⛔ Warning: Don’t try this on Facebook
We’ve got another action-packed episode of AKNF that dives into the current vibe on TikTok’s platform with the TikTok Advertising Lead and Content Manager from Pilothouse. 💥
We’ve got so much cover, like why TikTok is the new television, how it allows you to break the rules of marketing, and how brands can lean into the new TikTok experience, so let’s get right to it! 👇
📺 The new television
Pilothouse has been hard at work compiling data on how users engage with the TikTok app. This allowed for the creation of marketing strategies that lean into users’ habits.
The team’s studies led to some remarkable data on how creators and brands are discovered on the platform. As it turns out, 90% of the potential for discovery is contained within the For You Pages (aka FYPs).
TikTok users favor FYP for discovery because TikTok is more like television rather than a social media platform. 📺 Content is fed to users for entertainment instead of having to search for it for themselves.
Just like scrolling through television channels, what users will see as they scroll appears to be a random selection of content, but this ‘randomness’ offers its own advantages…
🎵 Lean into the TikTok experience
TikTok is an entertainment app. This differentiates it from a social app, and brands should be catering their ad content to reflect the entertainment focus of the platform.
While not all of the content users see on their FYP will entertain them, being aware of TikTok’s focus on entertainment provides a great starting point for brands who want to create engaging ad content.
Brands simply can’t post highly polished ad content that flashes unique selling points all over the screen. That type of content will stand out like a sore thumb among all of the organic content posted by creators.
Instead, dominate the opening three seconds of a post with an audible and valuable hook. 🎣
The hook might not be directly related to the product featured in the ad, but a strong opener will stop the scroll and provide brands with a valuable window of time to flex their marketing muscles.
💥 Break the rules
Don’t try this on Facebook! TikTok allows you to bend traditional marketing rules because there are so many opportunities to be more personable on the platform.
Try out a fourth wall break and acknowledge the existence of your ad. One-liners like:
- I bought this product to stop seeing the ads, but it actually changed my life
- We know you hate ads, but we promise this one is worth it
- This isn’t like any other product placement
These are huge red flags on other platforms, but because TikTok is an entertainment-first platform, a fourth-wall-breaking self-deprecating joke lands almost every time. 😆 It makes ad content relatable to those who signed on for some quick entertainment rather than serving as a disruption to their experience.
👌 TikTok’s specialty
The sound of TikTok content is always on. Take advantage of this feature by using trending audio, enthusiastic narration, asking questions, or offering audible value in some way to pique users’ interest and stop the scroll before they’ve even seen your content.
The new carousel tool currently in beta for select advertisers will allow brands to create more engaging experiences in their content. Users scrolling horizontally through your content will skyrocket your engagement levels and encourage more memorable experiences with your brand.
Duets and Stitches allow you to build on existing content with additional value. Pilothouse took a high performing creative and used a Stitch to add content to the end of an existing ad, and the results are shocking. 😯
Pilothouse saw a 42% decrease in cost per add-to-cart compared to the original post!
That success proves TikTok’s in-platform tools offer high-value alternatives to conventional digital creative workflows.
🔮 What’s next for TikTok?
With Q4 just around the corner, it’s the perfect time to hop on TikTok and leverage its unique environment, massive user base, and immense growth potential.
Check out the full episode of the AKNF for all the deets and an additional five creative strategies to try out in your content pipeline!
