How to Leverage TikTok for eCommerce
TikTok has become much more than just another social media platform, with influencers launching their careers on the platform and brands getting the chance to maximize exposure, recognition, and trust.
It’s become increasingly popular among internet users, with over 1.2 billion monthly active users toward the end of 2021, with that number expected to grow to 1.5 billion by the end of this year. Many of those users are also members of Generation Z, making this a great platform for reaching younger audiences.
TikTok has become a viable platform for eCommerce brands, (including those in the food and beverage space) that are looking to extend their presence beyond running Google and Facebook ads. If you’re considering using TikTok to help grow your eCommerce business, the following are some tips to get you started.
Craft a Narrative to Illustrate the “Why” and “How” Behind Your Business
When using TikTok, start by telling your brand story through video content. You can reveal how you first started your business, what your journey looks like thus far, and what insights you’ve gleaned based on your experience. This will give your brand more of a human feel as you market on this platform.
You can also show what a typical day looks like for you, including the steps you take to fulfill orders with “behind the scenes” footage. In the process, you could show what your workspace looks like, put more faces to your brand by introducing any employees you have on your team, and reveal the manufacturing process behind your products.
Launch Giveaways or Start Contests
One way to increase engagement on TikTok is to run giveaways or contests that get users involved with your brand. For example, you could run a contest that asks people to create, publish, and share videos that show them either engaging with a product or performing another action that’s related to your industry. This would help create user-generated content (UCG) that further exposes your brand while saving on marketing expenses.
You can also launch giveaways that request potential customers to perform an action in exchange for a chance to win free products or other offerings. For instance, you could offer a chance to win a product by creating a post with a hashtag that includes your brand name. You can then select a random winner from those users.
Keep an Eye on Current Trends
On TikTok’s “Discover” page, you can identify certain trends that people are engaged in on the platform. These trends can help guide content creation and give you some ideas for videos to produce.
Oftentimes, trending videos on TikTok feature a specific song or sound, which you may be able to incorporate in your videos to ride these trends. You can also keep up with popular features such as trending GIF images that people use, which may also apply to your content and make it more relevant.
Share Insights and Industry-Relevant Tips
It’s important to bring value to your audience and show that you truly care about customers. You also need to show that you’re a thought leader to gain trust among prospects.
By educating audiences through insights, tricks, and tips, you can gain more traction with your TikTok eCommerce marketing efforts. For instance, you can share a recipe or describe a particular food or beverage product that you sell. You can also educate people about how to find source best ingredients for dishes oh which your product is relevant, ultimately guiding them to you.
Make Videos Short and Sweet
The maximum duration of a TikTok video is 60 seconds, but keep in mind that your videos can be much shorter and you can still get your message across. In fact, the recommended duration for ads is around 10-15 seconds. People tend to view shorter videos all the way through. People often exit longer videos before completion, so keep them short but sweet. Additionally, as watch time influences the position of TikTok videos in people’s feeds, you’re better off creating short and engaging videos over longer clips that turn people away.
Use Ads
Although TikTok ads are still relatively new, they’re worth testing if you want to further maximize your exposure. There are several types of TikTok ads you can use, including:
Top views
In-feed ads
Branded effects
Brand takeovers
Branded hashtag challenges
You can try different ad formats and see which perform the best, which will help you optimize campaigns to boost return on ad spend (ROAS).
Develop a TikTok Marketing Strategy to Boost Your eCommerce Business Today
By building a TikTok eCommerce marketing campaign that incorporates any of the above strategies, you’ll be able to reap the benefits of this platform. The right strategy will get you in front of the right people at the right time and help you make the most of TikTok as it continues to grow in popularity.
If you need more help with growing your eCommerce business and require consulting around logistics and more, the experts at Gray Growth Logistics are here to help. Reach out to us today to learn more about what we can do for your business.