IS TIKTOK THE FUTURE?
TikTok has been home to dance challenges, food creations, makeup transformations, financial advice, live-commerce and increasingly - movies and television shows.
The site has been inundated with clips from pirated shows and films. If you search the phrase "full movies on tiktok", it brings up content with more than 100 million total views, while full episode also brings up videos with millions of views. Although it might seem wild to watch a show or movie in three-minute increments. Frequently, these sorts of videos get removed for copyright strikes, but now some streaming companies are recognizing the benefit of “airing” shows on TikTok.
On October 3 (aka “Mean Girls day”), Paramount uploaded the entire 107-minute film Mean Girls to TikTok in 23 parts. In August, Peacock made the full pilot episode of its half-hour comedy series, Killing It, available on TikTok ahead of the second season premiere, uploading it in five parts. According to a Peacock spokesperson, over seven million users viewed the videos on the app, introducing the Craig Robinson-led show to “a whole new audience who likely wouldn’t have discovered it otherwise.”
In recent years, TV has become a second screen for Gen Z viewers as more of the generation turn to streaming and online platforms for entertainment. Cable TV continues to be on the decline as cord cutting continues to rise, according to streaming insights firm MNTN Research. The study found that cord-cutters or “cord-nevers,” those who never had a cable subscription to begin with, skewed younger and showed no interest in cable TV subscriptions after they moved out of their parents’ households. The research also found that the number of cord-cutters and cord-nevers are expected to reach 138.1 million by next year. Experts have referred to the phenomenon as the “Netflix effect” in recent years.
According to the TikTok Marketing Science Global Entertainment Study from December 2021, nearly a quarter (23%) of TikTok users are more likely to discover entertainment content on social and video platforms versus other platforms.
YouTube continues to be a popular platform for entertainment consumption as well, and social video intelligence firm Tubular Labs previously found that SNL online videos have been a successful way to reach broader audiences. The research found that SNL videos on YouTube racked up 2.1 billion views last season from 374 uploads. That could explain why, along with bringing a full episode to TikTok, Peacock also made the first three episodes of Killing It available on YouTube.
Social media has become such a popular way for Gen Z to find and watch entertainment that it’s led to some unorthodox ways of doing so. Earlier this year, The Super Mario Bros. Movie was uploaded in two parts to the vids that go hard account on Twitter. The video was eventually taken down, but not before 9 million people reportedly watched it. While entertainment companies aren’t big fans of digital piracy, the trend suggests consumers have a strong desire to watch TV shows or movies on social media.
While Peacock is the first streaming service to upload full episodes of a scripted series on TikTok, it isn’t the first time a streaming platform jumped at the opportunity to bring full episodes to social media.
TikTok was already a popular platform that studios used to promote new releases to Gen Z. But as more cable networks license their programming and streaming services begin bringing full episodes to social media, the line of how media and entertainment is consumed will only continue to get blurrier.
What does this means for Brands and Businesses?
TikTok has become a massive trend. The app provides users with multiple filters and special effects in addition to a massive library of music for video enhancement. And it integrates with other social media to make sharing and marketing easier. But there is a much bigger advantage for influencers and businesses: TikTok's algorithm uses AI to recommend videos based on previously viewed videos. This makes it easier for users to discover new content and creators to go viral.
Is my audience there?
The biggest concern with any social media effort is whether or not your ideal customer is there. And though TikTok's demographic originally consisted of ages 16 - 24, that is changing every day. So don't be fooled into thinking it's just for Gen Z because 2020 changed everything. After the global lockdown, the app's demographics have changed considerably.
How to use TikTok for Business?
It's easy to jump on the app and start creating. But to produce results takes a few additional steps and some planning. TikTok is unlike any other social media platform out there. Using it comes with a bit of a learning curve.
So, before you start creating random content, take some time to look around. First, look at what other creators are doing. Look at influencers, other businesses and your competition.
Start by finding the patterns. What are they all doing? What sort of likes and engagement is that getting? What strategy and filters are they using? What hashtags are they using?
You'll want to get an idea of what content is getting the most attention. Then create a personal account to experiment. Then take the time to figure out how the feeds work.
8 Ways To Use TikTok for Business
Just like most social media platforms, the secret to TikTok marketing is consistency. And it's even more true of using this platform. Decide how often you can realistically create content. Then figure out when, how often and what you'll post.
Remember, this platform is intended to be entertaining. It shouldn't be all business. This is the perfect opportunity to let your audience see different sides of your company.
It’s not enough to just be present on TikTok — or on any social platform for that matter. It’s how you take advantage of the app’s creative tools and features that can get your business noticed by millions of users worldwide.
Let’s explore how you can use TikTok as part of your marketing strategy.
