We get asked one question all the time: Should my business be on TikTok?
The short answer to this question is yes. This blog post wouldn’t be very helpful if we stopped there, would it?
Read on for a more in-depth answer, where we provide you with a framework for assessing whether TikTok is right for you and provide examples of organizations – from the financial services industry to local governments – that have found a dedicated audience on this unique platform.
Questions to ask yourself before joining TikTok
You probably already operate multiple social media platforms for your brand. New ones are popping up all the time, so what’s so special about TikTok? Quite a lot, actually, but we’ll get to that later.
First, take a look at the questions we’ve put together to help you evaluate TikTok and decide if you should give it a try or not.
1. Is my audience on the platform?
Do your research by signing up for a personal TikTok account and hiding to find out who is using the platform and how.
Pay attention to who is active in your industry or verticals and see if your competitors are there. Just because they are doesn’t mean you have to be, of course, but it could be a sign that it’s worth checking out.
You can also find tons of TikTok user data in the Hootsuite Digital Report Series.
2. Can I benefit my audience on TikTok?
Once you’ve determined that your audience is on the platform, you need to figure out if you can give them what they want or need.
TikTok is not like other platforms – you will not succeed if you openly promote sales or act corporate. Think about the content that works best on TikTok and then consider whether you and your team can provide it.
3. Is it worth the time and resources?
Regardless of what you publish or who is responsible for it, it requires an investment of time, money, and other resources.
While TikTok users prefer authentic, low-produced content, there is still an investment involved in making smart and engaging videos.
Consider what resources you will need to invest in this new channel and whether you have your own talents to devote to it.
4. Can I do things on TikTok that I can’t do on my existing channels?
TikTok gives you the opportunity to do something new that can please your audience. It popularized short vertical videos with a completely different tone than on other platforms.
Do you have the ability to change the voice or style of your brand? Definitely. But also ask yourself if something new would be of value to your business.
5. Does TikTok and the features it provides fit my social media goals?
Your goals are at the heart of your social media strategy and your choice of social media should serve them.
You may have heard that TikTok is amazing with its organic reach. But that’s not all. It’s also a great channel to support the consideration stage of the buyer’s journey, increase conversions, and increase customer loyalty. Find out more in the blog post about the possibilities of TikTok – we’ve laid it all out for you.
Do TikTok’s greatest strengths align with what you’re trying to achieve with your social media strategy?
TikTok Opportunity
It’s getting harder for social marketers to ignore TikTok. It was the most downloaded app of 2021 with 656 million downloads (more than 100 million more than its closest competitor, Instagram), bringing the total number of downloads worldwide to over 2 billion.
Contrary to popular belief, TikTok is not just for Gen Z, which means marketers can reach other age groups on this platform. Case in point: The number of U.S. TikTok users aged 35 to 54 has more than tripled since last year.
Another common misconception is that TikTok does not own brands. There are huge opportunities on TikTok for brands and organizations of all shapes and sizes. With the launch of in-app purchases, brands looking to connect directly with customers have become even more important: 70% of TikTokers say they’ve discovered new products and brands on the platform that fit their lifestyle, and almost half of TikTok users say they’ve bought something. seen in the app.
TikTok isn’t just for consumer brands: 13.9% of B2B decision makers who use social media for work say TikTok influences their buying decisions. While it may not be the most obvious platform for direct B2B sales conversions, TikTok provides a great space to build trust and brand loyalty:
- TikTok users are 2.4 times more likely than users of other platforms to create a post and tag a brand after purchasing a product.
- 93% of TikTok users have taken an action after watching a TikTok video
- 38% of TikTok users said a brand feels authentic when it teaches them something
Unexpected Organizations That Break It On TikTok
To demonstrate that brands and organizations of all kinds can find a home on TikTok, we’ve compiled a list of TikTok accounts making waves in seemingly unexpected places.
local government
Local government organizations such as libraries, schools, fire departments, parks, and transportation providers may question TikTok as a platform they can influence, but there are many examples of local governments doing just that.
The Fowlerville Community Library, located in Livingston County, Michigan, joined TikTok in May 2021 and has 96.6k followers. This is notable for the fact that only 2886 people live in the village!
The library account has videos of its affable staff browsing books, having fun with TikTok trends, and promoting inclusivity and social justice through their love of books.
