Build a Multi-Million Dollar Brand on TikTok

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. Building a Brand: Finding an Organic TikTok Strategy
3. The Evolution of Growth Strategies
4. The Power of Influencer Marketing
5. Shifting Landscapes: The Post-2016 Era
6. The Rise of TikTok and the Decline of Paid Media
7. The Success of SMS Marketing
8. Customer Feedback and Its Impact on Marketing Strategies
9. Exploring Different Metrics: CPC, ROAS, and CPA
10. Cracking the Performance Marketing Code on TikTok
11. The Importance of Creative in Content Creation
12. Scaling Content Creation through UGC and Influencers

Building a Brand: Finding an Organic TikTok Strategy

In today's digital landscape, building a successful brand requires innovative strategies and adapting to the ever-changing platforms and trends. One such platform that has gained significant popularity in recent years is TikTok. With its massive user base and engaging content, TikTok has become a goldmine for brands looking to reach a younger demographic and increase their brand awareness. In this article, we will explore the importance of finding an organic TikTok strategy that resonates with your target audience and helps build your brand effectively.

Introduction

In the early days of building a brand, social media played a crucial role in driving traffic and gaining recognition. Influencer partnerships and collaborations were extremely effective in creating brand awareness and generating sales. However, as the digital landscape evolved, paid media, particularly paid social advertising, became the go-to growth strategy for many brands. But with the rise of algorithmic marketing and changing data privacy regulations, brands are now entering a transformative phase, focusing on more traditional marketing approaches to understand their customers better and build stronger relationships.

Building a Brand: Finding an Organic TikTok Strategy

With the declining effectiveness of paid media, brands are turning their attention to TikTok, a platform that offers immense opportunities for organic brand growth. By creating content that resonates with the TikTok audience and garners a lot of reach, brands can tap into the platform's massive user base and funnel their organic success into paid advertising for even greater reach and experimentation. TikTok is currently a goldmine for traffic, offering affordable advertising options and a landscape where anything is possible.

Pros of an Organic TikTok Strategy

• Access to a large and engaged user base
• Opportunity to experiment and test content organically
• Affordable advertising options for paid promotions
• Potential for viral marketing and exponential brand growth

Cons of an Organic TikTok Strategy

• Limited control over audience targeting compared to paid media
• Fierce competition and a fast-paced, ever-changing platform
• The need for constant content creation and adaptation to trends

The Evolution of Growth Strategies

In the early days of brand building, disruptive social media marketing was the norm. However, the effectiveness of strategies evolved over time. Brands shifted their focus to paid media, specifically paid social advertising, which became the bread and butter of their growth strategies. This era of paid media dominance lasted until the recent changes in data privacy regulations and the transformation of digital marketing as a whole. Brands are now reevaluating their marketing tactics and returning to more traditional approaches to get to know their customers better and regain control over their marketing efforts.

The Power of Influencer Marketing

During the rise of social media, influencer marketing played a significant role in building brand awareness and driving sales. Brands formed partnerships with influencers and bloggers, leveraging their reach and impact to promote products and services effectively. However, as the influencer landscape became saturated, brands had to rethink their approach.

In recent years, brands like Vitaly, a Toronto-based jewelry company, have shifted their focus to a more organic influencer marketing strategy. Instead of relying on contracts and specific deliverables, they started gifting their products to influencers without any expectations. This shift allowed for more authentic relationships and evangelization of the brand by influencers who genuinely resonated with the products. By leveraging the strength of their product and nurturing organic relationships, brands can successfully harness the power of influencers in today's marketing landscape.

Shifting Landscapes: The Post-2016 Era

As the social media landscape continued to evolve, brands faced new challenges. The impact of iOS 14 and subsequent privacy regulations posed significant challenges for performance marketing. While the landscape hasn't changed drastically overnight, brands are experiencing a gradual decline in paid performance and the effectiveness of paid media. The industry is currently in a transitional period, where brands need to find alternative approaches to traditional digital marketing.

The Rise of TikTok and the Decline of Paid Media

One of the platforms offering immense potential for organic brand growth is TikTok. Similar to Instagram in its early days, TikTok has become a powerful tool for brands looking to reach a younger demographic and build brand awareness. The key to success lies in finding an organic TikTok strategy that resonates with the platform's users and effectively promotes your brand. By creating engaging and relatable content on TikTok, brands have the opportunity to drive upper-funnel metrics, introduce their brand to new customers, and subsequently re-engage with them through other channels.