1. Create unique and relevant content
The first thing you notice when you open the app and scroll through the feed is the seemingly endless amount of video content on the platform.
To stand out in this sea of content, your videos need to be unique, attention-grabbing and relevant to both your audience and your brand. Below are some tips to keep in mind.
- Consider the audience and nature of the platform. TikTok is a place for fun, playful and entertaining content — you need to learn how to adapt to this ‘culture’ without compromising your own brand voice and values.
- Avoid creating overly formal and scripted videos. The more authentic you are, the better you’ll do on TikTok. Don’t overthink that you need a fancy video setup either. You can easily shoot videos with your phone as long a your ideas (and lighting) are good. Our guide to remote video production is a great starting point for social media video, wherever you plan to record.
- Show the human side of your business. Take your audience behind-the-scenes at your office. Have your employees show off their desks or what they do in a day. Do you have an office pet? Have them say hello to the camera!
- Hop on trends and challenges. The beauty of TikTok is you never run out of ideas for new videos. Simply look up trending hashtags, music and videos, and join in. Remember to put your own twist on TikTok hashtags to make your brand stand out.
2. Add music and effects to your videos
TikTok is all about taking your social videos to the next level and getting noticed with the help of catchy, trending music and creative effects.
Simply tap on Add Sound at the top of your recording screen, and browse a huge library of audio clips in categories like trending, recommended and genres. You can save sounds you like to the Favorites tab to use later.
You can add a sound before or after recording your video, and also to previously recorded videos. Along with adding sounds to your videos, you can also access a bunch of video editing features from the recording screen.
Here’s a quick rundown of these features.
- Video length: Choose the video length that bests suits your content–up to 10 minutes long.
- Flip: Switch between your phone’s front and back cameras.
- Speed: Adjust the frame speed of your videos to speed them up or slow them down.
- Filters: Apply color or contrast filters to make your videos look more attractive.
- Beautify: Access an array of beauty filters to modify facial features.
- Timer: Stop recording automatically after a set period of time.
- Reply: Respond to comments on your own or any other videos.
- Flash: Enable or disable flash on your phone’s camera.
- Effects: Add overlays, face transformation effects, background changers, voice changers, interactive effects and more.
- Templates: Drag and drop your photos and/or videos into these pre-made templates to quickly create eye-catching content. You can always edit the sounds, effects and text later.
Other video editing features include trimming your videos, joining several videos together, applying effects and filters after, and more.
Note: You can also develop your own branded filters, effects and 3D objects, similar to Instagram and Snapchat. TikTok users can then use these elements in their own videos and spread the word about your business.
3. Leverage TikTok’s content publishing features
TikTok makes it just as easy to share, optimize and organize your videos as it is to record and edit them. Here are some ways you can leverage the platform’s content publishing tools to make sure your videos get the attention they deserve.
- Write a description: Your TikTok descriptions are limited to 150 characters, so keep them short, meaningful and interesting. They may also be helpful for visually or hearing impaired audiences to understand the context of your videos.
- Include hashtags: Adding the right hashtags can help your videos show up in front of the right people. Pay attention to trending hashtags, and make yours as specific as possible to attract targeted users who are actually interested in your content.
- Tag friends: If you’re collaborating with another brand, content creator or influencer, you can tag them in your description using the “@” symbol. This is also useful if you’re reposting user-generated content and you want to give credit to the original creators.
- Add links: If you have a TikTok Business account, you can add a link in your bio by editing your profile and adding a URL to the Website field. In your videos, you can then ask users to sign up, browse products or make a purchase via the link in your bio.
- Adjust privacy: Make your videos visible to only yourself, friends or followers who you follow back, or everyone.
- Enable duet/stitch: Allow users to use your videos to create duets or stitch your videos with their own to create unique or response content.
4. Decide when and how often to post on TikTok
One of the most important strategies for any social media platform - not just TikTok; is to pay close attention to the usage behavior of your audience. What times are they online? Which days of the week do they use TikTok the most?
If you post late at night when most of your customers are snoozing, for example, you might not get as much engagement as you’d have hoped for in the first few hours. And without that initial buzz, your videos might not get a boost from TikTok’s algorithm.
5. Share user-generated content on TikTok
It’s no secret that brands love user-generated content (UGC). For some industries, like B2C, it’s the easiest (and sometimes least expensive) way to acquire and share high-performing content.
Sharing user-generated content is a great way to feed three birds with one scone:
- Consistently filling your TikTok feed with engaging videos
- Delighting existing customers by offering them recognition
- Acquiring new customers by leveraging social proof
You can encourage UGC on TikTok in several ways, such as by collaborating with an influencer to kickstart a trend, creating a branded hashtag or starting a challenge. This takes us to the next point.
6. Create a TikTok challenge
Challenges are the bread-and-butter of TikTok. They have extreme viral potential, everyone wants to try them and are highly entertaining videos.
