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Whether you’re looking to increase brand visibility or drive sales, TikTok is a unique platform small businesses can use to find a highly engaged audience. But with millions of videos uploaded daily, the challenge is how to stand out. The answer lies in using the best TikTok marketing strategies!
Let’s dive into how you can use TikTok to help your small business thrive.
Why TikTok? Understanding the Power Behind the Platform
Before jumping into the strategies, let’s address the why. TikTok’s user base is massive, with over 1 billion active monthly users, but more importantly, its algorithm levels the playing field for small businesses.
Unlike other platforms, where you need a large following to go viral, TikTok gives anyone—yes, even small businesses—a shot at major visibility.
The key advantage for small businesses?
TikTok’s “For You” page curates content for users based on their interests, meaning your well-crafted videos could reach a broad audience organically without hefty ad budgets.
7 TikTok Marketing Strategies You Must Use for Your Small Business
1. Leverage User-Generated Content (UGC)
User-generated content is one of the most powerful TikTok marketing strategies for small businesses. Why? Because it builds trust. Consumers tend to trust other users more than they trust traditional ads.
Small businesses can encourage their customers to create content featuring their products or services. Whether it’s through a hashtag challenge or by reposting customer videos, UGC can turn your customers into your brand ambassadors.
How to Implement This Strategy:
- Create a branded hashtag challenge to encourage your customers to participate. This could be as simple as asking them to show how they use your product or service in a creative way.
- Incentivize participation with giveaways or discounts. For instance, ask users to submit videos using your product with your branded hashtag for a chance to win.
- Regularly feature user-generated content on your own TikTok profile to foster community engagement. People love being acknowledged by brands they support!
UGC not only builds authenticity but also amplifies your content with minimal effort on your part.
e.l.f. Cosmetics has perfected its UGC game with the right hashtags and customer engagement:
2. Collaborate with Micro-Influencers
When you hear “influencers,” you might think of high-priced campaigns that are out of reach for a small business budget. However, micro-influencers (those with 10k–100k followers) are a game-changer.
Micro-influencers often have highly engaged audiences that trust their opinions, and they’re usually more affordable than their larger counterparts.
These influencers are more niche-focused and often have a higher engagement rate compared to mega influencers. Plus, they tend to have closer relationships with their followers, which can lead to more authentic promotions.
How to Find the Right Influencer:
- Look for influencers who align with your brand values and target audience. You don’t want to collaborate with someone whose followers wouldn’t be interested in your products.
- Use TikTok’s search function to find influencers in your niche. You can also use platforms like CreatorIQ or Upfluence to scout the right creators.
- Consider gifting your product to influencers in exchange for a review or collaboration.
By collaborating with micro-influencers, you can tap into new audiences and build credibility without breaking the bank.
GymShark regularly uses influencers (quite successfully!) to promote its brand:
3. Embrace TikTok Trends, but Make Them Your Own
TikTok thrives on trends—whether it’s a viral dance, a meme, or a sound clip that everyone seems to be using. Small businesses can capitalize on these trends to boost visibility, but the trick is to adapt them to your brand’s identity rather than copying what everyone else is doing.
How to Stay Ahead of the Curve:
- Spend time scrolling through the “For You” page to see what’s trending. However, don’t just follow trends blindly—think about how you can creatively tie them to your brand.
- For example, if you sell eco-friendly products, you could participate in a trending challenge with a twist—showing how to use your products in a sustainable way.
- Add your own unique spin to trends to showcase your brand’s personality. If you own a coffee shop, perhaps you could hop on a trending song by filming a fun, behind-the-scenes clip of your baristas creating specialty drinks.
Trends are great for getting your content in front of more eyes, but the goal is to align those trends with your brand’s voice and message.
Chipotle has undoubtedly mastered the art of embracing trends while promoting its products:
4. Post Frequently and Consistently
In the fast-paced world of TikTok, frequency is key. The platform rewards active users, and the more you post, the more likely you are to land on the “For You” page.
