Marketers Need to Think Granular and Niche to Grow on TikTok

Over the past two years, TikTok has triggered a fundamental reinvention of both creator culture and the way people interact online. Originally a teen haven filled with dance videos and sound-based memes, the platform’s horizons have expanded, drawing in 1 billion monthly active users across a broad range of demographics, according to company data. Early brand adopters including Chipotle, Eos, e.l.f. Cosmetics and Oreo were rewarded with powerful viral moments and creator partnerships. As performance levels out, marketers have to get more nuanced by connecting with the subcultures and communities that are developing on the platform, exploring monetization options and targeting niche trends and creators. Simply put, the massive influx of users and brands is impacting the visibility of content on the platform. “We are now seeing a stabilization of growth and views, applicable for both creators and brands because of a more saturated TikTok market,” said Alessandro Bogliari, co-founder and CEO of The Influencer Marketing Factory. A state of change On the cultural front, TikTok is no longer the new platform no one understands. Though organic reach has started to drop as competition increases, there’s been an uptick in boosting campaigns and paid ads that are helping brands gain views and track conversions. According to a report from Sensor Tower, TikTok is projected to reach $2.3 billion in revenue in 2021 and saw a 67% year-over-year increase compared to 2020. Compounding this trend, TikTok for Business is introducing new features such as tools for creating custom merchandise and more monetization options, including a new social commerce in-app option with Shopify. “TikTok is not for kids anymore,” Bogliari said. New types of influencers are emerging, including so-called “granfluencers”—seniors who have rallied hundreds of thousands of viewers and offer new opportunities for partnerships. "In order to make it, both [brands and creators] will have to step up the game in order to get views and engagement," Bogliari added. "Brands have to start better understanding the TikTok environment, its trends and its strong community." Community-forward content Brands have to dig deeper to connect with and impress consumers rather than stopping at surface-level trends like dances and repurposed content. Instead of aiming for the widest possible demographic, they need to get granular and target smaller communities. Marketers need only look to beauty brands such as e.l.f. Cosmetics, for example, to see how they have leaned into inclusivity by embracing TikTok subcultures like the drag community.“Communities are the heart and soul of the platform,” said Ashley Rudder, head of creators at influencer agency Whalar. “In 2022, it will become even more important for brands to know which niche communities are already superfans of their product and which communities should be obsessed with them.” When it comes to paid promotions, Bogliari noted that brands need to avoid being too sales-oriented with calls to action. "We have seen many examples of products that sold out nationwide because of a funny or entertaining video that didn’t necessarily have a 'buy now' call to action," he said. Evolving the creator-brand relationship Another way to tap into particular communities on TikTok is, of course, to work with the influencers leading those conversations. “Creators can leverage their strong, dedicated follower bases when pitching themselves as paid partners,” Jacobs said. But that also means creators will have to operate more like brands in terms of embodying purpose and authenticity. The era of the full-time TikTok creator will come to fruition, predicts Shelby Jacobs, social strategist at digital agency 360i. Jacobs has developed social content for Mondelēz brands including Sour Patch Kids, which is one of the top two snack brands on TikTok. Sour Patch Kids and 360i created the brand account in June 2020, and by the next summer, it had surpassed 1 million followers. "We can likely expect audiences to hold influencers accountable for being positive agents of change," Jacobs continued. "Gen Z cares deeply about their role models being genuinely good people, so expect them to rally their communities around creators they want to see become successful." On this front, it’s important to be aware of the type of influencer you’re aiming to target, Bogliari added. Case in point: Kyle Scheele may have benefited from some legal advice with his recent "prank" on Kum & Go in which he placed a poster of himself advertising the "Kyle Scheele Meale" in one of the convenience store chain's locations—apparently without the brand's permission. After admitting the brand was in on it from the start, Scheele ended up disappointing fans and may have violated FCC guidelines by not disclosing that the first video was an ad. Ultimately, marketers must continue to experiment to see what works for their brand and community. “Not everything created is going to go viral,” Jacobs said. “Focus your goals on building a strong community through engaging on owned content and [For Your Page] content. If you do that while making the content to fit the platform and not the other way around, the metrics will follow.”

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To Find Growth on TikTok, Marketers Need to Think Granular and Niche

It's no longer a platform brands and creators don't understand

Jess Zafarris

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Jess Zafarris