily language lessons and, in turn, flirts with Dua Lipa. Not only has DuoLingo’s TikTok followers grown from 50,000 to nearly 5 million in a year, but his earnings have also grown. The company’s second-quarter revenue rose more than 50 percent year-over-year to $88.4 million.
It’s a beautiful, if strange, business success story, one that has made the rest of the corporate world turn their heads and ask, “Is it really what it takes?”
Well, yes… But also, not quite.
With over 1 billion monthly users, TikTok offers a great opportunity for companies to connect with their customers by marketing their products and services to new communities around the world. Short, visual and fresh content thrives on the platform’s “For You” page, a never-ending wheel of hacks, fashion texts, and glamorous dances dedicated specifically to the person scrolling on the other side of the screen.
With that said, the void of twerking owls on TikTok has now been filled. To make your company go viral on the platform, you’ll need to come up with your own clever marketing hack. Here are five tips to help you create a TikTok page that enhances your brand without being boring.
1. Use your company’s location to provide new information
When TikTok first took off in 2017, users swiped for the latest dance trends and funny challenges. However, as more people and companies joined the app to provide original content, the platform also became a hub for a wide range of practical and insightful information. Similar to how Twitter became a news hub for millennials, TikTok provides a place for Gen Z audiences to learn about topics they care about, such as maintaining mental, physical and financial wellness and undertaking DIY home projects.
Jesse Gre Rubinstein, founder of digital media agency Hello There Collective, says that “going viral on TikTok isn’t just about being fun, funny and funny. Gen Z now uses TikTok as a search engine to find information…This presents a great opportunity to teach your community and highlight how you are an authority in the industry.”
Rubinstein suggests companies improve their brand through TikTok by creating videos that answer common questions and inviting others to participate. Using some of TikTok’s features, such as pinning a comment or stitching a viral sound at the beginning of videos, not only creates content, but also engages with the platform’s broad set of communities.
2. Be specific about the problem and the person
TikTok’s defining feature is its “for you” page, which uses an algorithm to show users content that becomes more specific to their interests over time. In other words, people move around TikTok to engage with media that feeds their needs and relates directly to their interests.
Whether your company is marketing its product through its own content or through sponsorships, Rubinstein emphasizes the importance of explaining how the product can help specific demographics.
“Instead of blanketing the problem and solution across all consumer demographics, it’s essential to highlight the unique challenges of each target demographic and share the different ways the product or service can support them,” she says.
Not only does problem- and persona-specific content demonstrate ways your product can help specific consumers, it also shows your attention to their unmet needs, making them more likely to connect with your brand.
3. Prioritize content over advertising
Gen Z can see right through corporate facades and deceptions. Instead, they link to content that is tangible, raw, and authentic. Avoid directly promoting your product and instead demonstrate the hidden and more emotional aspects behind what your work is about. What does the company care about? What is the company culture like? To gain support from new consumers, you need to show how you create more than just a service or product. How does your company use its platform to spread good in the world or fight for meaningful causes?
Remember, what you offer customers does not need to be innovative. Putting good and humorous content out into the world is enough to make TikTok users love your company and as a result support your work.
4. Hop on the latest TikTok trends
Following TikTok trends is a lot like following the news cycle – but usually less disturbing. What becomes relevant and remains relevant changes on a daily basis, so it’s important to spend time on simply posting your company’s content. Visit the TikTok Creative Center to get an idea of trending songs, hashtags and videos. From a corporate perspective, this may seem like a superficial quest, but being able to speak the language of TikTok makes all the difference when it comes to connecting with consumers.
5. Consistency matters
Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither was a successful TikTok site. Sure, there are videos that go viral. But getting a video viral requires doing a lot of things along the way. Here are some tips to help you create effective content without skimping on the results.
Gather the brain power of your company
Gather all the creatives you can find in the office and put them in a room where their brainstorming skills can synergize. After the discussion, jot down a list of ideas you can use to generate content. What are the overlaps? The more ideas you have, the better. Just remember that keeping a typical tone for each will create a stronger brand and presence in the app.
Complete your workload
As much fun as making TikTok videos all day long may seem, it can be quite annoying if not done efficiently. Once you have an extensive list of content ideas, consider bulking up your workload by completing one step of the process for multiple videos in one day. For example, you might develop video ideas on Monday, record content on Tuesday and post on Wednesday, to create a structured way to publish a consistent media output. TikTok allows business and creator accounts to schedule their posts in advance, which allows companies to plan their social media weeks or months in advance.
Post often (but not too much)
What it means to “post consistently” on TikTok varies from company to company. With that said, TikTok’s algorithm rewards creators who post more often. In other words, their content is more likely to go viral. Post at least once a day at first and keep your views and audience engagement in mind. From there, start experimenting with posting videos at different times or multiple times a day. A good rule of thumb is to post no more than four videos each day. Anything more than that and you risk spamming your audience.