While TikTok is not the only platform for brand growth, it offers affordable advertising options and the potential to go viral. Through experimentation and finding content that resonates with the TikTok community, brands can scale their presence and tap into the platform's massive reach to drive traffic and increase conversions.

The Success of SMS Marketing

In addition to TikTok, another effective marketing channel that brands are leveraging is SMS. With its high open rates and direct communication with customers, SMS has become a key player in driving revenue. Brands like Vitaly have seen significant success by focusing on SMS marketing and achieving comparable results to email marketing with a fraction of the list size. While the future of SMS is uncertain due to potential privacy regulations, brands can currently capitalize on its effectiveness and establish a strong direct relationship with their customers.

Customer Feedback and Its Impact on Marketing Strategies

To stay relevant and adapt to evolving consumer preferences, brands need to listen to their customers. Customer feedback plays a crucial role in shaping marketing strategies and understanding the target audience better. By conducting customer research, both quantitative and qualitative, brands can gather valuable insights into their customers' demographic data, preferences, and interests. This information allows brands to tailor their marketing efforts and collaborate with content creators and influencers who align with the brand's identity and appeal to their target audience.

Exploring Different Metrics: CPC, ROAS, and CPA

When it comes to tracking the success of marketing campaigns, various metrics come into play. CPC (Cost Per Click), ROAS (Return on Ad Spend), and CPA (Cost Per Acquisition) are some of the key metrics that brands monitor. However, the relevance and benchmarking of these metrics may vary depending on the platform and campaign goals.

On TikTok, where brand awareness and upper-funnel metrics are the primary focus, CPC may not be the most accurate metric. Instead, brands should pay attention to engagement, audience reach, and click-through rates. Understanding the platform's unique measurement capabilities and limitations can help brands set realistic expectations and gauge the effectiveness of their TikTok campaigns accurately.

Cracking the Performance Marketing Code on TikTok

While TikTok offers immense potential for organic brand growth, cracking the performance marketing code on the platform requires a strong focus on creative content. TikTok's algorithm prioritizes engaging and entertaining content, making creative the most crucial factor in driving success. Brands that can create captivating and relatable content that resonates with the TikTok community are more likely to see positive results.

To crack the performance marketing code on TikTok, brands should start by finding their organic TikTok strategy. By analyzing the content that resonates with the target audience and has the potential for high reach, brands can create compelling content that aligns with their brand identity and values. This strategy allows brands to tap into TikTok's vast user base and then amplify their organic success through paid advertising for maximum impact.

The Importance of Creative in Content Creation

Creative content plays a pivotal role in engaging the audience and driving desired outcomes. On TikTok, creative content is particularly essential as it can make or break the success of a campaign. Brands should focus on developing compelling, relatable, and entertaining content that captures the attention of TikTok users. By experimenting with different creative approaches and staying up-to-date with the latest trends, brands can find the winning formula for their TikTok content and drive results.

Scaling Content Creation through UGC and Influencers

To scale content creation across multiple brands, brands like Vitaly leverage a combination of community-generated content and in-house editorial and social streams. Community-generated content, which includes content created by influencers and content creators, forms the backbone of their social channels. By partnering with influencers through gifting programs, brands can tap into a vast pool of content that aligns with their brand image. Balancing this with in-house content allows brands to have a mix of perspectives and maintain a consistent brand voice.

Utilizing user-generated content (UGC) and collaborating with influencers allows brands to quickly reach scale and test content on a high-volume basis. By harnessing the creativity and reach of influencers, brands can effectively engage their target audience and drive brand awareness.

Highlights

• Building a successful brand requires finding an organic TikTok strategy that resonates with the platform's users.
• Influencer marketing has evolved from contractual partnerships to gifting and nurturing organic relationships.
• The decline of paid media and the rise of TikTok have shifted brands' focus towards more traditional marketing approaches.
• SMS marketing offers high open rates and direct communication with customers, making it an effective revenue-driving channel.
• Customer feedback plays a crucial role in shaping marketing strategies and understanding the target audience better.
• The relevance of metrics like CPC, ROAS, and CPA may vary depending on the platform and campaign goals.
• Creative content is the key to cracking the performance marketing code on TikTok.
• Scaling content creation is achieved through a combination of community-generated content and in-house editorial streams.