How to integrate TikTok and TikTok Ads into your marketing strategy

TikTok, the international sensation launched in 2017, has rapidly gained popularity, boasting over 1.7 billion users in 2024. This number is projected to reach 2.25 billion by 2027.

The platform’s core feature is short-form video content, ranging from 15 to 60 seconds. To capture and retain user attention within such a brief timeframe, videos must be visually striking, creatively edited, and often incorporate trending music and effects. TikTok’s built-in video editor, equipped with a vast library of popular music and effects, empowers users to create engaging content.

Beyond video sharing, TikTok also offers features like messaging, reactions, and live streaming. However, what truly sets TikTok apart is its powerful algorithm, which curates content based on individual user preferences, often propelling videos to viral fame.

Trends play a pivotal role on TikTok. Challenges, dances, and unique visual effects can quickly sweep the platform. A user initiates a trend by creating a video, and others follow suit, adding their own creative twists. These trends can persist for extended periods, driving user engagement and fostering a vibrant community.

The power of TikTok for businesses and brands

With the help of short, captivating videos on TikTok, brands can immediately attract their audience’s attention and engage them. Among the obvious advantages of this platform for businesses:

• Large audience: Over 1.7 billion users worldwide.
• High level of audience engagement: Higher than on other social networks.
• Viral distribution of videos: Effective algorithms contribute to rapid brand awareness growth.
• Opportunity to join current trends: Trends and challenges help establish a close connection with the audience, increasing engagement.
• Free traffic and organic reach: Initially, brands can attract the target audience without additional advertising costs.

However, to capture this audience’s attention, content must organically fit into the user’s video feed, based on their interests and interactions.

Examples on how businesses utilize TikTok:

• Real Estate: Developers and agents leverage TikTok to showcase properties through engaging video tours, often incorporating humor and interactive elements to capture the attention of potential buyers and renters.
• Automotive: Automakers and dealers utilize TikTok to showcase new models through trendy video reviews and challenges. Additionally, workshops and detailing studios share captivating videos of their processes, sparking interest and emotional connections with potential customers.
• B2B Sector: IT service companies employ TikTok to simplify complex processes through visually appealing and educational videos, demonstrating their expertise and building trust with their target audience.

Building a marketing strategy on TikTok

To effectively leverage TikTok, brands must tailor their goals to the platform’s unique characteristics. Here are key steps to develop a successful marketing strategy:

1. Define your target audience
   Consider not only demographics but also psychographics and platform-specific preferences. Research influencers relevant to your audience using tools like HypeAuditor, Upfluence, or Klear to assess their audience quality and engagement.
2. Analyze competitors
   Utilize the TikTok Ads Library to study competitors’ campaigns, learn from their successes and failures, and differentiate your brand’s content.
3. Stay updated on trends
   Keep abreast of current trends, challenges, and music trends. Adapt trends to align with your brand identity while maintaining flexibility and experimentation.
4. Embrace analytics
   Use analytics tools to track performance, measure ROI, and optimize your strategy. Continuously test new approaches to resonate with your audience and refine your content.

Launching TikTok Ads campaigns

The TikTok Ads Manager advertising account provides all the necessary tools for setting up and managing advertising campaigns on TikTok.

High-quality and diverse creatives, TikTok Pixel setup, well-defined goals, and the use of Spark Ads enable companies to effectively engage with their audience and achieve marketing objectives on the platform.

How to create engaging content for TikTok

To captivate TikTok’s audience, content must be concise, entertaining, and fast-paced.