@fowlervillelibrary Reply to @ktempestbradford Here’s a list of queer books with BIPOC characters! 😁 #library #librarytiktok #booktok #lgbt
South Dakota-based Sioux Falls Fire Rescue joined TikTok in February 2020 and has amassed an incredible 178.7k followers with their fun, authentic staff videos, mascots and popular soundtracks.
This video alone has 3.4 million views and over 8,000 comments.
Financial services
TikTok videos using the #Finance hashtag have garnered 6.6 billion views, so there is a huge audience for financial services on the platform.
Revolut, the digital bank that has taken the UK and Europe by storm, has over 6,000 followers on TikTok. It responds quickly to TikTok trends and gets tons of responses. Some of his videos have reached millions of views – the one below has been viewed 3.9 million times!
@revolutapp My money don’t jiggle jiggle, it folds. 💶 #Revolut #FYP #mymoneydontjiggle #jigglejiggle
But it’s not just digital banks and fintech companies that are making headway on TikTok. Traditional banks also interact with different audiences through a number of different strategies.
The Royal Bank of Scotland is partnering with TikTok influencers to create user-generated content (UGC) on a range of money-related topics, including money-saving tips for students, advice on buying your first home, and ways to avoid financial scams.
The bank’s content strategy is working very well, with some videos reaching over 2 million views.
@royal_bank On The Money | Saving up for a deposit. #onthemoney #firsthome
Insurance
State Farm provides all necessary proof that insurance brands are owned by TikTok. The brand has resurrected a beloved character, Jake from State Farm, from a famous 2011 TV commercial and built a home for him on TikTok.
Jake is quick to pick up on all the latest TikTok trends and constantly references the original ad that made him famous. (e.g. his response when asked what he was wearing: “Hmm, khakis”?)
The reimagined character’s 424,500 TikTok followers and incredible engagement stats demonstrate how even brands from conservative industries like insurance can achieve huge success on the platform.
@jakefromstatefarm With the name Jake from State Farm, I gotta be the main character ☺️ Plead your case in the comments @Boban Marjanovic @TheTraeYoung @Karl-Anthony Towns #NBA #NBAEdits
Technologies
Intuit Quickbooks joined TikTok in November 2021 and has already earned 21.8k followers thanks to its smart strategy of including content from small business owners who rely on Quickbooks to run their businesses.
@quickbooks Running a small business IRL isn’t all iced lattes and lip balm, but the hard work pays off. 💪@gabrielfeitosagrooming #newbiznoproblem #smallbusinessowner
Dentists
Yes, even dentists belong to TikTok. The singing dentist brings incredible humor to his field and has garnered 217,900 followers as a result.
Singing Dentist videos with his dental puns, funny songs and dance moves regularly go viral and bring smiles to hundreds of thousands of people on TikTok.
@dentistsinging Some Dental Dance moves for you,,, you’re welcome!! #dance #dental #foryou #fyp
How to get started on TikTok
We hope we have convinced you of the value TikTok can bring to your social media strategy. Whether you’re the hottest new retail brand or your local small town library, you can find a home on TikTok.
Here’s how you can get started:
1. Download the app and catch the pen
If you haven’t already, download the TikTok app and protect your brand name. Get tips on our TikTok for Business blog about adding more information to your profile and accessing metrics and audience data.
2. Write your bio
Write a smart bio (look at the bios of your peers for inspiration) and add a link to your website. Be sure to add UTM to your link if you want to track the traffic TikTok is sending you.
3. Get Tips on TikTok Etiquette
To understand how to navigate difficult-to-identify TikTok elements, check out Hootsuite’s TikTok Culture Guide. Reading this is like sitting next to a friend who will explain everything in an accessible language. We promise this will get you up to speed quickly.
4. Watch, listen, learn
Keep track of your interests on the platform and watch the content of your competitors, related industry players, and creators to see what they are posting and how they are interacting with their audience.
5. Comment on videos from other brands
The TikTok video comment section is a great place to learn how to speak on TikTok. When we launched our brand on the platform, we found that actively commenting on other brands’ posts brings tons of traffic to our account. Learn how Hootsuite grew its subscribers to 11.5k in 10 months.
6. Try making a short video
Come up with a funny sketch about your industry, try a dance move, or share a hack. Videos don’t have to be high quality — 65% of TikTok users agree that professional-looking videos from brands feel inappropriate or weird on TikTok (Global Market Research and Expression Community Survey 2021).
From the examples above, you will see that content performs better if it is genuine.