Want your product or business to be discovered? Get it onto TikTok.

If you're marketing products or services to people between the ages of 18 and 34, then your brand needs to be on TikTok. You can set your business up for success on this platform by promoting products, unboxing new products and garnering reviews. 3Cube Property Solutions provides an analysis of what TikTok is, why it appeals to Generation Z and how to create great content.

In a nutshell, TikTok is a video-sharing app that allows you to upload short-form videos on any topic. The platform gives posters easy opportunities to get creative, with stickers, filters, voiceovers, background music and sound effects.

The stats you need to know

According to Charles Smith Associates, the year-on-year change in reported TikTok ad reach is a jaw-dropping 83.6%. TikTok currently has 11.83 million active users in South Africa aged 18 and above, with 56% of the audience being female and 44% being male. Furthermore, according to Meltwater's research, TikTok is the fourth most prevalent social media platform in South Africa, beating the likes of X (formerly known as Twitter), Facebook Messenger, LinkedIn and Snapchat.

How to market your business on TikTok

TikTok has provided a useful guide containing everything that small and medium-sized businesses need to know about building a strong organic and paid presence on the platform. The guide points out that while there are millions of ways to tell your brand's story on TikTok, it is only through experimentation and subsequent analysis of performance analytics that will tell you what works for your brand. To narrow down these "millions of ways", it's important to spend some time watching TikTok videos and following brands similar to yours, both locally and internationally. 

Top ways to create great TikTok content

Authenticity is one of the most important factors behind a great TikTok video, as Social Media Examiner points out. Since most social media users don't have access to expensive camera equipment, they create content with their phones, which enables their personalities to shine through. Make your brand and your product feel relatable and personable to get the most out of your TikTok marketing endeavours.

Before you start creating content, it's important to browse TikTok, watch some videos and get a feel for the platform's unique style. TikTok is not a formal and professional environment - it's a space for users and brands to experiment and show off their lighter side. One great idea for a TikTok video would be someone who has never used your product before trying it out for the first time.

Four top tips for getting started with TikTok

1. As soon as you open the TikTok app for the first time, you'll see a feed with videos. Click around and watch a few to get a feel for the type of content that works.
2. Make the most of audio. TikTok has countless songs and audio clips that you can add to your videos. Search for "viral audio" to find the sounds that are getting noticed.
3. Follow accounts you like. Find other small business owners in your industry and keep up to date with the types of content that they post.
4. Experiment with different types of content. To provide a few examples, you could give followers a tour of your workplace, ask a valued customer to film a video review of your product or create a video that explains your business's name. Another great idea is to upload clips of your corporate social investment initiatives.

Whether or not TikTok is the right platform for you to be marketing your business on, you'll always need a marketing strategy that's up-to-date and well-researched. Similarly, you'll always need premises from which your business can thrive and grow.  You can trust 3Cube Property Solutions to help you find the right premises in Gauteng or the Western Cape. Contact us today.