Martech: Martech is Marketing Logo
  • Topics
    Transformation
    Operations
    Data
    Experience
    Performance
    Management
    Special Reports
    All Topics
  • Conference
  • Webinars
  • Intelligence Reports
  • White Papers
  • What is MarTech
    Mission
    Team
    Newsletter
    Search Engine Land
    Third Door Media

Processing...Please wait.

MarTech » Customer & Digital Experience » Pro Tip: How brands can enter TikTok with brand channels

Pro Tip: How brands can enter TikTok with brand channels

A successful path for brands means they must keep the platform’s content standards top of mind as well as make regular posts and participate in what's trending.

Evan Horowitz on May 4, 2020 at 11:53 am

TikTok was already the fastest-growing platform in history, but during quarantine, it’s gone to the next level. With so many stuck at home and nowhere to go, the platform has become an international pastime, with more than 100 million downloads in the month of March alone. This growth is driven mostly by 25-45-year-olds, as well as increasing numbers of consumers in older demographics.

To keep up with consumer behavior, brands have been rushing to understand TikTok. They’re often feeling nervous – recognizing, rightly, that the rules of the road are new and very different from places like Instagram.

By 2021 it’s not going to be a question of whether your brand has a TikTok channel, but how successful it is. The best brands are starting to figure that out now, and rapidly growing a following. 

To get you on the path to a successful TikTok brand channel, here are three keys to keep in mind:  

Content standards: TikTok is not Instagram or YouTube, and it demands an entirely different set of creative “best practices.” This includes vertical video – square or widescreen shots are automatically discredited for not understanding the culture – and content that is 15 seconds or less. This is also the platform for unpolished content (leave those gorgeous 4K videos for IG, videos that perform the best on TikTok are shot on iPhones). And don’t forget that adding a soundtrack – using relevant music (trending sounds and songs, for example) will boost viewership and engagement.

Frequency: While you can dabble with a few posts, brands that are serious about TikTok are posting new content daily. Yes, this is a high bar, but the good news is that this content is much more lightweight than what you’re used to producing for YouTube or Instagram. Frequency is essential because of the nature of TikTok’s algorithm. It’s much more extreme than other platforms’. Most posts don’t get a lot of traction, but the occasional post will blow up. TikTok influencers know this; they post upwards of five times a day. Even with the best content, you have to keep spinning the wheel.    

Participate in Trends: Every week, new trends blaze through TikTok – music, skits, jokes, dances. Joining these trends is an easy way to accelerate the success of your brand channel. The value here is twofold. First, TikTok’s algorithm boosts the exposure of videos participating in what’s trending, giving you a boost in viewership. And second, your brand benefits from the “cool” factor of the trend. Launching a TikTok presence could be intimidating for a brand, it just takes time and practice. Check out some brand channels I love: @elfyeah (e.l.f. Cosmetics), @washingtonpost, and @kungfutea.


Opinions expressed in this article are those of the guest author and not necessarily MarTech. Staff authors are listed here.


New on MarTech

    Freeing agile marketing from its software development roots

    Marketing budgets climb in 2022

    Pega addresses accelerating business complexity

    Why we care about AR and VR: A guide for marketers

    Webinar: Overcome third-party data challenges for CX success

About The Author

Evan Horowitz
Evan Horowitz is CEO and co-founder of Movers+Shakers. He founded the creative studio in order to spread joy. The firm is breaking engagement records with unexpected digital activations and creating deep emotional connections between brands and consumers. After setting the record for most viral TikTok campaign in history, Movers+Shakers became “the go-to agency for brands making moves on TikTok” (Refinery29). They’re creating fast-growing brand channels, influencer and ad campaigns, and of course more viral challenges. Evan is an Entrepreneur-In-Residence at Harvard Alumni Entrepreneurs, and a holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a BS Engineering from Stanford.

Related Topics

Customer & Digital ExperiencePerformance Marketing

Get the daily newsletter digital marketers rely on.

Processing...Please wait.

See terms.

ATTEND OUR EVENTS

June 7, 2022: Master Classes

September 28-29, 2022: Fall

Start Discovering Now: Spring

Learn More About Our MarTech Events

June 14-15, 2022: SMX Advanced (virtual)

November 14-15, 2022: SMX Next (virtual)

March 8-9, 2022: Master Classes (virtual)

Learn More About Our SMX Events

Webinars

Take a Crawl, Walk, Run Approach to Multi-Channel ABM

Content Comes First: Transform Your Operations With DAM

Dominate Your Competition with Google Auction Insights and Search Intelligence

See More Webinars

Intelligence Reports

Enterprise SEO Platforms: A Marketer’s Guide

Enterprise Identity Resolution Platforms

Email Marketing Platforms: A Marketer’s Guide

Enterprise Sales Enablement Platforms: A Marketer’s Guide

Enterprise Digital Experience Platforms: A Marketer’s Guide

Enterprise Call Analytics Platforms: A Marketer’s Guide

See More Intelligence Reports

White Papers

Reputation Management For Healthcare Organizations

Unlock the App Marketing Potential of QR Codes

Realising the power of virtual events for demand generation

The Progressive Marketer’s Ultimate Events Strategy 2022 Worksheet

CMO Guide: How to Plan Smart and Pivot Fast

See More Whitepapers

Receive daily marketing news & analysis.

Processing...Please wait.

Topics

  • Transformation
  • Operations
  • Data
  • Experience
  • Performance
  • Management
  • All Topics
  • Home

Our Events

  • MarTech
  • Search Marketing Expo - SMX

About

  • What is MarTech
  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • Marketing Opportunities
  • Staff

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Newsletters
  • RSS

© 2022 Third Door Media, Inc. All rights reserved.