In a few short years, TikTok has surged to become the fastest growing social media app ever. With more than 1.5 billion downloads worldwide and 1 in 6 Americans using the app on a weekly basis, it's clear that this immensely popular app has captured the attention of the masses.
Like all social media, TikTok offers a chance for companies to promote their business and reach customers in new ways. But how to best use the medium of 15-second videos backed by music requires a carefully executed plan—or your attempt at going viral could end up being a cringeworthy experience for your followers.
Below are answers to your many TikTok marketing questions, so you can dip your toes in without fear of embarrassment.
TikTok is an app that allows users to upload short videos, typically 15 seconds long. The user can also pick just about any song as a background soundtrack. Initially, the app was used for lip-synching, but the content has since expanded to cover everything under the sun including comedy, tutorials, political commentary, sports, and more. Also, unlike YouTube, TikTok utilizes vertical video.
If you haven't guessed by now, TikTok's users are predominately quite young. About 60 percent of its U.S. user base is between the ages of 16 to 24. Female users also outnumber males on the app 2 to 1.
There are a few main ways that businesses can promote their brand on TikTok:
The TikTok algorithm is a closely guarded secret, but here is what we do know.No matter how many followers you have, your video could go viral and reach hundreds, thousands, or millions of users. That's because every new TikTok is displayed on a small number of users' "For You" feed, even if they don't follow you. If the video gets good engagement, it will be displayed on many more users' feeds and so on. So, the key is to create fun and engaging content!
Challenges are extremely popular on TikTok, and a great way for your business to generate engagement.A challenge, marked with a relevant hashtag, is a call to users to record themselves performing a specific activity, such as a dance. Or even something sillier. For example, Jimmy Fallon's #tumbleweedchallenge got 8,000 submissions of people recording themselves rolling around on the ground like tumbleweeds.
If you are brimming with confidence and creativity, you are probably chomping at the bit to make your own TikToks. Go for it!
Other folks might need a helping hand. On Fiverr, there is a wealth of sellers offering services related to TikTok that fit any budget. Whether you need help choreographing a dance for your brilliant viral video or someone to just create content for your channel, you can find it on Fiverr.
TikTok ads work much like other social media platforms.
You can narrowly target your campaigns to reach specific demographic groups. Set a budget for how much you'd like to spend to reach users. In-feed ads include a clickable pop-up button, that allows the user to click to be directed to your site to learn more or make a purchase. If you're not sure how to get started, you can hire someone to set up your TikTok ads account for you.
There are plenty of influencers you can find on Fiverr, who for a small fee will promote your product or service on their channel. For the best results, you'll want to find an influencer with a niche that coincides with your business. And if you can't find the perfect influencer on Fiverr, there are sellers who will do the research and find you a list of the best TikTok influencers for your brand.
Breaking into TikTok is certainly intimidating, especially considering the emphasis on performance. But the demographics and growth of this social media platform represent an amazing opportunity to reach a global audience of young adults.
If you're not sure where to begin, you can count on the Fiverr community to get you started.