TikTok for Grownups: Your Next Marketing Secret Weapon

The social media landscape is shifting once again. Even though TikTok is still (wrongly) perceived as being just for kids, savvy integrated marketers are embracing its potential. It's the fastest growing social network: TikTok was the most downloaded app in 2020, and in just five years, the platform has amassed more than 1 billion active users.

Still not convinced setting up a TikTok account is right for your business? Here's a gentle reminder that many marketers thought Facebook, Twitter and Instagram were fads–and those have all turned into billion-dollar platforms that have helped countless companies find their voice, better brand themselves and reach more new customers.

So what can TikTok do for your business?

Helps You Demo Your Products
As proof of its potential to reach adults, the platform recently launched an ingenious campaign called #TikTokTaughtMe, featuring people learning the right way to use a product. People crave content that is practical and instructional but still offers entertainment.

Curious to see what this looks like in a business context? Adobe> understands the assignment. Their feed features a variety of organic and user-generated content demonstrating how to get the most out of their products.

Provides a Cost-Effective Marketing Tactic
The most important rule for thriving on TikTok: Be authentic. Your audience will know if you're trying too hard. From a content creation point of view, this means you don't have to be flashy or slick. Videos and ads don't have to be overly produced, but they need to reflect good production values and make your business seem legitimate and credible.

Check out the feed of Ototo Design, a houseware manufacturer. Their no-frills TikToks are just close-ups of the products being used in interesting ways, but they're incredibly clever and engaging.

Reaches an Engaged and Youthful Audience
It's true that TikTok's reach skews a little young and female, but this is an audience you want on your side. About half of users say TikTok helps them make the decisions about what to buy, and over half of all U.S TikTok users have an annual household income of $100,000 or more. That's a lot of clout!

How TikTok Fits Within the Rest of Your Marketing
TikTok can help you shake up your marketing, but it's not a magic silver bullet to replace your other tactics. Here's how you can integrate everything:
 

• Add the TikTok icon to your emails, website and even direct mail pieces, and make sure the icon drives to a live link for your digital pieces. This can help increase engagement and boost your followers.
• Use your TikTok to drive people to your website. Start by filling your profile with great media and a descriptive bio. Here's an idea: Instead of using a call to action, try adding a unique coupon code that will allow you to see TikTok's impact on your website traffic and sales.
• Sync up your hashtag with your organic SEO: a distinctive and specific hashtag could be a great URL for a landing page (and vice versa).

If driving your audience from one tactic to another sounds like a game of ping pong, relax: each exposure will amplify the impact of your messaging. And that's what integrated marketing is all about.

Will Your Product Pop on the Platform?
One important way to make your product stand out on TikTok – and everywhere else, for that matter—is with a colorful label. How are your labels looking? Do they reflect your brand and pop enough to grab someone's attention, or do they just blend in?

If you need an objective opinion, call us. We can help you create and produce beautiful labels and packaging that fit your brand and stand out. We can also help you create “plug-and-play” integrated marketing campaigns from scratch: starting with strategy, all the way through production, and in some cases, analytics and reporting.