TikTok is the fastest growing social media platform globally, with 1 billion active monthly users that are expected to grow to 1.5 billion by the end of 2022, so it’s a platform worthy of creating a dedicated marketing strategy for your brand.
All top brands currently seeing massive success on TikTok have either outsourced their TikTok accounts to a TikTok marketing agency like House of Marketers or have had consultations to build an effective TikTok marketing strategy.
Whether you’re wondering if the methods a TikTok marketing agency can provide will match your brand or if you’re looking to implement an in-house marketing strategy, you can learn a lot from what top brands have been doing on TikTok.
No. 1 – NBA
The NBA TikTok account has taken a vastly different approach over its more serious Instagram account posts. NBA posts on TikTok are all about fun, showing the personal or human side of the players, either answering questions, dancing on the sidelines, or bloopers on the court.
Instead of focusing on gameplay, stats, or the fast-paced nature of the game, it’s using TikTok to connect with new fans that want to have fun and enjoy the entertainment side of the game and even get to know their favorite players better.
Instead of focusing on pushing adverts or trying to sell tickets or PPV events, the NBA account is simply bringing about brand awareness to people that may not have been interested in purely watching basketball before.
The NBA’s TikTok marketing agency utilizes a perfect way to increase brand awareness and reach new potential customers or viewers. You’re not seeing paid advertisements for the NBA on TikTok; it’s all created or shared organic content.
No. 2 – Dunkin’
Dunkin’, or Dunkin’ Donuts as it used to be called, has been on TikTok for a long time and was one of the first companies to utilize influencer advertising on the platform.
The influencer videos were a way to introduce a younger audience to the sweet new items on the Dunkin menu, which is an effective way to get people to try out new products when they’re used to just ordering the same thing constantly.
Dunkin’ indicated that their first partnership had a direct correlation with a 57% boost in their app downloads and a 20% boost in sales of cold brew coffee which was being pushed.
The added benefit is that once a loyalty app is downloaded, customers are likely to continue using it to build up points and get their free products. It also allows companies to push out direct advertising and connect further with their customers.
Dunkin’s TikTok marketing agency utilizes a range of effective marketing strategies with influencer collaborations, pushing app downloads through paid ads, and showcasing new products in a fun way.
No. 3 – Chipotle
Chipotle jumped on TikTok to connect to a younger audience back in 2018, and like many successful brands on TikTok, it’s not explicitly pushing products but is working towards brand awareness and making people interested in trying their food.
Most Chipotle posts center around having fun with dance challenges or other trends happening. They also stitch or repost videos of their customers or brand advocates posting on TikTok sharing their experiences with Chipotle, which is a great way to get more users to post content about the brand for free.
One of the other methods that Chipotle uses is to share behind-the-scenes looks at Chipotle restaurant and talk to real employees rather than actors.
Engaging with and sharing real customer reaction videos and showing the behind-the-scenes videos is a great way to have fun with customers and create buzz around the restaurants, which increases brand awareness significantly.
Chipotle’s TikTok marketing agency is working towards brand awareness and simply getting people to think about Chipotle as an option; it’s pulling in new and young potential customers. It’s highly effective to use user-generated content on TikTok, as users are more likely to believe their peers if they say the new burrito is amazing rather than a paid actor.
No. 4 – Gymshark
Gymshark is a UK-based company that sprang out of social media, using athlete influencers to showcase the product on their own TikTok accounts and other social media platforms. Gymshark has been hugely successful on TikTok, gaining 2 million followers in its first six months on TikTok.
Instead of sharing many workout tips or just showing models in their workout gear, they post workout challenges for people to perform and put up their own reaction videos or attempts.
They also showcase the fitness journeys of regular people, which is a great way to engage with the fitness community that’s actually buying Gymhark products.
A lot of their content is simply fitness-based humour to appeal to the fitness community.
The Gymshark TikTok marketing agency utilizes many effective marketing options, but the most beneficial for Gymshark is the influencer collaboration deals that continue for years.
Fitness viewers want to be like their influencer heroes, and if they’re wearing Gymshark, that’s what they will buy.
No. 5 – Cult Beauty
Cult Beauty is a UK-based beauty retailer that operates online. Instead of pushing their products or telling people to come to their store to buy products, they push brand awareness through helpful videos, where they provide makeup tutorials and skincare advice to the beauty community on TikTok.
They also mix in some funny and trending videos to capture an audience not specifically looking for beauty tutorials but may find value once they’re followers.
Cult Beauty’s TikTok marketing agency has built them a winning strategy in their particular niche. The majority of their intended audience are people looking to improve their skin, try new cosmetic products, and are looking for how to use everything, so tutorials are highly effective in this niche to push brand awareness and subtly suggest products to buy.
No. 6 – ASOS
ASOS is a UK-based fashion and beauty online retailer. They heavily utilize user-generated content and get their followers and niche influencers involved by sharing outfit styles, tutorials, and other challenges for people to then be featured on the ASOS TikTok page.
Just like Cult Beauty above, ASOS mixes in content to match the latest trending videos and challenges, which is an effective way to bring in new followers and potential customers that aren’t in the same groups or niche on TikTok.
ASOS’s TikTok marketing agency uses tutorial-type videos to engage with the beauty niche and heavily relies on user-generated content to promote their fashion products. The benefit they gain from trending videos is engaging with people outside the fashion niche and bringing in brand new potential customers.
No. 7 – The White Company
The White Company is a UK-based home outfitting store offering high-end products to consumers, but they don’t use TikTok to push their products or advertisements.
Their approach is to provide how-to videos on designing your home space and helpful items that can be used or hacks to make your home more liveable. They’re also another company that shares their behind-the-scenes footage with employees and how they do business and make their products.
The White Company’s TikTok marketing agency is working towards brand awareness; it’s unlikely that there would be direct sales through TikTok, but by providing how-to videos and showcasing products and the way products are made is an effective advertising method to engage with potential future customers.
No. 8 – Ryanair
Ryanair is a well-known low-cost airline that most people already know but may never have used. The Ryanair TikTok account, like most top brands on this list, isn’t trying to push ticket purchases or specific flight options to any of the viewers.
The content provided by Ryanair showcases the funny side of the airline, creating skits using their planes, performing the latest trends, and sharing amusing memes and other videos.
Ryanair is about brand awareness and showcasing they are a fun airline and not a major corporation that just wants to take your money, which is actually a major selling point for younger generations.
The TikTok marketing agency for Ryanair does have a slightly difficult job, most people know about Ryanair, and a TikTok video is unlikely to make you choose between luxury plane travel and budget plane travel.
What they do is push brand awareness to a younger audience who may not have started traveling yet, and it brings in new customers that do want budget travel as their incomes are starting out lower.
TikTok Marketing Tip From Top Brands
Each top brand utilizes slightly different methods and have different goals with TikTok; however, one of the themes you see with the Top Brands is they don’t wholly focus on TikTok paid advertising.
A lot of the focus is on organic content such as tutorials or behind-the-scenes videos, and the content is heavily relied TikTok influencers and user-generated content.
The work required to be successful on TikTok can be a significant challenge, which is why it’s often helpful to engage the services of a TikTok marketing agency like House of Marketers who can handle your entire TikTok campaign, create content, and work with influencers to boost your brand awareness and increase sales.
