3 Hacks for Brand Success on TikTok this Fall

When it comes to social media marketing, very few brands have cracked TikTok. This is mainly because the types of content that perform well on Tiktok are very different than those of Instagram, Youtube, and Facebook. And, while it might seem like a platform that's mainly used by teenagers and Gen Z, that's not necessarily the case, TikTok has people of all ages using it. As of last September, more than 50% of TikTok’s user base was over 30 years old.Here are the top 3 hacks brands can use to make their content go viral, grow their follower count, and direct more traffic to their website.

1. Embrace UGC

Brands and consumers crave authenticity and user-generated content is as authentic as it gets. Posting UGC content on a brand account is one of the best ways to drive more traffic (and sales) to your website because consumers tend to trust each other more than they trust brands.This is a huge opportunity for talented content creators as well. A large following isn’t a requirement to make money on social media anymore, just a history of posting high-quality, authentic content. In fact, some of the best performing UGC does well because it lacks polish.Creators, embrace your artistic viewpoint. Brands, listen, run with it, and compensate creators accordingly.

2. Longer Form Content for Long Term Discovery

TikTok wants to be respected as a values-based platform. TikTok is making a strong push for longer, more educational content. They are prioritizing these types of videos over short ones that only have minimal value such as dance and selfie videos. In fact, in February 2022 they increased max video length from 3 minutes to 10 minutes. It’s now worth your time to experiment with longer, more structured videos.

3. Tiktok is becoming the New Search Engine Platform

According to Forbes, TikTok surpassed Google and Facebook as the world’s most visited domain in 2021. Gen Z now regularly turns to the platform for product discovery and reviews. Accordingly, TikTok has been investing heavily in improving their search functionality to take advantage of that traffic.They have been experimenting with hyperlinked keywords within comments and video descriptions, which guide user discovery by connecting them to broader trends. Certain keywords, including product names, are now auto-linked through to search results for that term - helping users discover all the videos related to the topic. This means that brands have to become very familiar with optimizing their keywords, be more strategic about the caption and the text they put in the videos, and create more content educating potential customers about their products. Are there any other hacks you know about and want to share with the world, let us know via email at hello@surge.ai

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