Our Guide to Marketing Your Brand on TikTok in 2023.
In 2022, TikTok proved that it was not going anywhere anytime soon. In fact, TikTok is used by over 1.8 million people in Ireland and overtook Snapchat as the world’s third most used social media platform after Instagram and Facebook.
At Part Three Digital, we support our clients in their organic social media and digital advertising strategies on TikTok, including Further. Space, Moody Activewear and Tipperary Water – to name a few. We launched our very own TikTok in August 2021 to showcase agency life behind the scenes at Part Three Digital, as well as sharing our knowledge and insights on social media and search marketing.
In December 2022, TikTok released their ‘What’s Next’ 2023 Trend Report. This report details how the platform is set to evolve throughout 2023 including three major trends that brands should consider when posting on TikTok:
1. Actionable Entertainment
2. Making Space for Joy
3. Community Built Ideals
We have taken these trends and broken them down into actionable considerations for brands and content creators when developing their channel and content strategy this year.
Actionable Entertainment
To put it simply, actionable entertainment is tailor made content on TikTok that will inspire your audiences to take action. There are many ways to incorporate actionable entertainment into your TikTok Strategy; including being authentic, storytelling, creating inspiring content for your audience, working with qualified influencers and content creators, as well as sharing user generated content which features your brand or product.
Be Your Authentic Self
Video content requires more authenticity than any other. Authentic content has been proven to leave 73% of users feeling positive and emotionally uplifted afterward. TikTok allows for experimentation with so many app features such as voice overs and green screens to name a few. These features allow you to connect with your audiences on a deeper level. However, in order to truly be authentic, you must find a tone that works for your brands personality and resonates with your target audience.
Audiences enjoy being taken ‘behind the scenes’ of a brand to feel as though they are part of the journey. Including viewers in your content by sharing behind the scenes ‘exclusive’ footage, audiences feel as though they know your true brand identity.
For example, at Part Three Digital we created a ‘Vlogmas’ series, uploading content every weekday through the month of December before the Christmas holidays, to showcase what we get up to day-to-day at our agency, profiling our team’s personalities and creativity, and to share our knowledge and the services we offer our clients.
Storytelling
The most popular videos are the ones that tell a story, an ideal opportunity for brands to profile the stories they have worth telling. Storytelling that resonates with target audiences allows for trust to be built, further growing your online community and supports brand’s mental availability objectives by becoming memorable.
Storytelling is essential in order to beat the competition to get a prime spot on the ‘for you page’, this includes everything from the video background, the content’s theme, the words spoken, in captions and featuring in text overlays, even the caption copy of the video.
An example of a brand doing well can be seen with Partner In Wine. With the business creation during lockdown, TikTok was one of their key marketing tactics. After some viral video content surrounding the story behind the brand, Partner in Wine were approached by top luxe stockists including Selfridges UK.
The days of relying on trending audio alone are gone! Original TikTok Sounds range from song covers and memes, to music mashups and viral commentary. Whilst there is still space for trending audio to be leveraged by brands in authentic and engaging ways, creating unique content using tools such as voice over, green screen and making use of outsourced editing such as Cap cut is a great way to tell brand stories.
Voice overs are becoming one of the most popular ways to add audio on TikTok content, paired with subtitles, to maximise user experience. When making content it is essential to consider audio of equal significance to visuals if not more so in certain situations.
Chatty, relatable content allows for a brands perspective to be shared in a unique, memorable way that resonates with the target audience. Chatting to the camera allows viewers to recognise the ‘face’ behind the brand and feel like they are developing a relationship with a brand. Part Three Digital’s co-founders Hannah and Jess did chatty TikTok on ‘3 things we learned running our agency in 2022.”
Inspiring Content
TikTok describes how brands should ensure marketing on TikTok is delivered like an ad but loved like entertainment. Looking for inspiration is increasingly in people’s mind. From 2018, out of the top 10 reasons people use the internet, ‘Looking for Inspiration’ has seen the highest jump, from position 9 to 6.
From our own research on Instagram polls [232 respondents] – 38% said educational/helpful content was their favorite and 41% said entertaining. Looking for inspirational content is increasingly on people’s minds.
With the content you are creating, you ultimately want audiences to feel inspired to act whether that be a purchase, a booking or a visit to your website. TikTok’s place in the consumer decision process is increasing and cannot be overlooked. Create content that is inspiring and engaging with clear messaging, keywords and calls to action.
