TikTok is the latest social media platform to explode in popularity. It’s predominantly known for engaging teens and young adults but has been gaining traction among people of all ages.
More than just a place to watch funny videos and trendy dance challenges, TikTok is a powerful social media tool that can connect businesses with their target audience.
TikTok's popularity has been fuelled by its user-generated nature. It allows anyone to create an account and quickly upload content, making it easy for brands to get their products in front of millions of viewers without having to invest in expensive production teams or marketing campaigns. However, this ease of use also means that brands need to be even more creative if they want to stand out from the crowd.
To get the most out of your branded content on TikTok, you need to focus on creating an engaging experience for your audience. You can do this by creating videos that are fun and entertaining, or by sharing useful information with your viewers.
Here are some tactical TikTok content strategies that will help brands win customers attention on TikTok:
If you're a brand that sells products or services, a simple content strategy is to create a series of short videos that show how your audience how to use or engage with your brand. Start with a catchy title that will grab your audience's attention and make them want to watch!
In these videos, focus on showing off the benefits of using your product or service rather than telling people about them. You could also use this format to offer tips and advice on how to use your product in different ways. Most informative videos are around 15-20 seconds in length and are more likely to include a voiceover than other clips.
Remember - branded TikTok videos should be short, simple and fun – they shouldn't feel like an ad! The best way to do this is by making sure they're not too promotional or salesy as you’ll see in the following examples.
In this example Starbucks shows their audience how to plan the perfect picnic. It introduces the brand in a seamless way that fits within the narrative rather than being the entire focus.
Taking the environmental route, Ghia have packed 6 tips for ways to up-cycle their bottle into this informative video. This video is not focused on the product itself but still incorporates the branding from the bottle throughout.
This short video by Recess is a step-by-step routine for improving mental health. The product is only introduced in the final frame.
The goal here is to create content that viewers can relate to and will share with their friends. They want to see themselves in your brand videos. A popular interpretation of this is through point of view (POV) videos, created from the perspective of a user.
These types of videos are usually short and sweet - between 5-10 seconds, particularly if they are using a trending sound.
One of the best things about TikTok is that you don’t have to be completely original with every concept you produce - meaning you can closely watch what is trending and recreate popular videos with your own personal spin on it.
In this example Starbucks recreates the moment an employee turns up to work late because they stopped to get a coffee on the way.
In a relatable tribute to a junk food binge, Oreo shows the moment a supermarket cashier is scanning through multiple packets of biscuits from the customers perspective.
Recess have cleverly used a trending sound to show the moment a user has decided it’s time for a break with their product.
Average relatable video length - 5-10 seconds
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Engaging brand videos on TikTok often take the format of short skits, comedy or satire. These videos take some more consideration, in terms of conceptualising and production, but have a much bigger payoff in terms of providing higher entertainment value to your audience.
On average videos that have entertaining concepts or skits are longer than other types of content at 15-30 seconds. If you are producing longer format videos make sure your branded content has a good hook – something that makes people want to watch what comes next!
You can find out what your audience wants to see from brands on TikTok by checking out the 'Trending' section of the app, which shows videos that people have liked most recently. This can help you find out what kind of videos people are responding to so that you can create something similar for yourself.
In this video for Starbucks the creator acts out the roles of both herself and her Gen Z sister in a comedic skit that features the brand in one scene.
Hydrant have created a funny take on a situational use case for their brand
Ocean Spray used a trending sound from Schitt’s Creek in this short sketch featuring their product
Don't just focus on creating one type of content. Make sure you're experimenting with different formats so that you're able to find what works best for your audience and brand.
Your brand should be visible within the video, but you don't want it taking over the whole thing (unless that's what you're going for). It's important that you don't make the viewer feel like they're watching an ad – otherwise they'll just skip straight past it when it comes up in their feed!
There is also no need for videos with high-production values on TikTok, it is much more important to produce content quickly in order to be able to participate in trends as they happen.
Overall concept is more important than execution on TikTok, if you aren’t providing value to your audience through useful information or entertainment they will keep scrolling.
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