How to Use TikTok Marketing for Business
Chances are you've heard of TikTok by now. Originally, it was a popular video-sharing platform where you can watch people perfect the latest-trending dance, listen to talented singers (and watch them get discovered), and watch funny videos. Today, TikTok marketing has become a vital advertising tool for businesses.
Video consumption has continually risen over the past few years. About 65% of consumers reported watching videos more than once a day, including marketing videos. Of these consumers, 15% said they want to see even more videos from brands!
Last year, marketers also found video content to have the highest ROI of all marketing efforts.
Make sure you are making the most of your marketing dollars. Start creating TikTok videos in minutes with Animoto.
According to Forbes, viewers retain 95% of a message when consuming it through video, compared to 10% of a message when reading it.
This means that video content is way more effective at conveying your message to consumers. With that in mind, let's explore how you can effectively use TikTok for your business.
What is TikTok marketing?
TikTok for business is great for building and engaging with an audience while showcasing your products and services. It centers around marketing videos that are short, concise, and highly entertaining.
The best part about using TikTok for business is that you can disguise your advertising efforts as interesting and engaging videos, making for (potentially) more impact for less ad spend.
Not to mention, many of TikTok's users are within the 20-39 age bracket, so if you're targeting a younger demographic, you're certain to reach them on the platform.
Why your business should use TikTok marketing
With such a large user base of 1.5 billion monthly active users - over 20% of the world's population) - TikTok sees unparalleled traffic rates each day.
Plus, TikTok has some of the highest engagement rates (by quite a bit) on social media platforms.
With the new generation of young people making up almost 50% of the app's total user base, TikTok is the new social media platform to reach a large audience.
It's also a sign of things to come. As we noted earlier, digital marketing is an ever-evolving space that you need to be on top of to stay relevant.
Seeing the sheer number of users that TikTok has amassed within just a few years, the switch to video marketing is a change that your business won’t regret.
The benefits of using TikTok for business
Using TikTok as part of your marketing strategy is a great idea for a variety of reasons including:
- Exposure and virality
- Organic traffic
- Collaboration
- Shareability
Exposure and virality
TikTok can make a video go viral in a matter of hours or days.
It is important to understand your brand's niche and category to properly target your audience, both on TikTok and other social media channels. Using combinations of hashtags, timing, and effects and let’s face it, a good laugh can cause a single video to get circulated onto hundreds of thousands of users' 'For You' page.
You'll be able to reach a new audience you may not have otherwise (i.e. on other platforms or via other advertising avenues).
Organic traffic
With the sheer number of people that use TikTok now in the billions, the exposure to new audiences and the prospect of virality, TikTok is a fantastic source of organic traffic without having to optimize your content for search engines.
While hashtags are still an important part of a marketing strategy on TikTok, there is great potential for people to see your video, making for a fantastic source of organic traffic.
Collaboration
You can 'Stitch' an existing video, meaning to add your own video to it in a side-by-side format. This is a great way to collaborate with others on the platform.
The 'Duet' feature is similar, but the original video will play in its entirety alongside yours. TikTok videos that involve singing and dancing are popular among the Duet feature, but you can get creative in using it for your business!
For example, you might come across a video where somebody reacts in amazement to your product or a fact about your industry. Your side-by-side video could showcase the value of the product or service you're selling.
There is also a Creator Marketplace for businesses to find creators to partner with. Using popular TikTok users to promote your product in an influencer marketing agreement can prove to be great for your business.
Types of video ads on TikTok
TikTok offers 5 types of ads that you can use on their platform:
- TopView ads
- In-feed (native) ads
- Branded takeovers
- Branded hashtag challenge
- Branded effects
TopView ads
The platform's 'TopView' ads are advertised as a video format that is attention-grabbing, engaging, and effective with up to 60 seconds available. According to a 2021 study, TopView ads on TikTok grab up to 71% of users' attention.
Also great for brand awareness or a quick opportunity to drive users to purchase a product, TopView ads will appear as an in-feed post after 3 seconds.
In-feed ads
Native ads - or 'in-feed' ads - operate similarly to Facebook and Google. According to Influencer Marketing Hub, businesses need to bid for a spot to show their ad to targeted users.
This 9-15 second video advertisement can have sound, which often performs better according to the video-sharing platform, and supports call-to-actions to encourage customers to learn more or purchase your product.
Branded takeovers
Like TopView ads TikTok for business offers, branded takeovers show up as soon as the app is opened, playing for a few seconds (and taking over the screen) before changing to an in-feed video ad.
This type of ad shows at the top of a user's 'For You' page, essentially guaranteeing brand awareness and allowing you to introduce new consumers to your brand in a creative way.
Branded hashtag challenge
To encourage users to engage with your brand, you can create a branded hashtag to help users find the content they're interested in or participate in specific discussions.
With branded hashtags, you can harness the power of a trend that's associated with the hashtag you create to represent your business, product, or service.
