TikTok: Generating Leads for Small Business Growth
Looking for a way to get fun, creative, engaging video content out to over 500 million users at the tip of your fingers? TikTok is the name of the game. It’s the hottest, latest, and fastest growing social media platform to get your small business out there in a compelling, unique way. Users create a variety of 15 and 60 second videos ranging from challenges, dances, skits, and more. Since the largest demographic of TikTok is the age range of 16-24, trends pertaining sound clips are constantly filtered through your For You Page (content shown on your page based on your preferences). While most of the content is silly and playful, TikTok has become an advertising gold mine for businesses – just make sure your content is creative, engaging, and on trend.
Research Your Audience
Before you start rolling out a TikTok media strategy, do your research. Find out if your audience uses TikTok. Look into the types of content that would represent your brand and suit your audience. Your online presence can still be relevant even if your audience using TikTok doesn’t fall in the 16-24 age demographic. It’s important to maintain the trust established with your current audience.
Create Your Own Content
As a TikTok beginner, it’s best to keep things simple. Don’t worry about having professional camera equipment – your camera on your phone will do the trick. Content use depends on research and what works best for your brand. If your business uses other social media accounts such as Instagram or Facebook, you might want to consider repurposing content from there to start with. When you get more comfortable with using the app, look at content that is already successful and put your own twist on it (4 Ways to Use TikTok for Business, Broudie, 2020). Hashtag challenges (found on the Discover page within the app), are very helpful in finding existing, trending content that can be used to incorporate with your brand’s niche. The more experience you have with the platform, the more varieties of content you can create.
Consider User Generated Content for Brand Exposure
As a small business, you probably don’t want to spend money on advertisements generated by TikTok. Instead, create User Generated Content – content made by people rather than brands (A Marketers Guide to Using User-Generated Content on social media, Newberry, 2019). Let’s say your company is tagged in a post about your brand. You can comment and ask for their approval to use their content in your next post (this occurs mostly on Instagram but can be applicable on any platform). Be sure to credit the original creator. User Generated Content is an authentic way to bring positive attention to your brand and can lead to higher purchasing decisions.
In conclusion, TikTok is a social media game changer with the latest, most trending topics of content creation. Its recent spike in popularity opens the door for a new (possibly younger) market of buyers not included in your original social media plan. Now is the time to consider the thriving, new and exciting industry of TikTok. If you’re not sure where to start, consider reaching out to Martin Communications, Inc., for advertising strategies here.
See below for some useful guides on TikTok use for small businesses and how to generate business leads:
https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/340216
https://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/4-ways-to-use-tiktok-business/
https://www.zenefits.com/workest/tiktok-for-your-small-business-what-it-is-and-how-to-get-started/
https://blog.hootsuite.com/user-generated-content-ugc/