tiktok

Let’s be real; raising your brand awareness on TikTok is hard

BCM325

A guide to creating content on TikTok – tips by a small business owner

The past couple of weeks I have been researching and compiling some tips and tricks that I have found in order to raise my brand awareness on TikTok. If you read my first article (click here) I talked about how I own a small Australian retail business called Freckled Clothing Co. I am focusing on building my exposure on TikTok in order to have more awareness on my brand which will have a large impact on the future of my business for the long term.

BUT, I want to make this post a little different. Trying to sell your online business is hard. VERY hard, especially if you are low on funds, just starting out or you’re just struggling hard to reach your audience on TikTok. TikTok is a strange place. When I first started out I did pretty well on the platform with my most viewed video sitting on 613,100 views. This was before I owned a business, and my biggest regret was not monetising on that opportunity sooner. After starting a business – I was lucky to get 1000 views per video!

I still recommend using this article as a guide, but I also want to be honest and share my experiences with you on the platform so that you learn from what I didn’t do and try out the things that I wish I did sooner. Let’s get into it!

I first jumped on Instagram to ask other businesses that followed me what type on content works best for them and their business on TikTok. @brisc_wear responded with “using models/trying to connect with viewers on why THEY would benefit from products.” I took this into consideration when creating the right content for my business.

I found 6 ways to raise brand awareness on the app and took them all into consideration when creating my own content which you can find here for reference: @freckled.clothingco

1. Keep your content light, short and fun

One of the biggest tips I found online was to keep your content bright and happy, showing an entertaining side to your brand. I followed the 4-1-1 rule. “This rule says that for every six posts you create on your social media channels, four posts should entertain or educate, one post should be a ‘soft sell’ and one post should be a ‘hard sell’ (ARI, 2020).” I made sure to include 2 posts (out of the 4) which were short, simple and funny to keep content light.

In all honesty, I found this content hard to make. How can I make my SERIOUS business light and fun? I took a lot of inspiration from vine-type videos and incorporated trends to create content that wouldn’t bore my audience. I can admit the majority of my content isn’t like this, and I think that this is where a failed the most. But what I did notice is that the videos I DID make like this had more likes then any other videos I highly recommend creating at least 2 fun videos like this a week, it doesn’t harm anyone and it shows that you have personality!

2. Use music

Music makes content incredibly engaging. Unlike some other platforms such as YouTube, music is available to use on the platform legally because royalties are being paid. Unfortunately, TikTok has recently changed the law so that business pages are not legally allowed to use copyrighted music. My brand is not currently a business page so I still do not have the business option turned on, but as my engagement increases I intend to turn it on to understand performance metrics and look at Instagram insights.

On a standard profile music can strategically be used and should be used to encourage emotional responses and create interesting content. It also is important for trends, which I talk about in the next tip.

3. Follow trends

Curating and creating trending content is vital to raise your brand awareness on the TikTok platform. TikTok has publicly stated that your content has a shelf life of 90 days. You can have videos on the For You page (the main feed on TikTok) that are months old and still get comments, engagement, and followers from them (Social Media Examiner, 2021). This shows your audience that you are fun, relevant and have an entertaining personality for viewers to continue watching. You can also use this for behind the scenes content and showing where/how you create your work. The popularity of trends can get old rather quickly (7 days max) so make sure you are regularly making content that is relevant to when you post it.

An amazing tip to keeping up with trends is to create a second TikTok that you do not engage with to see what the most popular videos are that aren’t connected to your niche. This is so you can see different content that you would not see on your main account as what you post/engage with is what you tend to see on your fyp! Also remember, following trends doesn’t always mean dance videos! With reference to tip 1, you can always copy a fun vine-like video format that is trending and relate it back to your business!

4. Influencers are key!

This is the best way to boost engagement and raise brand awareness, driving customers to your store fast! I know this might be hard for small businesses to give away stock just for engagement but this is definitely an investment you want to think about! I am still in the process of messaging influencers, so I don’t have a lot of content yet relevant to this tip. However, in a poll I created on my Instagram I asked my followers on what platforms do they discover new brands at. This was their results;

Especially if their engagement rate is higher then yours, it helps your brand become established in the community that you want and that it incredibly important when it comes to raising your brand awareness.

5. Be subtle when you sell

Something that I found difficult with was drawing the line between creating an ad to promote my products and not making it obvious at the same time. Avoid making hard-sell ads. You want people to buy from you because it created an emotional response within them to buy. The most successful way I found to soft-sell your products was to introduce yourself and what you do. Don’t make it about the product itself, but about you and what your brand is about.