Branded effects
Usingbranded effects on TikTok allows you to create your own unique filter on the app, which lasts for up to 10 days. They act as both an ad and an engagement tool by encouraging people who follow you to use the filter.
TikTok advertisements range in price and can get quite costly, so it's important to note which type of ad is right for your business, campaign, and target audience before implementing it.
How to create a TikTok business account
Ready to create your TikTok business account and start reaching a whole new audience? Here's how to do it:
- Download the app on (Apple or Android)
- Create your account (it will start as a personal account)
- Navigate to your profile
- Click the three dots in the top-right corner
- Tap "Manage Account"
- Under "Account control", select "Switch to Pro Account"
- Choose "Business"
- Select the category that best matches your business
TikTok for business video ideas
No matter the type of strategy you implement for your business, it's important to keep it relevant and loop back to your business, a product, or service.
You may gain thousands or millions of followers with your account. However, if you aren't targeting consumers who are likely to engage with your brand, your conversion rates will likely remain low.
Some fun and relevant ideas that you can start with on your account include:
- Behind the scenes content
- Product demonstrations
- Customer testimonials
- ASMR videos relating to your packaging or operations
- Tips or advice on combating a problem (that your product can solve)
Bonus points if you can incorporate trends into these videos! This will help the algorithm mark your video as relevant and can help it reach more TikTok users.
Tips to create effective TikTok videos for business
One major component of successful video marketing is keeping your videos under 2 minutes. There is a significant drop-off of viewers after the 2-minute mark of videos on social media sites.
The shorter the video, the better the viewership. In fact, the sweet spot may be right around 30 seconds.
Aside from video length, other strategies for creating business videos to promote your brand are important.
Language-learning app Duolingo has recently gained massive popularity on the app. Their approach to content is:
- Participating in trends
- Creating video series
- Posting engaging, interactive content
While their content is fun, unique, and relevant to current trends, it also ties into their business: learning a new language. They also collaborate with influencers on the app to help promote their brand.
How to make a TikTok video with Animoto
The TikTok video editor can be unintuitive and difficult to use. But with our Animoto video maker, you can easily create engaging content and upload it to your business' TikTok account.
In just 4 steps, you can create your next viral TikTok video with Animoto:
1. Choose your template
Make the video creation process as easy as possible by picking from our library of templates to start off your video. You can easily turn any template into a 9:16 video for easy sharing on TikTok.
If you're feeling extra creative, you can also start from scratch!
2. Add your video
Upload your video clip(s) and photos, if you've got them. If not, we have a vast stock library of images you can use.
3. Customize your project
Now, it's time to be creative! Using text, music, and design effects, you can make your video your own. Create a Saved Brand to instantly apply your brand elements with a single click. Choose from our eye-catching text and media animations to make your video stand out.
Then, browse our library of licensed music tracks to suit your video and avoid the risk of it being taken down. You can also check out TikTok's trending music to see if any fit the bill for your video.
4. Upload to TikTok
Once you're happy with your new video, download it from Animoto and upload it to your TikTok account. Be sure to research the best times to post and do your hashtag research to optimize your business' videos on the platform.
Looking to get more in-depth with your video content? Check out our Getting Started guide for tips, inspiration, and a list of features that you can use with Animoto.
TikTok templates to inspire you
Starting out on a new social media platform can seem overwhelming. Luckily, Animoto has plenty of social-friendly video templates that make video-making easy! Here are a few videos you can make for TikTok in minutes.
Promote your biggest sales of the year with a vibrant, graphic Annual Sale video. Add some upbeat music and apply your brand colors to create a one-of-a-kind video.
Help your audience learn how to use your product or service with an Expert How-To video. They’re easy to follow and can be saved for future reference too!
While this Summer TikTok template was created to share your favorite moments from the summer, it can be used all year long! The Photo Burst block is perfectly formatted for fast-paced TikTok videos.
Create TikTok videos with Animoto
Now that you're all set up on TikTok with a business account, it's time to continue making great content that your viewers will enjoy.
The Animoto video maker will help you create and edit TikTok videos with ease! Get started on your next video for free and start scaling up your video production in minutes.
TikTok for business FAQs
What's the difference between TikTok and TikTok for business?
Anyone can create a TikTok account. Regular accounts, also called personal or creator accounts, are great for individuals. TikTok Business accounts are professional accounts that have access to a suite of marketing tools. Business accounts are ideal for brands and businesses who are looking to partner with individual creators and create ads. Both types of accounts allow you to watch, create, and engage with videos.
Is TikTok for business free?
TikTok business accounts are free to create. Advertising costs will vary depending on your engagement, the amount of ads you share, and how long they run.
Should I make a TikTok account for my business?
Yes, TikTok is one of the most popular social media platforms with the highest user bases. Many businesses benefit from creating organic and paid videos on the platform.
Do business TikTok accounts get paid?
Business TikTok accounts earn money indirectly by partnering with influencers and driving sales and site traffic.