Prada, for example, recently launched the #PradaBucketChallenge on TikTok to encourage people to make videos showing how a Prada bucket hat can make a difference in their wardrobes.
To promote this challenge, Prada enlisted the help of several top influencer accounts with millions of followers, including Bella Poarch, Michael Le and Lexi Rivera.
Alternatively, brands can also choose to participate in existing challenges and ride the waves. Starting your own challenge can be highly rewarding, especially if it goes viral. However, it can also be costly, depending on how you choose to promote it.
7. Advertise on TikTok
Even though TikTok does not focus heavily on monetization, businesses can still run ads that blend in seamlessly with the rest of the content on the platform to grow their following. There are a few kinds of ads you can run on TikTok.
- In-feed ads: These are native ads that show up as full-screen videos between a user’s scrolling activity. In-feed ads can only be up to 60 seconds, and can link to landing pages or app store listings. You can also create engaging ads using Interactive Card, Voting Card and Display Card formats.
- Brand takeovers: These are ads that show up as soon as users open the TikTok app. Brand takeover ads can be 3 second photos or 3.5 second videos, and are more expensive than in-feed ads. Only one advertiser can run a brand takeover ad per day per interest, taking over the entire share of voice for that category and also comes with a hefty price tag.
- TopVew ads: These ads are enhanced versions of brand takeovers, and are naturally more expensive. These videos can be 5-60 seconds long, and users can engage with them by liking, commenting and sharing.
8. Collaborate with TikTok influencers
Last but not least, TikTok is a haven for brands looking into influencer marketing. There are countless influencers of all levels on the platform — from mega influencers with millions of followers to nano influencers with a few thousand fans.
Working with influencers can help you attract new audiences and build a credible brand image by reaching out through someone they trust. Below are some tips for maximizing your TikTok influencer marketing campaigns:
- Find the right influencers to work with. Look for influencers that align with your brand voice. Also, consider whether to pursue large influencers or smaller ones. Larger influencers offer more reach but are expensive. Smaller influencers are more affordable, and while they offer less reach, they often have a loyal, highly engaged following. Depending on your goals, the influencers you engage may differ, which brings us to the next point.
- Have clear goals in mind. Partnering with influencers without clear objectives can be a waste of resources for both parties. You need to know exactly what you hope to achieve out of this collaboration and communicate it to the influencer so they know what to do. Is it brand awareness? Is it an increase in followers or a certain number of sales?
- Don’t be too controlling. Once you’ve communicated the end goal to the influencer, don’t try to take over every aspect of the campaign. Outline points you want them to cover but let them have their creative freedom and do things “their way.” Not only will this improve your relationship with the influencer, it will also make your brand look more credible and authentic.
- Measure and analyze results. Track the performance of your influencer marketing campaigns both during and after the execution phase. Know whether your outlined goals and objectives have been met, or whether you need to pivot in any way.
If done right, influencer collaborations on TikTok can be highly rewarding for your brand. Use an influencer marketing tool to choose the right partners and work closely with them during the planning and strategizing to see impactful results.
Don’t forget — they are experts at what they do, and might be able to bring a lot of great ideas or valid concerns to the table that you’d have otherwise missed.
Why engage professionals to create TikTok videos?
Content and brand guidelines are equally important be it for social or advertisements. Do you know that MNCs and the bigger Brands still engage professional creative video production agency to produce their social content and make it authentic with like being shot on a smartphone, yet super sharp with depth and super fab background?
Yeah - it's all about understanding the medium. And when we talked about Brand guideline, your content has a direct impact on the content quality even though it's for social media. You don't want to position your brand as cheap as it look.
Understanding of the Medium
A professional video production team knows how to use those tools to communicate effectively. A chef, for example, has in-depth knowledge about cooking, and they can turn ingredients into gourmet meals with flavors that jump off the plate and create an extraordinary experience. A professional video production crew brings that same level of expertise to the video medium, producing results that make the skill behind them obvious to anyone. And in post-production, the editor turns your polished video adapting to social media nature of being floaty. With that, you get both super sharp, great depth and color even for social, whilst the high resolution content can be easily repurpose for others.
It's A Wrap! Now, Conclusion.
To create an effective approach using professional video team you're engaging is to have a proper planning. To produce, shoot multiple videos in a single day, single location and further cutdown for different medium/social media and formats. That's how we help create an effective plans for our clients. Keeping your cost effectively for multiple purposes and variations. Finding the right video production agency takes a bit of research and careful consideration. But by following these tips, you'll be able to find a video content partner that aligns with your goals, delivers high-quality videos, and helps you achieve your marketing objectives.
Author: Arigatographer
Digital Strategist and Video Producer
Source: FastCompany, SproutSocial
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