Want to make it big? TikTok is the tool that can make your brand go viral.
By: Claire Butler, BPR student.
TikTok is a popular social media app that allows its users to create and watch videos. These videos can include funny clips of animals, dance performances or even hair tutorials. The app is an easy video editor and publishing tool that allows people to create content and interact with others from around the world.
This easy-to-use app has many filters and songs that users are able to use when creating videos. Users can use the green screen filter to change the setting of the video, or they can choose funny filters such as replacing their face with an Alpaca’s face. It brings the latest trending songs, such as Old Town Road or Savage Love, into the background of people’s clips. It allows the public to create fun content for free and without many complications.
TikTok’s wide range of features is the reason for its enormous popularity. TikTok has almost 800 million monthly active users, which is close to Instagram’s 1.15 billion monthly active users.
The app is a fairly new social media platform released in 2018. TikTok was created by the Chinese company, ByteDance. The company merged TikTok with the popular video app Musical.ly.
TikTok’s popularity has made it a top competitor with other popular social media apps such as Instagram and Snapchat. That being said, this makes TikTok another platform for marketers to market their brands.
An important aspect that differentiates TikTok from other social media platforms is its ability to make videos go viral. The app’s massive user-base and algorithm allow content to go viral easier than on any other social media app.
Chipotle’s ad with Zach King is an example of using a viral TikTok creator for marketing their brand.
The ad starts by showing TikTok magician Zach King buying a meal from one of their Chipotle stores. This is when he magically changes his outfit to one of an astronaut’s and then makes his meal float to him. He picks the meal up and leaves. The cashier looks surprised while money from the cash register floats around as well.
This ad is a perfect example of a brand utilizing the popularity of a TikTok creator to market their brand during Halloween. It not only brings in consumers that regularly watch TikTok, but it also brings exposure to Chipotle from Zach King’s 57.1 million followers.
Brand collaboration with content creators allows brands to be familiarized on the platform.
Another example of this is with the collaboration of Dunkin Donuts and Charli D’Amelio. The brand collaborated with Charli D’Amelio through creating the limited-edition drink: The Charli.
This was a smart marketing strategy, as Charli D’Amelio is the most-followed content creator on the platform with over 100 million followers. She also is a daily user of the brand which is evident in the videos she creates.
Brands can successfully market their brand on the platform without collaborations as well.
The NBA is another brand successfully marketing themselves using the app. Alongside their gameplay clips, the brand posts comical videos with some of their athletes.
Another thing the brand does is interact with its fans. Using the app, the NBA often comments on other users’ videos. This includes the popular trend where people posted videos requesting comments from sports teams on their video.
Brands will also follow in pursuit with the latest trends. An example of this is the brand Gymshark.
They marketed their athletic clothing by posting a video of a user wearing the workout gear while performing a dance trend to Shakira’s Hips Don’t Lie.
The usage of everyday users in promotions is a common way brands will engage with their consumers. It also shows relatability as consumers see the everyday use of their products.
Marketing on TikTok essentially brings brands closer to their consumers since the app is an easy form of communication to millions of users. TikTok is available in over 150 markets and is in 75 different languages. It enables interpersonal communication and connection to fans of a brand.
The social media app is a popular key source of success for brands. The humorous and informative videos bring knowledge to users and make them aware of their brand. It can be a key source of information people rely on.
The simplified user experience of the app draws people into using and creating content on the platform. It brings people closer to their interests and allows them to be part of a community.
With this being said, TikTok makes companies widely known and immersive into trends and content related to users. It grows brands in a new way and that makes them more famous than ever before.
