Move over gun violence, climate change, healthcare costs, and economic equality…America has a new public enemy No. 1 — TikTok. As our elected leaders scramble to enforce a ban on an app that so many use to distract themselves from the country’s real issues (see above), influencers and brands must also reassess how they market themselves.
Whether you’ve just created a TikTok presence or already have a stellar following, it’s time to ask THE question: Should you abandon ship or wait out the storm? Read on to find out the pros and cons of marketing with TikTok and how to use the app for your team’s sales enablement strategy.
Measuring TikTok’s Popularity
According to Statista, about 41 percent of users based in the United States engaged with the popular social app, TikTok in 2022. That’s approximately 135 million of an estimated 331 million Americans who can learn more about your company if the algorithm propels your post to their For You Page (#fyp).
Globally, TikTok has over 1.53 billion users subscribed as of 2023, with more than one billion of those being monthly active users. If the ban is approved, the opportunity of reaching the masses with your message simply vanishes. Fortunately, you can still take advantage of the app and fine-tune your content creation skills across various other social media channels.
Pros and Cons of TikTok Marketing
Companies are on the fence about investing too much time with the app because of the potential TikTok ban bill. However, the channel can be an effective strategy used with other marketing techniques. Here’s a quick look at some of the benefits the powerful social media app has and a few of the negative aspects of placing all of your trust into the app’s following.
Pros
TikTok is an ideal outlet to broaden your brand’s awareness and promote your product or service. The app makes it simple to engage with your audience by performing video duets, commenting, stitching your content into viral videos, and creating original sounds to build familiarity so your following will connect to your company. Here are some other ways you can use TikTok to broaden your reach.
- Reach a large and diverse audience of over a billion active users worldwide. This presents a great opportunity to showcase your products or services to a wide audience.
- Go viral to reach even more potential customers. The app is known for spreading viral content like wildfire, often leading to content being highlighted on other social media channels, podcasts, late-night television shows, and news spotlights.
- High engagement rates come from the platform’s short-form video format allowing users to quickly scroll through content. Creating quick videos increases your content’s chances of landing on someone’s fyp.
- Creating entertaining and engaging content can lead to loyal followers and a higher share rate that can help you find an audience you’re not necessarily targeting.
- Seamlessly connect with influencers who already hold a massive following on the app. After paying an appearance fee, they will broadcast your brand or product to their own network.
Keep in mind, TikTok content that goes viral doesn’t usually happen overnight. But, with regular postings, the effective use of trending hashtags and sounds, and engaging with your audience, it’s easy to start a small following and see consistent growth.
Cons
While there are plenty of benefits of a TikTok marketing plan, the app does have some shortcomings that can negatively impact your efforts.
- Limited analytics on the app can make it challenging to understand how your content is performing in terms of data-driven decisions.
- Inappropriate content can find its way to your sponsored videos and misrepresent the vision and messaging you have aligned with your brand.
- Short-Form content will make it challenging to showcase your brand’s entire message or product line. When creating videos, try to quickly entertain and engage the viewer as you only have a few seconds to capture their attention. Numerous bite-sized videos are more digestible to the quick-scrolling TikTok crowd.
Another disadvantage of using TikTok marketing is the social media app’s advertising fees. Unless you’re already a well-established and funded outlet, creating targeted ads may be unfeasible. On the low end, TikTok offers in-feed ads for $10 per 1,000 impressions, with a minimum fee of $500. For a more widespread campaign, expect to pay $50,000 per day for 5 million impressions, or $80,000 a day for a custom-branded filter or lens.
Ways to Implement TikTok into A Sales Enablement Strategy
TikTok is a great platform for reaching a younger audience and creating engaging video content. Here are some ways you can use the app to support your sales enablement strategy.
- Create product demos: Use TikTok to create short, fun product demos that showcase your product’s features and benefits. Keep the videos short and engaging, and make sure to include a call-to-action at the end.
- Leverage influencer marketing: Partner with influencers on TikTok who have large followings and can promote your products to their audiences. Make sure to choose TikTok stars who align with your brand values and target audience.
- Share customer success stories: Use TikTok to share short video testimonials from happy customers. These can be a powerful way to build social proof and inspire others to learn more about your company.
- Offer exclusive discounts and promotions: Use TikTok to offer exclusive discounts and promotions to your followers. This is a great asset to generate buzz and incentivize purchases.
- Use hashtags: Relevant hashtags on your TikTok videos increase their visibility and reach. You can also create your own branded hashtags to encourage user-generated content and engagement.
Remember, TikTok is all about creating fun, engaging content that resonates with your audience. By incorporating TikTok into your sales enablement strategy, you can reach a new audience and build brand awareness in a fun and creative way.
So, Should You Jump Ship in Case TikTok Sinks?
Not yet. We suggest keeping an eye on the TikTok ban bill for changes in the United States as well as other countries or regions. Until the app is forced to shut down, keep creating short, engaging content that helps people discover your brand.
However, in the meantime, don’t forget to spread your content through other popular social media networks like Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. Each outlet has its own niche of users, so practicing your content delivery for different audiences can take time to master.
Fortunately, our team of experienced experts can help show you what makes these social networks “tik” (get it?) and align your sales and marketing team members with proven sales enablement strategies.
Don’t let your competitors get ahead of you — take action now and get in touch.