Small Business, Big Audience - How to Start Your TikTok Success Story

TikTok's 800 million active users worldwide meant nothing to me until recently. Since my 62-year-old uncle spent the family dinner showing me his collection of short clips with funny animals, I had to face the fact that this app is not the future but the present of social media. All users will have to adapt, businesses included.

The demographic

Even the most unique content and extensive organic reach mean nothing if the people you want to sell your product are not there. Gen Zs and Millennials dominate TikTok, with the average user being between 18 and 24 years old. The numbers remain prominent in the 30-something demographic. They drop significantly for users older than 30 and even more for those over 45. Female users are slightly more than female ones, which is also valid for the creators.

The benefits

The app is growing fast worldwide, with Canada experiencing a 32% year-over-year growth. If your target demographic is not amongst the early adopters, they will soon be on TikTok. Over 3 billion people have downloaded the app, and over 1.5 billion actively use it monthly. The average user opens the app around 19 times every day and spends around an hour on it. It is the 6th most popular social media platform in the world… for now.

Conquering TikTok

To start using TikTok as a marketing tool, you should start by creating a small business account and exploring the platform. There are plenty of success stories out there to learn from.

See what the others are doing

The TikTok algorithm is particularly good at figuring out what you want to see, so just by watching videos on the "For You" page, you will get a sense of what is popular in your field. In addition, you will get a feel of the platform and how it works.

Make a video

Creating for TikTok is accessible to everyone as most of the content on the platform consists of armature smartphone videos. You don't need fancy equipment or videography experience to create; that is its beauty. Still, take some time to use the effects and filters.

The sound is important

Music is a crucial part of conveying the message in a 60-second video. You will soon find out that TikTok has its own musical language, with different songs telling you right away what to expect or subverting your expectations. The platform offers a vast list of sounds with curated playlists for different regions. It will help you identify the trendy ones, but to be ahead of the curve, you must follow the best creators and analyze their use of music. 

Don't be a stranger

Following fellow small business owners and popular creators will keep you up to date. Checking the campaigns of the industry giants will give you an insight into the marketing trends in your field. Being part of the community is essential to be able to use it to your advantage.

The strategy of TikTok advertising

The app promotes a combination of organic and paid content to keep users engaged. You can take advantage of the unique way TikTok allows you to collaborate with creators and combine the two.

Organic + paid = success

You can start by creating some content and posting it organically to monitor its performance. The statistics will help you single out the videos with the most potential for success and promoting them will help you reach new audiences. Each time you repeat this process, you will gather more data and improve the process. 

Collaboration with creators

There are various content creators on TikTok, and they have one thing in common: they are excellent storytellers. Using the TikTok Creator Marketplace, you can find the perfect one for you – one that fits your budget and has the potential to tell your story in a way that matches your brand identity.

Types of TikTok Ads

TikTok has launched a self-service platform that helps brands create advertising content designed to appear in the users' feeds. The other options are available through the ad account manager of the application.

In-Feed Ads

Appearing on the "For You" page of the users is an excellent option for small business advertisers, made even easier by the self-service platform TikTok has launched. The low prices of this type of ad make them exceptionally cost-effective.

Brand Takeover

TikTok limits the number of brand takeover spots to ensure a smoother user experience. The type of ad that appears on the screen and makes the application unusable for a few seconds before changing into an in-feed ad is considered intrusive and unsuitable for everyone.

Branded Hashtag Challenges

Once you get into TikTok, you quickly realize the importance of hashtag challenges for the community. It is enough for someone's video to challenge fellow users to repeat the same act to boost the hashtag's popularity and get tons of repetitive but entertaining content. Brands can take advantage of these trends by using paid promotion to popularize the challenge and include a shoppable element.

Branded AR / Effects Content

A creative way to promote your brand is to provide some branded AR or 3D content, filters, lenses, or stickers for the content creators to use in their videos. If you get their attention with an attractive feature, they will provide great reach for it organically.

If someone else has done it…

You may still have doubts about TikTok advertising, especially for a small business that does not have a huge budget or an army of marketing specialists to rely on. Still, some success stories are so remarkable and genuine that they will change your mind.

DBL Jewelry

Liv Portillo started as a 16-year-old jewellery creator who wanted to raise money for her family and ended up a viral sensation because her fans loved watching her work. Making personalized name necklaces crafted from a single piece of wire was just the content users needed, especially if it involved some personal drama. Her success of Liv came with a video in which she told a customer's story. She was ordering a neckless with a name to confront her cheating boyfriend. Now she is one of Forbes's "30 Under 30", and her company's sales, DBL Jewelry, were projected to pass $10 in 2022.

Sani Sisters

The siblings behind the successful South Asian clothing brand created their first viral video in early 2020. It was a video montage telling the story of their journey as small business owners. It sometimes seems all it takes to be genuine and sincere as it captured the platform's attention of 4 million users. This happened during the pandemic's beginning when formalwear sales were severely decreasing. However, the sisters still felt the impact of their achievement when they got the attention of future collaborators and suddenly got access to more opportunities than ever.

Street Brew Coffee

Caitlin Campbell is the resident TikTok coffee expert with more than half a million followers. She offers valuable insights into good coffee secrets and makes her unique brews accessible. Her videos' approachable and authentic style makes users believe they can also make a quality brew or a special latte at home. Selling this idea has proven a successful method to make your brand desirable. Her story shows that you don't need overproduced content or special filters to find your way to people's hearts.

Sider's Woodcrafting

Watching the process of something tuning into something else with the promise of a before and after comparison is captivating. Shooting the process of turning a fallen tree into a state-of-the-art charcuterie board has been the successful strategy of Bruce Graybill, but it is not his only secret. He is conversing with his followers, answering questions, and somehow getting their undivided attention with his craft and authentic persona. He is not shy to reveal his downfalls and difficult moments, which users seem to respond to with genuine care and attention.

Vessi

Here is a story close to home. The Canadian sneaker brand went viral by asking customers to share proof of the company's claim that their product is completely waterproof. Any marketing expert will confirm that user-generated content (UGC) is a goldmine for any business. Creating a fun trend to transform your customers into brand advocates on such a trendy platform leads to a ton of organic reach and helps build your image as a trustworthy brand. Encouraged by this success, Vessi organized a special giveaway for a good cause in 2020. Teachers and healthcare professionals received free footwear, and the brand got tags and shares of content, a win-win situation.