It’s hard to find someone who hasn’t heard of TikTok. In the six years since TikTok debuted, it has amassed over 1 billion active users. Nearly 90% of TikTok’s users are below the age of 50, so it presents a unique opportunity for businesses to reach specific audiences.
Social media is a fantastic way to advertise your business, and today it can reach a significantly larger audience than TV or radio. One of the most important factors to consider when using social media to build your brand’s awareness is what kind of audience you need to reach. Advertising on social media can be free, but you don’t want to spread yourself too thin.
TikTok is one of the newest social media platforms to gain a substantial number of young users. As TikTok continues to grow, so do the opportunities for businesses.
Ways to Advertise on TikTok
One of the easiest and cheapest ways to advertise on any social media platform is to post content. This is a simple way to reach potential customers. The beauty of using TikTok to attract customers to your website is that your videos could reach millions of people who otherwise would never have known your business exists.
TikTok offers several options for businesses to advertise their products and services at different price points. Each kind of advertising serves a different purpose and will have a different outcome for your business. It’s important to understand each kind of advertising and how it might benefit your business.
Paid Advertising
TopView Ads
TopView ads appear at the beginning of a user’s “for you page.” When a user opens up the app, it’s the first thing they see. These videos can be up to 60 seconds long and are the largest, most effective form of advertising TikTok offers. The cost, however, is around $65,000 a day. Google and other large brands often utilize this ad option.
In-Feed Ads
In-feed ads are shorter, only 15 seconds long, and will usually appear about fourth in a user’s feed. The price tag for this advertisement is around $26,000.
Branded Effects
TikTok has a multitude of effects you can add to your videos. An easier way to promote your business is to create an ad related to your brand. For example, if you are a dermatologist, create a fun filter that replicates a scar revision or other service you offer. These effects provide the potential to go viral, grow your TikTok following, and increase traffic to your business’ page. It costs $45,000 to create a branded effect for 30-days.
Popular TikTokker Dixie D’amelio utilizes branded effects for her clothing brand social tourist. Every time someone uses her effect, her logo and brand name are displayed.
More Cost-Effective Advertising
Not all businesses have that much to spend on advertising. Fortunately, there are other, cheaper ways to advertise on TikTok. One of the best options is to make videos. As simple as it seems, you never know what’s going to gain traction and reach a lot of users. As unpredictable as success on TikTok may feel, there are a few ways you can increase the likelihood of going viral.
Study Trends Among Your Target Audience
A large majority of TikTok’s users are younger than 50, with about 70% being younger than 40. Depending on the products or services that your company provides, you’ll want to reach specific audiences. On TikTok, it’s critical to market to the Millennial and Gen Z audiences. There are also TikTok trends that are more specific to certain demographics.
For example, if you’re trying to reach women who are interested in travel, the trends they are seeing on their “For You” page may be very different from other people within their age group. Staying on top of trending TikTok hashtags is a great way to stay on the pulse of what’s popular, too.
Be Casual
One factor that sets TikTok apart from other social media platforms is the more laid-back approach to videos that is widely popular. Users don’t appreciate polished, highly commercialized content as much as they may on Instagram. Take a fun and casual approach to your content to make your videos more appealing and gain more TikTok followers.
An example is a style of video coined “get ready with me.” The content creator sits in front of the camera and talks to their followers as they do their makeup or beauty routine. This casual style of posting allows your target audience to get to know you or your business in a familiar and friendly way.
Why Should Your Business Be On TikTok?
One of the largest benefits of TikTok is that it’s relatively new. It’s not as heavily saturated as other social networks. Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube can be more difficult and more expensive to advertise on because they have been around for much longer. There is somewhat of an influencer community on TikTok, but because it’s still relatively small, there’s less competition when it comes to purchasing sponsored content.
TikTok is also a prime platform to market to Gen Z, many of which are entering into a more important role within the economy. While it may seem challenging to market to younger audiences, once you gain an understanding of what is popular, it’ll be easy to create content that can go far.
Author Bio: Jenn Walker is a freelance writer, blogger, dog enthusiast, and avid beachgoer operating out of Southern New Jersey.