Five Things To Keep In Mind When Using TikTok For Your Business Here's how you can use the latest social media platform that's the rage to your advantage.
By May Rostom
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In 2018, Musical.ly, the lip-syncing app, merged with a similar one-year-old app called TikTok. Since then, TikTok has reportedly passed 500 million active monthly users making it the most downloaded app for Apple in Q1 2018.
With more than 800 million global downloads, TikTok is now more popular in app stores than Facebook, Instagram, and other leading social media platforms. The platform allows you to film short videos that play on a repetitive loop just like Vine. Add to that AR filters, fun effects, text, and musical overlays to spice things up.
While the creative platform does not generate many leads, brands are using TikTok to create brand awareness and customer loyalty. A lot of brands like Guess, NBA, Chiptole, and more are using TikTok to engage younger audiences and show off a lighter side of themselves through funny videos and challenges.
Of course, TikTok isn't the right platform for all types of businesses, and it's generally directed towards Gen Z (30-year-olds or less), but here's how you can use the latest social media platform that's the rage to your advantage.
1. START BY IDENTIFYING YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE Think about your ideal customer. Who would most likely buy your product? Who would you want watching your TikToks? By properly identifying your target audience, it should be easy for you to create suitable content that matches your audiences' tastes.
2. GET TO KNOW THE PLATFORM Rushing into getting on to the TikTok hype bus will only harm your brand. Take your time to thoroughly study the platform, watch what your competitors are doing, then start creating your own.
3. DON'T BE AFRAID TO PUT YOURSELF OUT THERE Be silly, have fun, and get creative. The whole point of being on TikTok is to show your customers who you really are as a brand, and what you stand for- without being too sale-sy.
4. BE SOCIAL At the end of the day, remember that it is still "social media." Sharing user-generated content and reposting content that users have shared with you is a great way to get people to engage and talk more about the brand or its latest releases.
5. ADVERTISE SMARTLY Gen Z are a lot smarter than you think. They would spot the most concealed ad, 10 thousand miles away. Advertise your content smartly, collaborate with TikTok influencers, create and boost all the challenges you want, but be clear and transparent about it.
Related: Five Hacks To Make The Most Of Your Social Media Strategy