This can be seen in our client Further. Space, for example - with the popular “Luxury Glamping One Hour from Belfast”. This piece of content included keywords related to location, nearby attractions and amenities. The content had beautiful, engaging scenery and told a story of the unique glamping experience on offer. This TikTok performed significantly better and had a huge 2800% increase in views.
Irish influencer, Donal Skehan, who we collaborate with on Instagram for Santa Rita 120, is a great example of a creator who creating helpful and inspiring, easy-tofollow recipe content on TikTok, and has grown a highly engaged following as a result.
Working with Influencers
Your social media marketing can be enhanced by working with content creators and influencers. If a content creator shares traits or interests that resonate with your target audience, their content will be deemed as more trustworthy and meaningful to audiences. Creators and Influencers are gifted storytellers who understand the value of humour, perfectly-timed audio, pacing, and helpful advice—so they're able to quickly pull in their viewers.
“61% of consumers trust the product recommendations they get from influencers versus only 38% trust branded social media content.”
Shopify 2022
At Part Three Digital, we offer specialist influencer marketing services , from collaboration and managing brand ambassador relationships, to gifting projects and elevating digital advertising creatives with social proof, on behalf of brands. We qualify influencers by ensuring there are of a ‘brand and campaign fit’, considering their niche and content style, community demographics, shared values and community engagement. Checkout our blog on ‘2023 influencer marketing trends predictions’ to find out more about working with content creators this year.
Boots UK had a great TikTok collaboration with influencer Max Baledgde who’s account has over 3.2 million followers and a strong focus on humour. The content involved Max using his acting skills to pretend to be a Boots employee. The video was hilarious and engaging, gaining over 2.2 million views, 349K likes and 19.9K saves. Due to the success this has now become a series with Max returning multiple times focusing on new brands/offers on each visit.
User Generated Content
User generated content (content created by fans/customers of a brand) is a valuable source of digital content for all brands, as it maximises share of voice for your brand online, allows brands to monitor sentiment and bolsters social proof. It has been noted that Generation Z trusts content from people significantly more than they trust branded content.
Some brands invite their customers to become regular content contributors to take over their feed. Heyestrid invite their audiences to ‘takeover’ their TikTok page creating user generated content in a relatable fashion. The content focuses on ‘when selfcare meets body hair’ creating empowering videos on mental health, self-care and how shaving should always be optional. Using real bodies, real people and real voices, audiences feel a strong connection to the brand.
TikTok’s creative features also allows brand’s audiences to become active partners in your social media strategy. Let your audiences know what your campaign is about along with key brand messaging. This will result in users adding their own creative flair to bring everything to life. Tesco did a fantastic job at encouraging user generated content when they launched their TikTok with a competition on who could become the new voice for their self-check-out machines. Customers competed by auditioning using the voice over and green screen filter via TikTok with thousands joining in naturally boosting Tesco’s TikTok reach.
Brands can also feature their target customers in content using ‘interview’ style content. An example of this can be seen with our client Tipperary Water. Dry January is a big conversation annually and we wanted to get perspective from customers of the brand whether they would be joining in and swapping out alcohol, connecting the water brand with the affiliation of staying hydrated and nurturing healthier habits.
Making Space for Joy
Building on actionable entertainment, its essential to make space for joy in your brand’s TikTok content. Audiences are actively seeking more ways to gain advice and perspective on wellness, as well as being entertained through TikTok content.
The Memeing of Life
According to TikTok, 90% of users who took an off platform action as a result of content they viewed on TikTok said that the content they view makes them happier and never gets boring. Humour is one of the main languages used on TikTok allowing businesses and customers to bond over fun and creative concepts. Popular sounds, trending effects are all creative elements to leverage when making humorous, entertaining content.
Sheer Luxe, a global fashion publishing agency are a great example on ‘the memeing of life’ through their viral TikTok account. Creating content on office style, office interviews and even mini music videos. Sheer Luxe bring a fun, carefree and cool vibe to their online presence.
The Way to Wellbeing
After the pandemic, there has been an increase in consumer focus on self-care and their journey to wellness. Brands and influencers have used TikTok as a platform to share lifestyle strategies, ‘life hacks’ and empowering content to make positive change to live healthier wholesome lives. This form of content covers a range of activities from yoga, skincare, slow fashion, cooking, body positivity, mental health etc.
The wellbeing movement has had such a large impact that TikTok has created the ‘Wellness Hub’ where brands and influencers can advocate and provide resources for mental health to their large audiences.
