Why you should use TikTok to showcase your products (and generate sales)

Marketing is dull. TikTok isn’t! Here is why you should combine the two.

Unless you have spent the last few years living under a rock, I imagine you have heard of the video phenomenon TikTok. This platform has successfully become an everyday part of millions of people's lives, home to an abundance of virtually ad-free video content ranging from news to recipes to hair tutorials.

In fact, the app is now the third-largest social network in the world, and at the age of only seven, there’s no denying just how impressive that is. If you sell any kind of consumer goods, the chances are at least a slice of your target market is active on TikTok, which makes it a great potential marketing channel.

Here are more reasons why you should use TikTok to showcase your products and boost your sales.

An abundance of TikTokers
Clearly, it’s no secret that this platform has had a significant global impact, with more than 1.6 billion users joining worldwide since its initial development in 2016. Between 2020 and 2023, TikTok’s global user base grew by 368.6 million, and its average annual growth rate is 22.2%. You don’t need to be a mathematician to understand that’s a lot of people!

This means a huge number of potential customers for your business, scrolling through TikTok content multiple times a day. Thousands of businesses worldwide have utilised this platform for their marketing needs, as they have with other popular sites such as Facebook and Instagram. So, how do you go about joining them?

Accounts for budding businesses
Like most social media platforms, TikTok has a business account setting which provides a wide range of extra features. These include detailed analytics, access to commercial audio sounds and account verification (the flashy blue tick that lets users know your account is legit).

Business accounts also have access to TikTok’s Business Creative Hub, which allows organisations to stay on top of the latest trends, create comprehensive marketing strategies and track their progress through metrics such as engagement and followers.

Making a name for yourself
TikTok is an extremely busy platform, with 50 million daily active users across the globe. Put simply, it’s an open goal when it comes to growing brand awareness – the crucial first step in allowing you to build trust among potential customers.

If you can commit to posting consistently and you embrace the platform’s abundance of popular trends, as well as the authentic nature of the content, establishing your brand’s presence may prove much simpler than you think.

(Relatively) cheap and cheerful
TikTok is extremely effective at driving organic views and engagement. What’s more, if you decide to fork out for paid promotions, it generally costs an average of 50% less per thousand impressions compared to similar apps. So, if you have marketing budget for your business, you may be better off spending it on TikTok as it provides better value for your money.

Of course, every business, every product, and every social platform is different, so it’s best to keep a close eye on your analytics and see what’s working for you.

We’ve gone viral!
TikTok serves up content based on user interests and previous engagement, so your chances of going viral might be better than you think. Additionally, businesses often receive a lot of positive PR for successful videos, gaining followers and making more sales as a result. Notable accounts include Ryanair (1.5 million followers) and Duolingo (3 million followers), both of which use humour to draw in the crowds.

Going viral can have many consequences, but even a relatively modest spike in impressions can improve engagement and boost sales. With TikTok easing the process of reaching large audiences, the potential to grow your business is there, ready for the taking.

So, if you feel like your creativity is wasted up there all alone in your head and you want to market your company more effectively, then why not try TikTok? By creating videos using the platform's foolproof editing features, filters, text and music, you will be able to showcase your business's aesthetic, build brand loyalty and, hopefully, capture some new customers too.

This may all seem daunting, but TikTok is as simple to navigate as it is addictive. Once you’ve planned your marketing strategy, you’ve completed the trickiest part of the journey. On top of being a lot of fun to use, TikTok will expand your online presence and potentially attract a whole new variety of customers. What are you waiting for? Jump aboard the TikTok train!

*train noises*

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