As TikTok climbs to become the fifth most popular social media platform globally, with over a billion active users, it’s increasingly seen as a crucial venue for targeted marketing.
Despite ongoing discussions about a potential US ban, and a slightly bizarre change-of-heart endorsement by Presidential candidate Donald Trump, the allure of TikTok for marketers remains strong. However, a recent study by London-based consultancy DAIVID suggests that this enthusiasm may be misplaced, revealing that many brand videos on the platform are failing to engage users successfully.
This raises the question: Is it time for businesses to start rethinking their social media marketing strategies? Let’s explore.
TikTok Marketing Findings
The DAIVID report uncovered some startling findings. A huge 84% of branded content is underperforming, showing below-average levels of brand recall and positive emotional response. Moreover, nearly a quarter of the videos were found to be potentially harmful to brand image.
In addition, 60% of TikTok’s branded videos were “simply forgettable” with a high level of confusion and boredom thrown in.
Only 16% of brand’s videos on the platform received more than average Creative Effectiveness Scores (CES)- an indicator created by DAIVID to determine the three drivers of success, being emotions, memory, and attention.
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Intense positive emotions on TikTok content were found to be a shocking 9% less likely than the global average and the content garnered 2.5% less attention.
“This research reveals that the vast majority of content being released on TikTok simply isn’t up to scratch,” said Ian Forrester, CEO and founder of DAIVID. “This should be a wake-up call to brands and underlines the importance of analysing the effectiveness of your social creative beyond just the basic reach, impressions and engagement rate data provided by the platforms to understand the real impact that it’s having.”
TikTok’s Efforts to Fix Marketing Pitfalls
TikTok launched a Creative Center this year to help guide businesses toward ways of generating positive feelings in users.
These include showing examples of top performing ads, what the most popular hashtags, songs, creators and videos are in individual regions, and effective and easy how-to guides for video templates and editing.
By utilizing the resources available, companies have a shot at improving their content’s effectiveness.
Strategies to Improve Marketing on TikTok
To turn the tide, brands should consider several approaches:
- Study Successful Ads: Reviewing top-performing ads can provide valuable inspiration and insights into what works. Exploring the most effective and emotionally engaging ads can offer a blueprint for creating better content.
- Optimize Content with SEO: Ensuring that your content is optimized for search and follows best practices can drive better results and attract more viewers. While many companies hire SEO professionals, those without one can benefit from investing time in learning SEO basics.
- Engage with the Target Audience: Focus on creating content that resonates with TikTok’s core demographic—Gen Z and Millennials. Authentic, up-to-date, and non-pushy content tends to perform better with these users.
At the end of the day, while TikTok offers immense potential for brand marketing, it’s not a one-size-fits-all solution. For those who appeal to and align with the platform’s primary demographic, there are opportunities. For others, it might be worth exploring different channels to find success.
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