With the rise of the social media video platform TikTok, many businesses have witnessed an increase in their clientele.
At the first-ever #WhatTheTok, For Business media event in South Africa, held in Kramerville in Johannesburg on Thursday, the TikTok team showcased the tricks of the trade of having brands and content creators collaborating.
Scott Thwaites, TikTok’s head of business partnerships and gaming and new markets in the Middle East, Turkey, Africa and Pakistan, said in the last few years, brands have found success resonating with the TikTok community, not because they have the glossiest ad or the biggest names in their campaign, but because of their ability to creatively engage and connect with users through feelings, actions and sounds.
“The goal of TikTok For Business is to give brands, marketers and businesses of all sizes in South Africa the tools to be discovered and authentically connect with communities on the platform,” said Thwaites.
“The magic of TikTok is not just the chance to create, but the chance to discover and to be found. With TikTok For Business, our goal is to give marketers the tools to be discovered and connect with the broader communities around them.”
Here are some of the ways to solve shifts in the marketing landscape highlighted by Thwaites:
- From measuring reach to measuring connection
Mass reach and frequency of ad campaigns are not enough to move ad-fatigued consumers to take action. The lack of innovation in advertising has trained us to tune out. Relevance and authentic connection are what matters.
- From passive audiences to immersed creators
While second-screen content consumption might have been the norm a few years ago, with TikTok, we’re seeing more immersion than ever before, which is leading to a more engaged and more entertained audience who is willing to create content with brands. This allows brands to speak with their audience, rather than at their audience, creating a two-way engaging conversation with the community.
- From transactional commerce to consumer commerce
Shopping is moving away from transactional commerce to community commerce, the digitization of word of mouth. Consumers are no longer interested in ads that aim to interrupt and sell, they are looking for a more experiential and genuine shopping experience that is based on trust, authenticity and communication.
Every month billions of people across the world come to the platform to share real moments from their lives. While doing so, creators are sharing their honest opinions about products and services, which resonates with other users.
- From witnessing culture to creating culture
Brands are shifting from simply witnessing culture and attempting to keep up, to actually being a part of the conversation and even sparking cultural movements.
Fortune Mgwili-Sibanda, brand and community safety, said the aim of TikTok For Business is to enable brands to connect with users.
“It gives brands the opportunity to use simple marketing strategies which users identify with. TikTok For Business has helped many brands with growing their business and putting it out there,” said Mgwili-Sibanda.
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