Imagine gaining 15,000 billion media impressions in the space of a month, without doing anything. No advertising campaigns, no marketing. Just suddenly having a surge of online activity without even lifting a finger. Add to this a rise in sales and you have a fantastic deal. Seems almost too good to be true. But for Ocean Breeze, that’s exactly what the company found late last year.
But how did this occur? What can create such an effect?
The Answer Is One TikTok Video
That’s right, just one video. A perfect example of the power that the short-form video app has is documented in one person’s commute to work while enjoying cranberry juice and a ’70s tune. The user in question is Nathan Apodaca, who decided to film himself skateboarding to work while listening to “Dreams” by Fleetwood Mac and drinking a bottle of Ocean Breeze’s cran-raspberry juice. The video exploded in popularity, spreading all around TikTok and across the internet. And with it, Ocean Breeze received a wave of positive light and a boost in sales. And it wasn’t just the company that benefited. “Dreams” was reportedly streamed over 8 million times in the U.S. following the TikTok video, climbing as high as 36 on the Streaming Songs chart. Not bad for a song from 1977. In fact, it was so popular that Fleetwood Mac drummer, Mick Fleetwood, filmed his own version of Apodaca’s video, merrily skating along with a bottle of juice.
These statistics pale in comparison to what the app has achieved since its global release in 2018. It has reached over 2 billion downloads and has more than 100 million monthly active users in the U.S. While it may have originally been released as an app to post lip-synching and dance videos, TikTok has expanded into something far larger, bringing a massive shake-up to the social media status quo. Users have flocked to the app’s short, “snackable” content, with the 15- to 60-second format offering great appeal, especially among those younger than 40. Looking to keep up with the trend, YouTube and Instagram have released their own versions, namely Shorts and Reels, respectively.
So what makes TikTik so popular? How has it been able to shake the social media landscape? What does it have that the other platforms don’t?
I believe the answer lies in its format, which, as mentioned earlier, has connected well with younger audiences. Picking up the formula that Vine found considerable success with during the early-2010s, before its closure (subscription required), the limited video format of 60 seconds or fewer presses the user to utilize creativity in how they get their message across. People can choose from a suite of filters and editing tools, “stitch” videos from other creators and incorporate a variety of sounds and music. Be it humorous, informative, entertaining or all of the above, the shorter video length has led to some fantastic, hilarious and utterly bizarre results, with some of the strangest videos going viral. A case in point is the aforementioned Ocean Breeze and skateboarding combo. How about a video of a cat in a nine-camera split filter played to the 1958 song “Mr. Sandman”? The mixture of the quick-witted, ingenious and occasionally absurd has been a hit with the app’s users.
What Does This Mean For Marketers?
You may have read through this and wondered if your company or brand should create a TikTok account, too. The question is: Where do you start? There are a host of stores and companies present on the app, though many don’t seem to get the connection they were hoping for. One of the major reasons for this, based on my experience, is that TikTok thrives on relatable and genuine content. Brands that show heart and passion in their videos tend to fare far better.
Achieving this can be done in a variety of ways. One of our clients working in the healthcare industry has turned to humor, such as filming treatments on herself and patients’ pre-treatment questions. After only having a TikTok account for three months, some of the company’s videos have close to half a million views.
Humor is not the only path to take to show a real side of your brand in short-form videos, however. Behind-the-scenes glimpses, showing the reality behind the curtain, resonate well with audiences. For example, in the restaurant industry, we have clients filming mouth-watering baked goods coming right out of the oven and taking trips to the market to pick out fresh herbs and produce. Some even share the key ingredients in popular dishes. Providing a look that their audience wouldn’t normally see, the exclusivity of the content creates appeal, sparking curiosity in the viewer. Day-to-day antics in the kitchen, service staff taste-testing the food, new beverages being brought into the kitchen or the process that goes into selecting what goes on the menu are all good ideas.
Engaging with your audience on TikTok is the next step after creating and posting the content. Aside from responding to the comments on your own videos, engaging with your audience through duets can work especially well, such as for giveaways or cross-promotion efforts with other brands. Embracing the trends and viral challenges can also help connect you with your audience. Many brands have found considerable success by starting their own challenges, such as Chipotle’s #GuacDance, which saw 250,000 video submissions and 430 million videos watched in just six days.
TikTok has powered into the public image. If you had asked anyone about the app just a few years ago, no one would have known what it would become. Now it is one of the major players, with many of the juggernauts of the industry trying to play catch up. And if they are turning to pay attention, then so should everyone else.
