By Lívia Gammardella*
Starting with data, they say it all: TikTok’s growth forecast is that it will exceed 1,500 million users in the next 12 months, and here comes the curious thing: Instagram since 2018 has hovered at 1 billion active users and has stalled there. With only these data and comparisons, we should already know and be interested in the platform as a means of sales, marketing and profits. But if you want more proof that your business should be where the audience is, and believe me – TikTok is not a dance social network for kids, I’ll show you.
To start talking about the popularity of the app, we must understand its system. Unlike all other social media networks, it has an amazing ability to determine the content corresponding to your interests, so it becomes extremely addictive, since its content is completely personalised to your tastes. It is from this individualised selection that we begin to understand their astronomical growth. The secret of the success of the app is to create content focused on your company’s target audience and talk about topics that generate identification. From there, the content delivery is guaranteed.
With all this on the table, we see that this is a great opportunity for companies to increase their brand recognition and create real and human connections, a very strong trend in social networks – empathic content has stood out against traditional marketing, people are looking for real stories, presented by real people. The credibility of a company is generated by the proximity and truthfulness of its speeches, which can only be achieved with humanised content. And that’s where TikTok can help a business stand out. From lightly edited content, spontaneous, authentic and following organic trends, the message becomes truer and easier to identify with.
Building an online community has never been easier, but for that you need to understand the best way to communicate with platform users. A B2B company, for example, can communicate with B2C while continuing to talk about their products, creating a narrative that demonstrates how their products can make life easier for the end consumer. Or even use the platform as a means to expose the culture and work environment of the company, highlighting the daily life of employees and encouraging their participation. And what is the return of all that? The rates are amazing. The platform still little explored by companies guarantees less competition, which translates into a lower cost per acquisition. UK fintech Tally (meettally) found that TikTok was 300% more efficient than Instagram at attracting new users.
The truth is that regardless of the segment, having your brand present where people are makes all the difference. Today there are brands with huge communities, full of committed people who feel represented, connected and belonged, without even having made a purchase there in their life. It is interesting to reflect on this to understand the power of a brand.
Companies have become influencers of people, competing side by side with the new profession. From inspiring narratives, shared stories, values and perspectives, a company becomes strong, counting on true armies. The key is to understand that in the long run this is what gives results. The strategic planning behind these actions is what will guarantee fluid communication that transmits the correct message in line with the company’s objectives.
When we compare the type of content on TikTok and Instagram Reels, for example, we see a clear difference. At one one side, less elaborate, sincere and direct content, which shows the real and human side of people. On the other hand, mega-productions, pre-planned content, professional editions: pure “marketing”.
We can conclude that influencer marketing is changing. At TikTok, we are influenced by people we don’t know and may never see again. What matters there is not who you are, but what you have to offer. This is the essential advice: show your company without filters. Authenticity and spontaneity are the buzzwords. What makes your company unique? What is the human side you have to show? Talk about mistakes, successes, lessons learned, experiences and other facts. The goal is for people to identify with what you have to say, and this is only possible from real speeches.
I particularly believe that with so many external changes in the world we have experienced in these last two years, we have also changed from the inside. We have begun to value more what is good for us and we were able to perceive the true meaning and weight of things. From this fact, the superficial became too trivial. Nobody else wants to consume content that generates feelings of disappointment, scarcity and disappointment, we want to use our time on the Internet in a profitable way, with transparent content that overflows with collaboration, connection and inspiration.
This task can be difficult, we are being forced to leave this old conception behind in order to begin to see the positive social impact in all areas. We as professionals understand the challenges of putting these concepts into practice, and our challenge is to make this transition as comfortable as possible, without companies being left behind or stopped in time and missing out on fantastic opportunities.
We must remember that the presence of a brand and the creation of an online community is of the utmost importance in the digital age, where social networks have become the main path between the consumer and the purchase. With good advice and professionals who understand the platform and the audience present there, this narrative can be built seeking the best results for the company, without losing the humanized language that the audience asks for.
*Livia Gammardella is a digital consultant at Latam Intersect PR, a corporate communication agency. Responsible for strategies and planning for international clients with a focus on Latin America.
