Here Are The TikTok Best Practices For Brands In 2024

The short-video sharing platform, TikTok, is the fastest growing social network in the world and currently boasts over one billion monthly active users. It’s no surprise that it has become a focal point for brands to find new customers, expand their reach, and ultimately, make huge bucks from advertising. TikTok is an excellent example of how ads can be part of the experience without wrecking the user experience. The statistics prove this very well: TikTok is the most engaging social app by a landslide, with an average user session of 10.85 minutes, twice as long as Pinterest in second place.

The business side of TikTok has only been around for almost four years, but it has found a place in the marketing strategies of tons of brands. The popularity of TikTok among the younger generations has brought a unique opportunity for companies to market to one of the hardest demographics out there.

TikTok ads could reach a massive audience spread across many countries. In the United States alone, TikTok has over 120 million users. For companies aiming to cater to the Generation Z, millennials, and female demographics, this platform is an advertising heaven. Almost half of TikTok users are between 18 to 24 years old of age, 25% of which are female.

TikTok has only been around for almost four years, but it has found a place in the marketing strategies of many brands. The popularity of TikTok among the younger generations has brought a unique opportunity for companies to market to one of the hardest demographics out there. With over 120 million users in the United States alone, and almost half of users between 18 to 24 years old, TikTok is an advertising heaven for companies aiming to cater to Generation Z, millennials, and women.

TikTok ads can achieve impressive results, but it’s not for everyone. As we mentioned, most users are people looking for joyful and entertaining video content. This fact alone can cross it off the list of advertising opportunities for many companies. If you run a law firm that provides services to hedge funds, TikTok is probably not the place for your ads. However, it’s important to note that TikTok is not just dance challenges and memes. Thousands of creators produce content about almost any topic; from OSINT to personal finance.

Creating content that resonates with the TikTok audience is crucial for success on the platform. The key to creating engaging content is to understand the characteristics, underlying culture, and user behavior of TikTok. One way to achieve this is by following and participating in popular trends on TikTok. Identifying and capitalizing on popular trends can help you create content that resonates with the audience. Additionally, it’s important to make use of TikTok’s features and tools to enhance your content and make it more engaging.

TikTok ads can achieve impressive results, just not for everyone. As we mentioned, most users are people looking for joyful and entertaining video content. This fact alone can cross it off the list of advertising opportunities for many companies. If you run a law firm that provides services to hedge funds, TikTok is probably not the place for your ads.

Don’t get this wrong. We’re not saying TikTok is not good for “serious” businesses. You should know that TikTok is not just dance challenges and memes. Thousands of creators produce content about almost any topic; from OSINT to personal finance.

However, what makes advertising on TikTok a challenge for some verticals is the necessity of creating ads that blend in perfectly with the organic content on the platform, most of which are fun videos. It could be hard and expensive to find the right angle, and some business types won’t give you much room. The TikTok best practices for brands could be summed up in one sentence: Don’t make ads, make TikToks.

Lastly, TikTok ads could be a brilliant investment for brands with target audiences under 30. The platform’s international reach rate is simply incredible. In several Asian and Middle Eastern countries like Saudi Arabia and Vietnam, TikTok has a massive 50% reach vs. population rate (age 18 or higher). So if you’re active in these markets or trying to expand your business in them, you should definitely consider TikTok in your marketing plans.

Measuring your performance on TikTok is crucial for understanding your campaigns’ effectiveness. Keep track of key metrics such as reach, engagement, and conversion rates to understand how your content is performing. Use analytics tools to measure the performance of your ads and understand how to optimize them for better results.

Metric	Description
Reach	The number of unique users who saw your ad
Engagement	The number of interactions with your ad, such as likes, comments, shares, etc.
Conversion Rate	The number of users who completed a desired action, such as making a purchase or visiting your website

By keeping track of these metrics, you can get a better understanding of how your ads are performing and what changes you can make to improve them.

It’s also worth noting that TikTok’s advertising platform is still relatively new and is constantly evolving, so it’s important to stay up to date with the latest features and best practices for advertising on the platform. Additionally, you may want to consider working with a TikTok influencer or creator to help promote your brand on the platform as they already have a built-in audience and can help increase your reach.

Overall, TikTok can be a powerful tool for brands looking to reach younger audiences and boost their revenue. By understanding the unique characteristics of the platform and following best practices, brands can create effective advertising campaigns that resonate with the audience and drive results. If you’re interested in advertising on TikTok, it’s worth taking the time to understand the platform and its users, so you can create the best possible experience for them and achieve your business goals.

Trends are what drive the content on TikTok. They could be anything; from a new dance challenge, to a funny new meme format, to important news. The trend cycle never stops in TikTok, and the brands that take advantage of new trend waves are the ones that achieve massive engagement and brand awareness.

Regardless of the type of content you publish (paid promotions or organic videos), make sure to at least make a reference to popular trends on the app to get more people to see your videos and engage with them. The best way to identify trends as quickly as possible is exploring through TikTok and check out what’s popping on For You and Discovery pages. Remember that you must tailor your content based on trends AND your brand image and goals to make sure your benefitting the most from going viral.

We’re going to level with you: It’s not cheap and certainly it’s not for every brand. But getting popular influencers and content creators to produce sponsored content for you is a huge opportunity to reach more people and generate trust.

Influencer know what resonates with users way better than anyone and take advantage of their popularity and creativity to create relevant, engaging content that simultaneously promotes your brand. Luckily, TikTok’s Creator Marketplace has made finding the right influencer for partnerships so easy. So, if you have the resources, you should definitely give it a try.

Even if you have the most creative advertising team in the world, you still can’t compete with the combined creativity of over one billion TikTokers. Community content is never short of surprises, and people always find a way to give any topic their own brilliant spin. This brings up the perfect opportunity for brands to let users do their marketing for them and get results no self-serve campaign ever could. UGC resonates much more with people because it feels authentic and believable.

Encourage your viewers to create videos about a certain topic of your choice (the more fun, the better) or share their experience of using your products/services. TikTok has some great features to make the most use of user-generated content.

Alongside reposting the videos you find the most engaging, you can use the Duet feature to put customer content and your reaction alongside each other in one post. There’s also the Stitch feature that lets you use pieces of other people’s videos in your own video. Make sure to encourage users to tag you in their videos so you could stitch pieces of their content in your posts.

Branded Hashtags is an awesome ad type in TikTok that lets you set up a challenge for viewers who create videos of themselves doing your challenge while using your preferred sponsored hashtags. Even though it’s basically a paid promotion format, Branded Hashtags are very popular among TikTok users since they encourage them to record themselves doing fun stuff or share enjoyable experiences.

Many big brands have run mind-blowingly successful campaigns with Branded Hashtags like McDonald’s and Mercedes-Benz. When running a Brand Hashtag challenge, make sure to create an easy-to-understand hashtag and select a challenge that people will fun and worth their time.

Variety is key when you want your ads to stand out and become memorable. Don’t limit yourself to just one video, sound, or filter. TikTok has a lot of creative features and multiple ad placements that can help you spice up your content, reach new audiences, and promote your brand in the best way possible. Keeping up with trends is a great way to keep your content fresh and diverse.

As for the videos themselves, take your time and pour creativity and diversity into every aspect you can. Try new camera angles, backgrounds, scenery, filters, etc. to send memorable messages and grow your follower base.