Written by: Samantha Vlasceanu, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
You are no stranger to social media marketing. In fact, your Instagram account is full of well-curated posts, and you achieved the right balance of creating value and offering promotions. As a result, your stories are the envy of your competitors, and you know your unique brand voice.
Should you even be on TikTok? Does that need to be a priority for your business right now?
YES! A thousand times yes!
I am a TikTok coach, so obviously, I believe that. However, there are strong, practical reasons that your marketing plans for 2022 should include TikTok.
The longer that you wait, the more money you are going to be leaving on the table. So let’s waste no more time and understand why YOUR business and Brand need a seat on TikTok!
TikTok’s Explosive Growth
We have talked before about how TikTok has the audience and demographic that you want. TikTok has been downloaded billions of times and has hundreds of millions of active users each month. Half of those users are over the age of 30, meaning that your audience on TikTok will have disposable income.
Not only that, but TikTok’s consumer spending continues to grow. In fact, in Q2 2021, TikTok saw one of its largest quarter-over-quarter increases in consumer spending, with $534.6 million being spent.
Even other big names in the social media industry have taken note of TikTok. Adam Mosseri, Head of Instagram, himself said that “TikTok is huge.” So Instagram says that it needs to keep up with TikTok - that alone should tell you that this is where you need to be.
Clearly, there are good reasons to market your business on TikTok. But, why the urgency?
Dealing with Oversaturation
Facebook, Instagram, and other platforms are oversaturated, meaning businesses have already built their audiences there. As a result, trying to stand out in that market feels almost impossible.
Imagine trying to get someone’s attention across the room, but the room is full of people shouting in their direction. Even if you look great and your message is important, you’re going to be drowned out.
Now, imagine being on stage in a quiet room with your audience facing you. How much easier is it to be heard?
The same is true of TikTok. While everyone is trying to shout over each other on other platforms, you have an audience spending time on TikTok just waiting to hear your message.
Being an Early Adapter
Studies have shown that early adoption of new social media is key for lesser-known brands. While established brands can use their visibility to build a following quickly, most brands are not household names.
For smaller brands, success depends on quickly hopping on a new trend or platform to build an audience over time.
TikTok may be a newer social media platform, but the principles that made the early adopters of Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter, and Google+ successful are true for TikTok. Embracing a new platform and being willing to put themselves out there is how companies are the most likely to succeed.
By the time your competitors wake up and realize the potential of marketing on TikTok, you will have already built a loyal audience who loves the value that your content is giving them. (Unless, of course, you miss this opportunity and let someone else have that success.)
Trust and Authenticity
It’s often said that customers buy from people that they know, like, and trust. TikTok provides a way for your brand to build that relationship in a way that connects to how the modern user is approaching social media.
Because TikTok promotes connection and conversation, having your brand on this platform gives your audience a chance to get to know you, like you, and trust you. Over time, that converts into sales and loyal customers.
One of my clients, a sleep coach, said that using our strategies on TikTok not only helped her to build “...a great engaged audience on TikTok but these followers have now become raving fans on Instagram and email lists.”
TikTok makes your brand approachable. Approachable brands have long-term relationships with their customers. Isn’t that what we all want for our business?
Is it enough to just have an account?
It would be absurd to say that a business can succeed on any platform just by showing up. Many of my clients have TikTok accounts but are not seeing any movement.
That is where I come in. There’s more to TikTok than just posting videos. It’s about understanding TikTok’s unique algorithm and how to optimize your content to convert followers into customers. The type of content that you put on TikTok relates to its success.
Each social media platform is unique. Succeeding on TikTok means that you must understand TikTok and have a framework for your marketing geared to this platform.
Time to Get Started
Walt Disney famously said that the best way to get started is to get started.
The difference between today and six months from now is that you will regret not having started sooner. Also, your competitors may not be waiting and you will have to catch up to their established audiences (Hint: My best guess says in 1-3 years, all shall be on TikTok)
However, getting started today and six months from now, you have the opportunity to see real results and movement in your business. The key is starting TODAY.
If you want to know more about TikTok and why it is a vital marketing tool for today’s savvy brands, you will love our new FREE guide, “A to Z of TikTok”. You can sign up for it here.
Samantha Vlasceanu, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Samantha Vlasceaunu, The TikTok Coach, is on a mission to convince businesses and brands that TikTok is not just for our teenagers (and no dancing required)! When COVID-19 hit, her other traveling business had to shut down and she had to pivot - FAST.
That's when she realized that she'd been organically reaching her audience on TikTok all along and realized the power TikTok could have for businesses if they gave them a chance. Fast forward to today, Sam works with marketing agencies, coaches, lawyers, corporate Brands - you name it! Sam ensures all her clients are using the app with intention as a sales funnel in finding their target audience and coaching the strategies of converting their followers into ACTUAL paying clients.
