6 TikTok Marketing Strategies for Brands

In a few short years, TikTok has become one of the most popular social media platforms in the world. In Australia it ranks sixth in terms of popularity of social media platforms and has over one billion users globally. Every day, the average user spends 52 minutes on TikTok. In Australia the figure is 26 minutes a day. These are impressive figures.

When something becomes that popular it becomes a magnet for marketing. And the people at TikTok understand that and have made it easy for brands to use their platform as a unique way of promoting products and services.

Why TikTok marketing?

How does TikTok work?

TikTok is a very visual channel where users create brief self-made videos. TikTok has its own editing tools, effects, filters, music and sound bites that you can add to your video. Videos of dancing and lip-syncing are very popular. Because of TikTok’s format of brief, amusing videos people tend to stay on it for a while, scrolling through content.



Like other social media platforms, people can ‘like’ and comment on videos. Videos can also be shared to other platforms, such as Instagram and Facebook.

TikTok strategies and tips for brands

At Icon Visual Marketing, we understand that getting your head around a new type of social media might not be appealing to you. But hopefully, you’ll understand that you can give your marketing a huge boost by embracing TikTok and using it to your advantage. We’re happy to guide you and we can also manage the account on your behalf, just as we manage the social media accounts for many of our clients.

We recommend setting up a TikTok business account (rather than simply a personal account). Having a TikTok business account allows you to see your analytics, which means you see the data of your audience interaction. It will allow you to see what’s working and what’s not.



If you’re ready to tackle it yourself, here are some tips.

1. Post new content regularly

Frequently posting content is a good thing on TikTok. You'll gain followers and interaction. The more you post, the more your videos will have a chance of capturing the eye of people you want following you.

2. Make your content interesting

It goes without saying, but your content should be interesting enough to hold someone’s attention for a brief amount of time. As with all social media, it’s easy to scroll past something, so capturing attention in the first few seconds is crucial.



Also, avoid creating videos that are too slick. People don’t want professional ads on TikTok. They want informal home-made amusement. It gives the viewer a closer connection with the creator.

3. Keep up to date with trends

If you’re on TikTok, you should know about the latest trends on the platform.

Themes, music, videos, influencers, hashtags, challenges, effects – can all ‘trend’. Latching onto a trend can help your videos be seen by a wide audience. You can check the latest TikTok trends at a dedicated TikTok trends page.

A popular trend that marketers use is to create challenges. You can set up a challenge and invite people to share videos of themselves having a go at it. Here are some TikTok challenges that have been popular.

TikTok allows you to easily add effects to your videos. Effects gives you the opportunity to make your videos distinctive – but you should avoid the temptation to overdo it.

4. Use hashtags

The use of hashtags is one of the best ways to spread the word about your videos. They categorise your video so when people search under those categories, your video might show up. You would normally use hashtags that are associated with your video. It’s important that you make the most of hashtags on TikTok if you want to be successful.

5. Use influencers

Influencers are people who have built up a large following on social media. They are not necessarily celebrities but are often people who have produced a large number of quality, attention grabbing videos of a particular category. As a business, you can identify influencers that could be associated with and endorse your brand. They can reach potential customers where other forms of paid advertising might not. They will expect a payment or reward to act on behalf of your brand.



You might not need one of the top influencers to get your message out there. Micro-influencers can be more effective for you to reach your niche target market.

6. Use TikTok ads

With TikTok Ads, you can pay to have advertising on TikTok. Many world-famous brands use TikTok Ads effectively to reach a wider audience. It can put your content up front with your audience.

TikTok Ads is an opportunity to be personal. Avoid making polished ads or sharing your quality YouTube content on TikTok. You can show everyday people using your product or show demonstrations and behind the scenes footage of your product.

Create a TikTok strategy for your brand

The first step in your TikTok marketing journey is to make a plan, bearing in mind that TikTok is more about creating brand awareness than generating sales. Consider all the points above as well as the timing.

Who is your audience?

Establish your audience so you can speak at their level about things that are of interest to them.

Is your audience on TikTok?

The audience demographics on social media platforms change, so it's important to establish whether TikTok is the right place for your brand.

What do they want to see?

Social media platforms each have their quirks and idiosyncrasies. TikTok is no different. The content you put on TikTok should suit the format.

Does TikTok align with your brand's identity?

Understanding the demographic of those on TikTok will help you know whether it suits your brand's identity.

Are your competitors on TikTok?

If your competitors are on TikTok it might be a good idea to also have your brand on TikTok. If they aren't on TikTok you could have the space to yourself.

What is the best time to post on TikTok?

Determining the best time to post on TikTok takes trial and error. Getting the timing right can add a lot of views, likes, and shares to your post. The best way to find out is by trial and error.

How to open a TikTok business account

By choosing a TikTok business account, you will have data at your fingertips. You can see your audience statistics and determine what’s working and what isn’t.

To open a TikTok business account, download and open the TikTok app.

1. Create a new personal account
2. Tap Profile in the lower right corner
3. Tap Edit Profile
4. Switch to a Business Account (tap the three horizontal lines on the top right, click on settings and privacy, click on account)
5. Click on Switch to Business Account

Icon Visual Marketing is highly experienced at using social media to create awareness and engage audiences. Our team of experienced digital marketing strategists can work with you to create and implement a TikTok strategy template which will give you direction on planning and launching successful campaigns and tracking the performance to ensure your TikTok strategy is on target.

Icon's unique TikTok identity

Icon Visual Marketing has a unique channel on TikTok called Local Connexions. Launched in October 2022, Local Connexions is not about Icon but is instead a community service identity providing information about points of interest and events in Sydney’s Macarthur area. It’s a unique way Icon is both discovering, testing, and demonstrating the power of TikTok. We invite you to check out @Local Connexions on TikTok.

Have we convinced you about TikTok?

Given its popularity, there is no denying that TikTok is a potentially powerful social media platform for your brand. It’s a matter of understanding its unique character and the way it is used to become successful as a marketer on the platform. If you want to integrate TikTok into your marketing plan, then contact us today.