Brands and creators must identify their unique selling points (USPs), know their competitors and analyse all available data in order to strengthen their TikTok strategy, according to one expert.
Chiara Powell works as a strategy analyst at creator marketing agency Gratified and “became obsessed” with TikTok strategy and “why some videos fly and some flop” after starting her own TikTok account during a slow travel sabbatical in south-east Asia.
The opportunities that TikTok provide first became clear when her candid video about experiencing food poisoning gained 75K views, and after a time spent completing courses and upskilling, Powell started pitching herself as a strategist, posting videos about how the likes of Alfie Deyes and Niomi Smart could improve their brands’ online presence.
At Gratified, Powell advises clients on how to improve their TikTok content, from how to edit and add captions to what topics to prioritise and how to build revenue.
YouTuber and creator consultant Hannah Witton recently posted a video about working with the Gratified team where she took her audience through the entire eight-week process.
Powell explained that in this sort of package, she will first review a client’s content, discuss their current brand and help them identify their specific content pillars and USPs to focus on. She will also assess about ten of their competitors and identify what’s good and bad about them, for a useful direct comparison. She then will meet with the client weekly to provide frequent advice and feedback before compiling a detailed overall strategy document and a forward plan.
On why she chose to seek Gratified’s advice, Witton told CORQ: “As a content creator there is a lot of pressure to be active on every platform, but it is really difficult to keep on top of posting regularly, updates and trends, staying connected with your community, and making quality, valuable content.
“I knew that I wanted to give TikTok a proper go, and I was making some stuff there but not really with any strategy or direction, and certainly without any specific knowledge of the platform. It’s impossible to be an expert on everything, so I decided to go to the experts to help me. It was such a useful experience, not only in helping with video ideas and accountability but the insights they had to offer about the platform itself were invaluable.”
So, how can brands and creators put their best foot forward for a chance to succeed on the tricky but crucial short-form video platform? Powell shares her top ten tips.
1. Sell yourself
Don’t overlook the importance of the way your content and account are presented. Your profile needs to be useful and act as your storefront; your bio should clearly explain exactly who you are and direct viewers wherever is most important – for example, to a brand’s website or a creator’s product.
Also, if you’re not already, consider putting yourself on TikTok as the face of your company or account, to better engage with your audience, plus ensure your tone of voice is consistent and pitched correctly for your brand and audience.
“I post on my account a few times a week and just see what happens,” says Powell. “Posting myself is how I’ve learned the most.”
2. Know yourself
There’s no one size fits all on TikTok – think ImTheProblem and Francis Bourgeois and everyone in between – so you need to be clear what your strengths, USPs and target audience are.
One of the most common mistakes Powell sees is people attempting to carbon copy other brands or creators on the app.
Both brands and creators need to identify the content pillars or buckets they need to focus on in order to attract different customer or viewer profiles.
For someone like Hannah Witton, there may be multiple personas (OG creator, mum life, fashion etc) to utilise but for others there may just be one core focus.
3. Know your competitors
To determine why someone should follow you over anyone else, it’s crucial to analyse your competitors – identify their strengths and their weaknesses, and which topics and videos worked for them and which didn’t.
Use that evidence to inform your own strategy. Rather than trying to reinvent the wheel, how can you take what’s working for your competitors – a tried and tested method – and put your own unique spin on it?
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4. Don’t underestimate the importance of data
TikTok can appear a bit like a Wild West, which is daunting. The best way to overcome this is to identify data that can be analysed and used to create a strategy – that way, it’s not just luck of the draw if a video idea works or not.
Powell uses a data analysis tool to download as much information about a user’s account as possible – time and date of publication plus how much engagement it attracted – to identify the top performing videos and assess why this might be and which content to persevere with.
She also monitors the TikTok feeds of strategists she trusts for at least an hour a day to see what’s changed on the platform, what trends are landing and what the algorithm wants – it takes commitment to understand the fast-changing app.
5. Try out trends but say no to memes
Spot a trend you think will work for your account? Jump on it straightaway. Companies shouldn’t underestimate how important it is to have a social media expert on the team who can identify these opportunities, and should empower them to work on this and post quickly, without getting held up by a load of red tape and delays from higher-ups, which can suffocate creativity.
Recent examples of brands that have done this successfully include Reiss and Ocado.
However, these days, posting memes on TikTok will get you nowhere.
6. Going viral is the best and worst experience in the world
“It’s easy to go viral but not necessarily for something you’re proud of or the sort of content you want to continue,” says Powell.
Going viral can both help and hurt; it’s crucial to have the mental resilience to deal with it but it’s also okay to take a break if the attention becomes too much – as long as once you return you’re ready to interact with the new community you’ve created.
7. You’re not that interesting – but you could be
Another common mistake Powell sees is content with no hook or payoff. Grab the viewer’s attention immediately by making sure the video’s photo cover is descriptive, include a visual hook within the first few seconds and focus on entertainment.
“Ask yourself what the value of this content is and make sure you give people a reason to stay until the end, and include something that sparks conversation.”
TikTok as a platform is a little less serious and aesthetic than other platforms and encourages users to be more experimental and creative. Think outside the box, utilise lots of different styles of videos, don’t be afraid to try something new and see what happens.
8. Storytelling is paramount
Series are currently the fastest way to grow on TikTok. They give people a reason to return to your account and follow your journey.
Cleaning and reset videos also perform well but only if they’re filmed to a high standard and include a narrative over the top.
TikTok loves storytelling and storytime content, especially if they’re split into parts such as the viral Reesa Teesa case from earlier this year.
“You have to be specific – you can’t just talk about a topic vaguely,” explains Powell. “For example, don’t say ‘toxic masculinity is bad’, it has to be more like ‘toxic masculinity is bad and this is why and this is what happened to me’.”
9. Communities are crucial
In the near future, Powell predicts that TikTok will be less about going viral overnight and more about building communities.
“Similar to brands trips being out and community trips being in, I think we’ll see a rise in closed communities on TikTok – possibly even something along the lines of Instagram’s Broadcast Channels.”
TikTok Live can be a useful way to interact with your audience and create a tighter bond but it usually works best with a structured format and clear objective, such as when selling a product.
10. TikTok is hard but it’s worth it
Even with all the strategy in the world, it can be difficult to succeed on TikTok and it can be frustrating.
“Be confident in your content and be patient and persevere – it takes time to fly and you will only get better the more you do,” says Powell. “TikTok can be tricky but it’s worth it.”
By Lauren Harris, CORQ editor. Picture credit: Hannah Witton via YouTube and Chiara Powell via Instagram
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