TikTok – myths and misconceptions, brand visibility, partnerships, and more!

by Mar 26, 2021Blog, Most Popular

On March 24, 2021, TikTok’ had its “Ready, Set, Grow” Summit, which provided valuable information on how small businesses can get on the platform. Looking at the statistics, we can see that TikTok’s rapid growth is an excellent reason to download the app, create a profile and start exploring!

Let’s start with some misconceptions about TikTok.

“TikTok’s audience is only the young generation, with its majority being kids”. While this is a famous misconception, it is not entirely true. There are people of all ages on that platform, from very young to X years old. It all depends on the kind of content you create, how you promote it, which hashtags you use and which community you are mainly involved with. Overall, you can reach the demographic you want to target!

“You need fancy equipment to produce good quality content”. Again, not necessarily true. All you need for TikTok is a mobile phone, a good internet connection, and your imagination! A good quality phone camera is highly beneficial, and a simple ring light will do the trick. Alternatively, you can utilize direct sunlight when possible, and you can experiment with different background settings, but you don’t need expensive studio equipment to create content and reach people. 

How can brands be visible?

TikTok’s culture can be best described in a single piece of advice – The more genuine you are, the better. And TikTok users can sense genuine behavior. The raw, unedited footage; customers’ honest opinions; the transparency of brands and influencers; the behind-the-scenes (BTS) footage – all of these express when something has been planned to be perfect or when something is genuine and spontaneous. 

What differentiates TikTok from other platforms?

Reaching your audience for a small amount of financial investment is only possible on TikTok. You can create engaging content, be authentic and post every single day for a month, and you could reach X amount of followers. To get that same X amount of followers on Instagram, it will take you months of work. TikTok connects you to the community you are in, and what’s even better is that there is a community for EVERYONE. 

Have you ever heard of the saying “Work smarter, not harder”? This concept could also be applied to TikTok as an advertising tool. Brands are starting to realize that it is not about investing tons of money; it is about investing time, energy, and people into this platform. While these also take a certain amount of money, it nurtures people, and it lets them express themselves, be confident and promote what they truly believe in. That is not possible when you simply allocate a budget and invest in ads on Facebook or Instagram.

Approaching partnerships on TikTok.

Usually, brands are concerned with influencers’ history, their followers, and engagement rates, while for TikTok, it is all about their creativity. You want to be looking for people who see a trend and adjust it according to their style, preference, ideas, and creativity. Authenticity is essential, and people who genuinely love your product will be the ones to advertise it the best. Have you seen the #tiktokmademebuyit hashtag? Thousands of people use it, and it is all about purchasing products that have been advertised on TikTok.

When you are looking for talent, it is obvious to look at the community directly connected to your industry. A makeup brand will usually look for makeup artists and enthusiasts. However, we should not be limited only to our obvious audience – we need to diversify to entirely different communities and get out of that comfort zone. A fitness enthusiast or a coffee lover can advertise your makeup products just as good as a makeup artist, all they need is to fall in love with your products and brand!

 Pieces of advice for anyone new to TikTok.

  1. Follow Nike’s example and Just Do It. Download the app, start exploring and start creating. 
  2. Find which hashtags are relevant to you and get on the trends. Don’t forget to bring your own idea and style to each trend you hop on.
  3. Learn from the best and try to keep up with the pace. If possible, post every single day.
  4. Lastly, put your 100 % authentic self forward – this will never go wrong!

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