Social Media
Media Strategy
Written By
Wray Ward
This post was updated on October 24, 2023.
“Think like a marketer. Act like a creator.”
That quote is a great summation of how brands can harness the power of TikTok. Recently, Wray Ward partnered with the Home Improvement Research Institute to produce an exclusive webinar on the world’s hottest social media platform.
So, how can home and building brands leverage TikTok as a powerful marketing tool? John Dasher, integrated media strategy group director, and Karen Bryant, social media director, explored the world of possibilities, specifically how marketers in this category can use TikTok to reach their key audiences and increase brand awareness.
Want to utilize this fun, creative environment to engage audiences in a way that informs and entertains? Keep reading.
Approaching TikTok From a Marketing Perspective
As John Dasher pointed out, social media changes every day, and it can be hard to stay on top of trends. Especially on a newer platform such as TikTok, there are media and advertising features that may not be implemented today but could go live tomorrow.
Still, TikTok provides robust ad solutions that marketers can use to create targeted campaigns, including those that speak to DIY homeowners and home and building professionals. Tactics could include behavior targeting based on users consuming category-specific content on the platform or building look-alike audiences using your existing CRM data.
As with any emerging platform, marketers must be willing to test and learn to find success. Here are a few ways to get started:
Don’t Make Ads, Make TikToks
While there are ways to advertise and execute a media strategy on TikTok, approaching ads in the same way you would on other platforms is not the best strategy. Users flock to the app for entertainment and inspiration. Since 60% of users access TikTok for funny and entertaining content, creating the same old ad will miss the mark.
TikTok has a variety of engaging ad formats to choose from, such as:
In-feed ads
Branded effects
Branded hashtag challenges
Spark ads
Top-view ads
Consider building a branded hashtag challenge that puts your brand at the center of a cultural movement while providing active engagement via participation. By leveraging a hashtag that includes your brand name, you can harness the immense power of TikTok to not only drive awareness of your challenge, but improve ad recall.