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.
Attention small business owners: You do not need to be a big brand to be successful on TikTok! You do not need a massive advertising budget or high-tech video equipment. You also don’t need to dance!
What you DO need is the right strategy and understanding of your own brand. The principles that the big brands are using to become successful on TikTok are the same ones that you can use in your business.
Want to learn some lessons from how the big names do it? Let’s discuss brands that are absolutely killing it on TikTok and what lessons you can take away from them.
Be open to the possibilities
Part of being successful on TikTok is following trends. Look no further than TikTok powerhouse, Flighthouse. With 28 million followers, it is the most followed account on TikTok and dates back to the days when TikTok was still musical.ly. Originally, it was an account that focused on providing audio and original sounds for other users to use in their videos.
However, what Flighthouse has done, and has done well, is consistently staying on top of trends and producing content around those trends. The results speak for themselves: Flighthouse has earned 2.3 Billion likes, over 200 Million video views per month, 7 Billion impressions across music campaigns, and 20 Billboard Hot100 Placements.
What made Flighthouse successful is that they looked at TikTok and saw potential. You can do that too! Be part of the modern, innovative brands that are using TikTok for their business.
Be Consistent
Being on TikTok does not mean being revolutionary or coming up with video ideas that no one has ever thought of before. You do not need to over-extend your creative muscles to be successful.
Gymshark is living proof of that principle. They joined TikTok early (April 2018) and their content is a blend of funny memes, workout motivation and workout demonstrations. Nothing earth-shattering, but they play to their strengths and do so consistently. Their 3.3 million fans seem to appreciate it.
The next time you are struggling to find the motivation to film your content, remember Gymshark. Their consistency is what led to their success.
Don’t Delay…
Both Flighthouse and Gymshark were early adopters of TikTok and it paid off for both of them. By the time other brands were waking up to the opportunities on TikTok, they had already built a solid audience.
... However, it’s never too late.
Blue Diamond started its account in June 2021 but quickly made up for lost time. Between partnering with the right food influencers to launching right out the gate with an enticing challenge, Blue Diamond certainly did its homework.
The lesson? If you aren’t on TikTok yet, it is never too late. You just need the right strategies (from the right TikTok coach) to catch up to the rest of the pack.
Build Your Brand Authentically
The important thing about showing up on TikTok is to be authentic. Make sure it is the real you that is showing up.
One brand that has been killing it in this area is Red Bull. When you think of Red Bull, you probably think of adventure and fun. They have clearly defined their brand personality and then brought it over to TikTok.
Their content is entertaining, includes death-defying stunts and hilarious flops, exactly the content that you’d expect from Red Bull.
The lesson for you? Don’t be someone you’re not! If you aren’t a dancer but think that you “should be” one for TikTok, you aren’t being authentic. Bring the real you onto TikTok and your people will love it!
Be Interactive
All social media platforms thrive when you remember that it is SOCIAL! That means that you’re interacting with your audience and engaging with them. Many brands have really tapped into this aspect of TikTok with great results. Let’s look at three: Dunkin’ Donuts, Netflix and Mark Jacobs.
Dunkin’ Donuts has 3 million followers, 21 million likes and a lot of user-generated content. However, the best move that they made was partnering with huge TikTok star, Charli D’Amelio.
This partnership seemed natural, as Charli was already a huge Dunkin’ fan. In fact, before partnering together, she featured their products in 120 of her TikToks. The results? On the launch day of their beverage named after the TikTok influencer, “The Charli”, there was a 57% rise in app downloads and a 45% rise in cold brew sales.
The lesson for you? When you’re ready to start with social media influencers, look for people that align with your brand and can authentically support brand growth.
Netflix is another brand that is using user-generated content to its advantage. User-generated content is so important for any brand, large or small. We know that consumers are more likely to trust a person over a brand, so it is the best kind of content to really prove your value.
Netflix used its whats your power campaign to build audience engagement with great success! The campaign was a huge success because the results were different for each user. People were quick to share in the campaign. With 100 thousand videos created by users, Netflix became an even bigger social media star than before!
Finally, let’s consider Mark Jacobs, aka King of the Duets. The company creates branded hashtag challenges, each time creating videos using the duet features. They have teamed up and created duets with top influencers, such as Jojo Siwa and Rickey Thompson. Their last campaign, perfect as we are accumulated a whopping 13.7 billion views!
What’s the lesson for your business? You don’t have to do it alone! Lean into user-generated content, duets, and teaming with other micro-influencers to up your engagement on TikTok.
Big Lessons for Small Business
As I mentioned, you do not need to be a big business or have a big budget to do well on TikTok. All it takes is the right strategies and the right support. You need the TikTok Coach. In our next TikTok for Business workshop on November 17, 2021, we will go through how you can get your business on TikTok and succeed! Click here to register today.
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.