Consistency, however, doesn’t mean you should sacrifice quality for quantity. It’s important to strike a balance between posting regularly and maintaining the integrity of your content.
Tips for Consistent Posting:
- Start with a schedule—ideally posting 1–3 times per day, but consistency is more important than frequency. If daily isn’t feasible, aim for several times per week.
- Plan content in advance. Use a content calendar to ensure you’re regularly delivering fresh and engaging videos.
- Experiment with different types of visual content, from educational posts to entertaining ones, and monitor which styles get the most engagement.
By posting frequently and analyzing your content’s performance, you’ll find the sweet spot that resonates with your audience and encourages them to engage with your small business.
Walmart’s got the hang of regular posting without a drop in content quality:
5. Utilize TikTok Ads, Even on a Budget
If you’re looking to expand your reach quickly, TikTok ads can be an affordable and effective option for small businesses.
TikTok offers several types of ads, from in-feed videos to branded hashtag challenges, allowing businesses to target specific audiences.
How to Get Started with TikTok Ads:
- Start small by allocating a modest budget to test different ad formats, like in-feed ads, which appear on users’ For You pages.
- Use TikTok’s robust targeting tools to ensure your ads reach the right audience. You can target based on demographics, interests, and behaviors.
- Track the performance of your ads to refine your strategy over time. TikTok’s ad platform provides detailed analytics so you can see which campaigns are resonating most with your audience.
For small businesses, TikTok ads can be a cost-effective way to reach new customers and grow your following, especially if you start with a test-and-learn approach.
Booking.com used Tina Fey in one of their successful TikTok ads to promote their app:
6. Show the Human Side of Your Business
One of the most effective TikTok marketing strategies for small businesses is to show the human side of your brand. TikTok users love authenticity, and businesses that showcase their team, processes, and even a bit of behind-the-scenes fun tend to perform well on the platform.
How to Show Off Your Brand’s Personality:
- Share behind-the-scenes content, like how your products are made or what a typical day looks like at your business. This builds a connection with your audience.
- Introduce your team members through fun or humorous videos, showcasing the people behind the brand. You could even create a “day in the life” video featuring one of your employees.
- Use TikTok as a platform to answer frequently asked questions about your product or service. This not only provides value to your audience but also humanizes your brand.
Authenticity is key to winning over TikTok’s audience, so don’t be afraid to show the fun, quirky, or even unpolished aspects of your small business.
Duolingo does a fantastic job showcasing its personality with humorous videos:
7. Analyze and Adapt Your Strategy
Finally, no social media marketing strategy is complete without analysis. TikTok provides insights into how your content performs, from engagement rates to views and follower growth.
Use TikTok Insights to analyze these metrics and determine what’s working and what needs to be tweaked.
What to Track:
- Track the performance of each post: Likes, shares, comments, and views.
- Monitor follower growth and how your audience engages with your content over time.
- Pay attention to which types of content (e.g., trends, educational videos, or product showcases) drive the most engagement.
By constantly analyzing and adapting your TikTok marketing strategy, you’ll stay ahead of the competition and continue to grow your small business on the platform.
Start Small, Dream Big with the Right TikTok Marketing
TikTok marketing strategies are not just a passing trend—they are essential tools for small businesses looking to expand their reach and engage with a global audience.
By leveraging user-generated content, collaborating with micro-influencers, staying on top of trends, and showcasing the human side of your business, you can carve out your space on the platform. Start small, be consistent, and keep refining your strategy.
In no time, TikTok will be a cornerstone of your marketing plan, driving both awareness and sales for your small business.
At 2020 Vision Digital, we specialize in helping small businesses like yours succeed on social media platforms, including TikTok. From creating attention-grabbing content to optimizing your ad strategy, we’re here to make TikTok work for you.
So, do you want to use TikTok to put your business on the social media map?