As the 7th most used social media platform for creating and sharing short videos, TikTok shows no signs of slowing down. Created by Chinese tech giant ByteDance, TikTok made its debut as Douyin in 2016. However, it only gained popularity worldwide in 2018 when ByteDance merged with another social media app called Musical.ly and rebranded Douyin as TikTok.
TikTok now has 689 million active users who access the app for an hour and watch an average of a million videos every day. It’s a relatively new online world with highly engaged users. Users that many small to big businesses worldwide consider as potential customers. Thanks to TikTok advertising, brands are allowed to promote their products and services to TikTok users. There are three main ways of paid media on TikTok that brands maximise: they set up a business channel on TikTok, work with TikTok influencers and content creators, and pay TikTok directly for marketing campaigns.
Concerning the different types of TikTok advertisements or PPC (pay-per-click) on TikTok, they are the following:
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In-feed Ads – Similar to ads seen on Instagram Stories, in-feed ads of TikTok show up when users scroll through TikTok’s “For You” page.
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Branded Hashtags – TikTok users who click on sponsored or branded hashtags are sent to a landing page on TikTok with the brand logo, website link, brief description of the challenge, and popular videos using the hashtag.
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Top-view Ads – These ads pop up at the top of the “For You” page.
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Branded Effects – Brands create “branded effects” or custom shareable stickers, filters, and lenses that TikTok account holders can use on their videos.
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Brand Takeover – Considered the best TikTok ad option, brand takeover ads deliver mass awareness and place a brand’s campaign front and center when users open the TikTok app.
As for the reasons why your business should give TikTok advertising a try, we have a list of six below.
1. Your primary target audience is young, usually between ages 16 and 30.
66% of TikTok users are 30 years old and below. So, if your brand targets this set of younger demographics, then TikTok is an appropriate media channel for your business.
2. You want to build more brand awareness and engage with your target audience.
In a study conducted by Influencer Marketing Hub, TikTok has the highest social media engagement rate per post. In other words, engagement is much higher on TikTok than on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and other social media platforms.
3 You can easily highlight your products/services with videos.
TikTok’s medium is solely video. TikTok also provides brands with the unique opportunity to incorporate popular songs in ad campaigns. Suppose your product or service can take advantage of this medium with the right messaging and music. In that case, your business has an excellent chance of capturing people’s attention, engaging with them, and maybe even going viral.
4. Your business is open to creating light-hearted, authentic video content.
Since TikTok is all about creating and sharing short videos, brands that do well on TikTok advertising have video content that’s easy to watch, shareable, and highly entertaining. More importantly, videos that promote authenticity are a big hit among TikTok users. Unlike photoshopped static pictures on Instagram or Facebook, videos encourage TikTok users to express themselves creatively and openly.
5. You don’t mind experimenting with popular TikTok trends or hashtag challenges and showcasing your product/service in the process.
Your brand and its product or service must not shy away from trends if you want to advertise on TikTok. Users expect this from brands that regularly show up on their “For You” page.
6. You’re willing to partner with influencers and content creators on TikTok marketing campaigns.
TikTok influencers drive trends and have the power to introduce brands to their fan base. TikTok even assists businesses interested in influencer partnerships and matches them with the best possible influencer closest to the brand image and messaging.
As a social media platform, TikTok uses short-form mobile video content to inspire creativity and authenticity. What’s more, more than 70% of users don’t mind paid media on TikTok as long as they’re entertaining. Fortunately, even if your business is new to the platform, your brand can thrive on the app with the help of an external agency or outsourced partner. A PPC Manager familiar with TikTok advertising expertly navigates the rapidly growing community and knows which talented influencer to tap for brand partnerships. Here at My Cloud Crew, we have experienced PPC Managers who know what works (and doesn’t) for a TikTok advertising strategy.
