tigerbond | TikTok 101: Why your brand isn’t succeeding on TikTok: Common Mistakes to Avoid and Tips for Success

Are you struggling to get your brand to take off on TikTok? You are not alone!

TikTok is one of the fastest growing social media platforms and businesses are jumping in to benefit from the organic reach and hype.

However, many brands have made the mistake of treating TikTok like any other social media platform, failing to understand what sets it apart.

Sound familiar?

Don’t fret, in this blog, we'll take you through-

• The key differences between TikTok and other social media platforms,
• Top tips on how to avoid the most common mistakes
• How to create content that resonates with your target audience

So, get ready to master the art of TikTok marketing!

What makes TikTok different?

TikTok does not have the usual ‘rags to riches’ story that its competitors do as it is essentially a medley of apps from large tech giants in Shanghai and China.The differences don’t end there though.

1. Interest-driven Algorithm

One of the primary differences between TikTok and other social media platforms is its algorithms.

While platforms like Facebook and Instagram still depend on a "social graph" - showing users content based on the users they follow, TikTok's algorithm is centred on an "interest graph."

The below table highlights the differences between each graph:

In summary, TikTok's algorithm uses your specific interests and the content you interact with to curate your ‘For You’ page in real-time, rather than assuming you share the same interests as those you are connected to like on Facebook.

This hyper-personalised approach makes TikTok content discovery-

• Faster,
• More relevant,
• More engaging

The platform simply monitors what content a user watches and engages with and presents more content that it thinks they might enjoy.

Every time a user watches a TikTok video they are training the algorithm on what they do, and don’t, like.

This unique algorithm allows brands to reach their target audiences organically by suggesting their content to users who are most likely to be interested in it.

Brands can have their videos go viral and increase brand awareness significantly without relying on paid advertising like on other social media platforms.

Imitation is the Sincerest Form of Flattery

Recognising the success of this innovative approach, Meta started to apply a similar model on Facebook and Instagram with the advent of “Reels” and “suggested” posts in users’ home feeds.

YouTube introduced ‘Shorts’ (its own version of TikTok), and Twitter introduced its very own “For You” feed – a seamless blend of tweets from the people you follow and other content that the algorithm thinks you might love. It's like a buffet of tweets.

Interest Graph algorithms are clearly the way forward for social media content discovery.

It's like having a virtual bestie who knows exactly what you're into and always has the right content lined up.

1. Authenticity and Creativity

Another difference that sets TikTok apart from other platforms is its focus on authenticity.

TikTok rewards originality and authenticity over perfection, contrasting with Instagram which often favours polished content.

Staying true to one's creativity is more important than shooting perfectly-staged content with professional equipment.

Therefore, it’s a perfect place for your brand to show its personality and even inject some humour and whimsy into the content (when appropriate), thus creating a relatable and personal touch with your audience.

TikTok Tip

It’s very likely that you will have to adapt your tone-of-voice (TOV) to be appropriate for TikTok.

Here, formal, corporate speak just won’t fly.

Instead, pay attention to how your target market talks on the platform, and make your TOV warmer and more conversational. Bonus points for learning TikTok lingo and incorporating it into your content and community management.

2. Collaborative, Community-driven Culture

TikTok is where creativity and collaboration meet seamlessly and organically.

You can -

• Team up with other creators
• Hop on the latest trends
• Join in conversations

While the “duet” feature lets you create unique content with creators from around the world, the “stitch” feature allows you to build on content shared by other accounts, making it a more interactive experience than just leaving a comment or reposting someone else's video.

Using those features, brands can start or participate in challenges, interact with customers in a more engaging way and share more casual content.

Audio is at the heart of TikTok, and this only enhances the community-driven culture.

TikTok Tip

You can, and should, use trending user-generated audios when relevant to your brand to benefit from more reach.

It’s also a way to connect with the community, representing authenticity and relatability. Pay close attention to trending audios and how your target audience is engaging with those audios on the platform.

Common Mistakes to Avoid and Tips for Success

• Lack of understanding of TikTok landscape

One of the most common mistakes brands make on TikTok is not understanding the platform’s culture.