Let’s take @lulunadesign for example. She was struggling with gaining traction in her videos, gaining around 200-400 views per videos. This was, until she posted an introductory video to herself and her brand with a clear message and the process. This video reached 26,000 views!

6. Find where you fit!

What is your niche? What makes you stand out from the rest? What do you know more then anyone and what will make people want to follow you? This is such an important step when it comes to promoting brand awareness on TikTok. There are billions of people on this platform, so what are you going to do to make sure your content is being shared to the right people.

Let’s refer back to the 4-1-1 rule. Your branding must be consistent, but their should be a circle of content that you create to reach the audiences that you want. TikTok is for entertainment. You need to make sure there is light-hearted content, but also content that is educational and inspiring. This is something that I am still learning to do, and despite the views I get, I do think that I am getting better (or at least smarter) with the content I post. Understand who your competitors are and study what they do, and constantly analyse your feedback!

For my business (fashion retail), a couple of videos that I found to be the most liked on TikTok was try on hauls, styling videos and sharing your closet (or the clothes you sell) with your audience. Pairing this with trending music and following trends is vital to being successful on the platform.

Conclusion; What this means for the future of your brand!

TikTok is still growing. It has over 1 billion users and is available in more than 150 countries. It connects you with people based on the type of content you post, which differs from other user platforms such as Instagram and Youtube. However, we have to stop looking at it as a place that will give you instant success. You might have 1 video that blows up overnight, but how are you monetising this ‘overnight success’ and what content are you posting to maintain it. The only thing that will help your business succeed is YOU.

To influence your own future and the future of your brand is to;

  • Post regularly
  • Sell, but softly
  • Keep your eye out on future trends
  • Follow in the footsteps of your competitors
  • Stay relevant – what is the next best thing – is TikTok the future or just the now?

TikTok can be the reason your business blows up overnight. But my main piece of advice is just to stay ahead, and keep working now so that your future is big and bright! Thank you for reading!

Instagram: @freckled.clothingco

TikTok: @freckled.clothingco

References:

ARI. 2020. The 4-1-1 Rule: A Guide for Social Posting. [ONLINE] Available at: https://arinet.com/resources/blog-posts/4-1-1-rule-guide-social-posting/#:~:text=This%20rule%20says%20that%20for,4%2D1%2D1%20rule.. [Accessed 18 May 2021].

Foot Wear News. 2021. The Great Debate: Instagram vs. TikTok & the Future of Social Media Marketing. [ONLINE] Available at: https://footwearnews.com/2021/business/marketing/instagram-vs-tiktok-social-media-marketing-1203126936/. [Accessed 18 May 2021].

Forbes. 2020. Using TikTok To Build Your Business. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.forbes.com/sites/marciaturner/2020/03/31/using-tiktok-to-build-your-business/?sh=25dc03358462. [Accessed 18 May 2021].

Iconosquare. 2020. 10 TikTok Branding Strategies to Grow Your Business. [ONLINE] Available at: https://blog.iconosquare.com/10-tiktok-branding-strategies-to-grow-your-business/. [Accessed 18 May 2021].

Social Media Examiner. 2021. TikTok Trends: How to Leverage Trending Content for Business. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/tiktok-trends-how-to-leverage-trending-content-for-business/. [Accessed 18 May 2021].

TIKTOK IS THE FUTURE

BCM325

Raising brand awareness for your small business though TikTok part 1.

“The attention economy is competitive with brands vying for consumers’ time and engagement against countless creators, media outlets and digital activities… To break through the noise, brands must be more willing to invest in social and experiment on new platforms.”
Tressie Lieberman, Vice President of Digital Marketing and Off-Premise at Chipotle (Inside Hook, 2021).

Introduction:

Owning a small business is a lot of work. You are the ideas, the designer, the graphic designer, marketer, pr, photographer, packager and so much more. As an e-commerce business owner, I found that utilising social media is the core reason why my business sells in the online market.

My business is called Freckled Clothing Co. I am a team of 1 and my future goal is to utilise social media to increase brand awareness. I want to know how to use TikTok in the best way possible to find the right audience and to push for more views and further engagement. It appears that most articles believe that TikTok is the future of marketing, I want to personally see if that is true.

My TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@freckled.clothingco?