Key elements of effective TikTok content:

1. Brevity and attention grabbing. TikTok is a short-form video platform, so the quicker you grab the viewer’s attention, the better. The optimal video length is 21 to 34 seconds, but the first 3 to 5 seconds should contain the main message or visually engage the viewer. Using a vertical 9:16 full-screen format maximizes viewer immersion.
2. Authenticity and simplicity. TikTok users value authentic content, so there’s no need for complex scripts or high-budget production. As TikTok emphasizes, low-fi content shot on a mobile phone often performs better. This allows products or services to be showcased in everyday settings, making the content more relatable and understandable to the audience.
3. Leverage music. Music is a key element on TikTok that can significantly enhance content perception. Popular tracks and music trends add energy to videos and help them trend. You can use tracks from TikTok’s Commercial Music Library to avoid licensing issues. The music should also synchronize with the video to convey the right mood and amplify the product’s impact.
4. Hashtags and trends. TikTok thrives on trends, offering brands a fantastic opportunity to create engaging content. Using popular hashtags and participating in challenges increases video visibility and organic reach. For instance, adding trending hashtags boosts the likelihood of TikTok’s algorithm recommending your video to more users. Joining popular challenges helps your content appear relevant and appealing to your audience.
5. Hashtag challenges. Challenges are another effective way to engage users in creating brand content. Even local businesses can leverage this tool. Here are some examples: a coffee shop: Launch a #MyMorningCoffee challenge, inviting users to share their morning rituals with a cup of coffee; a beauty salon: Organize a #NewLookChallenge, where clients showcase their transformations before and after a visit.
   
   User-generated content (UGC) is a potent branding tool. Users willingly create videos featuring the brand’s product, fostering trust and enhancing advertising effectiveness.
6. Storytelling and emotional impact. One of TikTok’s strengths is its ability to help brands tell stories. Stories that evoke emotions—whether humor, surprise, or inspiration—keep viewers engaged and create emotional connections with products. To achieve this, use simple yet impactful stories and focus on the main idea. You can directly address the viewer with a camera look or use a voiceover for commentary. Supplement the story with text overlays or subtitles to ensure accessibility, even when watching without sound.
7. Interactivity and engagement. TikTok allows brands to interact with their audience through polls, challenges, and comments. Interactive elements boost engagement, so include a call to action, such as asking viewers to repeat the action, mention the brand in comments, or join the challenge.

Successful TikTok campaigns rely on short, authentic content, leveraging music trends, user engagement, and emotional storytelling. By creating content that aligns with TikTok’s unique culture and style, brands can integrate themselves into users’ daily lives, making their promotions natural and effective.

How TikTok’s algorithm work

TikTok’s popularity is largely due to its algorithm, which gives everyone a chance to reach a wide audience.

TikTok’s algorithm evaluates content based on various factors, including views to completion, profile clicks, likes, comments, shares, and subscriptions. Videos that receive active user interaction are more likely to be promoted and viewed. Therefore, it’s crucial to capture attention within the first 3-5 seconds, as this initial impression significantly impacts the video’s ranking in the recommendation feed.

• Using hashtags and trending music helps the TikTok algorithm categorize content and recommend it to users with similar interests. Trending tracks from the TikTok library enhance the video’s trendiness and increase its chances of going viral.
• Creating original content is key. TikTok prioritizes videos filmed and edited within the platform. If using third-party editing tools, add a filter or text within the TikTok editor to maintain authenticity. Avoid plagiarism, as the algorithm tends to limit the reach of plagiarized content and accounts.
• Interacting with users is vital. TikTok rewards accounts that actively engage with their audience. Respond to comments, participate in challenges, and create content that encourages shares and comments. Increased engagement boosts the likelihood of your video being recommended.

TikTok’s algorithm is a system that rewards engagement and originality. Understanding the basic principles of the algorithm can help you create content that is more likely to be recommended, increasing your reach.

A few words at the end

TikTok in 2024 is a powerful tool for brand promotion. This platform allows businesses to attract and engage the audience with dynamic and original content. Companies from various industries, from real estate to B2B, use the platform to connect with their customers and build strong relationships.

Integrating TikTok into a brand’s marketing strategy is worthwhile, as it offers many advantages. However, an effective TikTok strategy requires adapting content to trends, using hashtags, trending music, and interactivity to maximize engagement. By understanding the algorithm’s features and audience preferences, brands can achieve significant organic reach and build strong connections with their audience.

TikTok also offers advertising opportunities. The TikTok Pixel tool allows you to track user actions after they interact with your ads.