Like Instagram Stories and Reels, TikTok is a vertical-first app.

This means to show up correctly, videos should be in portrait format with 9:16 dimensions.

If your video is landscape or square, it will be bordered with unappealing thick black rows, and will not feel like a native TikTok video.

TikTok’s videos are also usually shorter and more casual than other platforms, which requires brands to take a different approach to content creation.

Brands that try to repurpose their longer, more polished content for TikTok may find it challenging to achieve high levels of reach and engagement and to resonate with users.

Failing to embrace the culture of authenticity and relatability can result in a jarring experience for users, interrupting their seamless content consumption.

• Forgetting about SEO

Also consider TikTok SEO, the practice of optimising content for TikTok’s search engine and For You Page.

TikTok is becoming more popular for search: 40% OF Gen Z use TikTok and Instagram for search instead of Google (Source).

For example, if someone is searching for a local place to dine out, and you’re running TikTok for a restaurant, you want your videos to appear as close to the top of the search as possible.

To achieve this, be sure to incorporate keywords into your content.

This can be done verbally (with narration), via on-screen text, or in your caption and hashtags.

Or, you can do a mix of these elements. However, never force keywords in a way that feels unnatural and impacts the viewer’s experience.   

• Not focusing your content strategy enough

Another common mistake that brands make on TikTok is confusing the algorithm, leading to low engagement.

It’s important to focus on a specific niche or content category and understand the digital “tribe” you want to reach.

Remember, on TikTok your content is shared out to users who do not follow you.

To help TikTok know the types of users to show your content to, it is important that your content is focused and consistent.

Brands often make the mistake of creating content that appeals to different communities, which could confuse TikTok's machine learning, making it difficult to identify and target the right audience with your content.

To avoid this mistake, you should undertake an initial research phase to better understand your audience's interests and behaviours.

Spend some time on the platform in the shoes of your target audience-

• • What videos are trending in the communities they are part of?
  • Who are the key players in this niche?
  • What kind of language do they use?

Once you get a sense of what’s successful on TikTok in those communities, you will know how to create niche-specific content that attracts your target audience and maximises engagement.

• Overselling and Lack of Value

While traditional advertising techniques may work on other platforms, TikTok users are looking for authentic brand content that fits seamlessly into their feed.

Content that simply discusses your product’s features is unlikely to perform well.

To be successful on TikTok, brands need to create content that doesn't sound like an advertisement.

Instead, you should aim to connect with your audience on an emotional level and provide value through storytelling.

TikTok’s mantra is 'Don't Make Ads. Make TikToks', after all.

Some tips on how to do this include –

• • Think about how you can incorporate your products or services into a story or a relatable trend
  • Seek opportunities to use humour and your personal experiences to make your branded content more engaging
  • Instead of just talking about all the unique selling points of your product on TikTok, get creative and think about related topics that your audience would genuinely enjoy

Imagine you're promoting a natural energy drink.

Instead of just talking about the drink itself you could create related content like “natural ways to boost your energy” or share some productivity hacks.

It's all about providing content that’s useful and relatable to your audience.

By thinking outside the box, you'll catch their attention and build more meaningful connections.

So, let’s end the blog with a summary down our top do’s and don’ts in the world of TikTok:

Remember, just because TikTok exists, doesn’t mean your business has to be on it.

Consider your presence on social channels wisely and always ask yourself, ‘is my target audience here?’

Happy TikTok-ing!

Looking for an agency who can do it all for you? Speak to tigerbond's social media specialists and get your brand noticed!

TL;DR

• TikTok is a rapidly growing social media platform with unique features that set it apart from others.
• Its algorithm is interest-driven, focusing on personalized content recommendations based on user interactions.
• TikTok values authenticity and creativity over perfection, making it a great platform for brands to showcase their personality.
• Collaboration and community engagement are highly encouraged on TikTok.
• To succeed on the platform, brands should understand its culture, create focused content, avoid overselling, and provide value through storytelling.
• It's important to adapt content to TikTok's vertical format and embrace the platform's unique language and trends.
• By following these tips, brands can organically reach their target audience and increase brand awareness on TikTok.