This experiment will come in 2 parts. This first blog post will talk about what TikTok is and how brands are utilising the platform. Once posted, I will be asking around on other platforms to find out the best ways to market myself on it. The second blog post will consist of me trying out these tips and tricks to see what works and what doesn’t. I will not be paying for any promotions or post boosting. I hope that this can be used as a guide for other small businesses who are looking to increase their brand awareness on social media platforms in the future. It will also have a great impact of the future of my business as a whole.  

TikTok:

If you have been living under a rock, TikTok is a short-form, video-sharing app that allows users to create and share 15-second or 60-second videos, on any topic (Influencer Marketing Hub, 2020).

Many brands and businesses are now understanding the potential of TikTok as an effective and even affordable marketing channel, despite it not having any space for traditional display ads. Trends come and go so fast these days. This time last year TikTok was slowly growing to be one of the most popular social media platforms. How am we suppose to keep up with the rapid growth of new platforms and new trends? I chose to focus on TikTok videos because video content is becoming a big marketing influence on consumers. When it comes to social media marketing, video content is being incorporated into almost every modern marketing strategy. 

According to a State of Video Marketing Survey by Wyzowl in 2020, part of the reason for the growing investment in videos is that consumers now watch an average of 16 hours of online video per week which is a 52 percent increase since 2018. Additionally, this survey found that eighty-six percent of people would like to see more video content from brands which puts TikTok very high in the potential consumer marketplace.

Youtube or TikTok?

So why not use Youtube instead? It incorporates video format, and it has been for a long time. Firstly, Gen-Z makes up the majority of TikTok users, and Lieberman, Vice President of Digital Marketing and Off-Premise at Chipotle says that they “prioritize Gen-Z as our target audience because we know they dictate social trends and have rising purchasing power.”

Unlike YouTube, TikTok and reels are filmed in a vertical format, the usual way people hold their phones. This makes the platform slightly more accessible. Sound and the accessibility of popular and copyrighted music is the biggest upside on TikTok, and has already helped many songs top charts all over the world.

Watch time is also something that makes the platform differ from YouTube . TikTok has a 15 or 60-second limit which can be a struggle when it comes to telling your brands story in that short amount of time. At the same time, our watch-spans have drastically changed and short, simple and easy to watch content is sometimes preferred. Brands and influencers need to make sure that their content has a key message, a story, authenticity and a call to action. At the same time, their content needs to be short and engaging. Thanks to TikTok though, our watch-spans have drastically changed and short, simple and easy to watch content is sometimes preferred

The algorithm:

Initial engagement is incredibly important, but isn’t the be all and end all when it comes to ‘going viral’. The algorithm measures Initial engagement and if requirements are met (minimum one like per every ten views), the content will be shown to additional users on the well-known ‘for you’- page (The Drum, 2020). If your content is engaging, fun and addresses something that viewers will be interested in, your content can receive millions of views over night!  

Tiktok trends, also known as challenges, are a vital part of the platform and usually involve a popular song, routine, or hashtag that other users attempt to re-create. As a brand, tapping into these trends can be rather challenging as the speed of these trends are very unpredictable and new trends emerge every day. 

Stay tuned to find our the tips and tricks for utilising TikTok for your business. I will also be implementing these tips and tricks for my own brand are share my results in the next blog post. See you then!

References:

The Drum. 2020. TikTok: how to get the best out of it. Available at: https://www.thedrum.com/opinion/2020/03/03/tiktok-how-get-the-best-out-it. [Accessed 1 May 2021].

Forbes. 2020. Using TikTok To Build Your Business. Available at: https://www.forbes.com/sites/marciaturner/2020/03/31/using-tiktok-to-build-your-business/?sh=25dc03358462. [Accessed 1 May 2021].

Influencer Marketing Hub. 2021. What is TikTok? – The Fastest Growing Social Media App Uncovered. Available at: https://influencermarketinghub.com/what-is-tiktok/. [Accessed 1 May 2021].

Inside Hook. 2021. Is TikTok the Future of Digital Marketing?. Available at: https://www.insidehook.com/article/internet/tiktok-future-digital-marketing. [Accessed 1 May 2021].

Linkedin. 2020. YouTube VS TikTok: Which Is Better For Your Influencer Marketing Initiatives?. Available at: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/youtube-vs-tiktok-which-better-your-influencer-tilda-linderholm?articleId=6678600192880705536. [Accessed 1 May 2021].

Wyzowl. 2020. State of Video Marketing Survey 2020: The Results Are In!. Available at: https://www.wyzowl.com/video-marketing-survey-2020/. [Accessed 1 May 2021].