TikTok has proven it’s not a passing fad, with more than 1.65 billion downloads to date. It is now the sixth largest social network in the world, surpassing Snapchat, Twitter and Pinterest.
With numbers like this, it’s time to jump in — especially if your brand is looking to reach a younger audience, as 69% of TikTok users are between the ages of 16 and 24.
Not sure how to start?
9 ideas for captivating TikTok video
Create a branded hashtag challenge
As with other social platforms, hashtags on TikTok are a mainstay for searching and sorting content. But hashtag challenges are particularly popular on the platform.
Challenges use specific hashtags to encourage users to create videos related to a topic, as part of a campaign, or as part of a viral trend. If TikTok existed in 2015, you would have seen a lot of videos tagged #IceBucketChallenge.
A number of companies have used branded hashtag challenges to great effect, but the reigning champion is Chipotle. They use National Avocado Day (aka July 31, 2019) to launch the hashtag challenge #GuacDance on TikTok.
Avocado lovers were urged to share a dance inspired by their favorite topping, with child entertainer Dr. Jean tagged #GuacDance. Easy enough right? It garnered a staggering 250,000 entries, proving that the love for guac is universal.
During the six-day campaign, Chiptole also saw a record-breaking 430 million video starts using the #GuacDance hashtag. It also resulted in real sales: Chipotle served more than 800,000 pages of guacamole in a single day as a result of the challenge.
A few things to learn from #GuacDance success:
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Just do it. The guacamole song is catchy, and her original dance is simple and silly. No serious dance skills required.
make it fun What do people love most about your brand? A challenge that celebrates your most popular product, quality, or promotion is most likely to be successful. Customer research and insights can help here.
Have a goal in mind. Are you trying to drive orders, like Chipotle? Increase brand awareness? Be clear about what you want to achieve so you can measure your impact.
Share an instructional video
You might think that TikTok is only for silly, irreverent content. But it’s actually an amazing platform for sharing informative content in an accessible, easy-to-understand format.
Some doctors have built huge audiences by making videos on hot topics like coronavirus and e-cigarettes. dr Danielle Jones, also known as MamaDoctorJones, has garnered more than six million views for her videos about sexual health, pregnancy and periods.
For doctors like Jones, TikTok is the perfect place to reach teens and young adults who need this information and may not have their own trusted healthcare providers to talk to.
Socially committed companies have the opportunity to convey their messages. Misinformation is rampant on social media, and it’s important to counter it by joining the conversation.
Work with an influencer
Collaborating with a creator on TikTok gives you a chance to connect with their audience and capitalize on their creativity and unique style.
For example, Mucinex (yes, the stuff you take when you have a cold!) teamed up with influencers for a #TooSickToBeSick campaign. The campaign, which ran in late October, spread the message that a seasonal illness shouldn’t ruin your Halloween fun (though now we’d definitely say “stay home” instead).
Celebrate special occasions
TikTok marked International Women’s Day (March 8) with the hashtag #SheCanDoIt to celebrate female creators.
The occasion was a stepping stone for accounts focused on women’s rights and history to gain spotlight, such as Herstory Talking, which honors notable women from the past
Create a guide
When I was a teenager, my makeup skills were limited to applying mascara and Bonne Bell Lip Smackers. But today’s teens are capable of pulling off serious capital-L looks, thanks in large part to the proliferation of beauty tutorials on social media.