Rituals have found their ‘niche’ within TikTok’s wellness industry using voice overs, green screens and trending audios that are relevant to their target audience. Through this they have been able to share the importance of understanding which wellness vitamins are ‘right for you’ as well as promoting the ‘Rituals Vitamin’ and its benefits.
One of Part Three Digitals clients Moody Activewear has wellbeing as one of their key brand messages, donating 100% of profits to local women’s mental health charity Glow NI. Last year we supported in the development of the ‘Moody Movement Podcast Series’ on TikTok and Instagram, where founder, Louise spoke with various local guests aligned with the brand’s wellness values, including ‘dipsnhips’ ‘Informed minds’ and ‘The Sporty Dietician’ to cover important wellbeing topics.
Life’s Little Luxe’s
#TreatYourself isn’t one of the most popular TikTok hashtags for no reason. TikTok users love highlighting how you can reward yourself at any budget enjoying life’s little luxe’s. This can be a simple reward such as lighting a new fancy candle that has been saving for that perfect moment, vising that popular restaurant on the for you page or splurging on a trip. This has resulted in users taking inspiration from others indulgence with 75% of users taking off platform action due to creators showing product use or branded content on TikTok.
Creating content on your products or services that is memorable and desirable can fuel customers through the path to purchase as their next #lifeslittleluxe’.
Part Three Digital create and edit content for Further. Space, that is focused on inspiring target audiences to take a break and some time away from their regular routines to reconnect with loved ones and nature at their four-star glamping pods across the Island of Ireland and Scotland.
Community Built Ideals
TikTok has become the go-to space for people to ask questions and start conversations. TikTok is like having access to your ‘know it all friend’ 24/7. People of all ages, with various experiences, likes and dislikes sharing their top tips and tricks that anyone and everyone can appreciate. Recent data indicated how almost 40% of Gen Z are not using Google for product and service discovery but instead TikTok as their main source of search engine.
The ’Ask TikTok’ phenomenon has become a space where likeminded users can come together to explore their passions and shared experiences. Audiences are joining together in niche groups on TikTok, whether that be #NewMums, #breadtok, #FashionAddicts or #cozygamers. Brands have the opportunity to lean into these special TikTok groups with content that will have the niche groups feeling understood and validated.
For example @Foodies on TikTok, is an account dedicated to sharing cooking #lifehacks using a range of their own content and UGC. This account has over 21.9M followers and 1.2B likes which goes to show how much people appreciate the help.
Bestie Behaviour
Brands and creators have begun filming themselves and their employees during everyday activities, chatting through their makeup looks, outfit options, breakfast choices the list goes on! Despite this sounding quite ‘mundane’ on paper, these videos have become a comforting phenomenon. The purpose of the videos is not to see the finished makeup look or cooked meal but instead the random chats and glimpses into people’s everyday lives they enjoy. This further includes engaging with your audiences online. Responding to comments, interacting with user generated content and reposting, ensuring users feel ‘seen’.
After considering the three trends listed by TikTok, it is important to further consider how optimising content for search behaviour and advertising on TikTok can help to further drive brand results on and off platform.
Search Focused Content
At Part Three Digital we merge our search and social media marketing experience to develop search optimised social media marketing strategies and content for our clients.
Finding information online doesn’t quite mean the same thing as it used to. Traditionally, Google was the main platform for search. TikTok has now begun to steal traffic and visibility from Google due to its speed and convenience at responding to users’ questions and interests. Google’s Senior Vice President Prabhakar Raghavan recently shared:
“In our studies, something like almost 40% of young people, when they’re looking for a place for lunch, they don’t go to Google Maps or Search. They go to TikTok or Instagram.”
When developing search optimised content for TikTok, we look at data and trends to create link-worthy and shareable content to support brand awareness and search performance goals.
In 2022, TikTok also began experimenting with linked keywords within comments and video descriptions, which guide user discovery by connecting them through to trending, relevant content. Having a focus on keywords through content and copy on TikTok will now be a priority for all businesses.
Advertising on TikTok
TikTok is a great channel advertising channel to consider as part of brand strategy, because of its growing user base in key markets, particularly Gen Z and Millennials. It’s algorithm and search first behaviour has allowed brands to amplify quality content for brand awareness, as well as action orientated campaigns to generic and specific audiences considering demographics, and interests, as well as lookalike and remarketing options.
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If you would like to have a chat with us about your social media marketing, please reach out to us.