*6 Minute Read*  

As viral videos from TikTok and Instagram influencers take over the Internet, it can be challenging to know precisely how to market your business online. Creating online content is still about positioning yourself as an authority in your field, but brands now create shorter, more visually focused content.

What’s Different About TikTok?

Marketers who are used to using YouTube to create longer pieces of authority content should find TikTok relatively easy to use. Anyone with a smartphone camera can use TikTok, so there’s a low barrier of entry and no need for specialized recording equipment. TikTok allows you to create short pieces of viral content, and the feed tends to move quite quickly. The best way to utilize TikTok for business is by posting quick bits of fun content regularly. Authority content can be broken down into several shorter posts, making the information easy to learn and share.

As a TikTok creator, it’s important to develop a following and to become known for a specific type of content. You can cover single issues or promote specific products; you just have to do it in several short videos instead of one longer one. Businesses that use TikTok will need to be prepared to make numerous quick pieces of content to appeal to their audience.

What’s Different About Instagram?

Instagram is visually based, and marketers who use this app should be prepared to generate photo-based content on a regular basis. Instagram allows users to add hashtags and text content to an image, but these components are add ons, not the primary feature of the post. Facebook owns Instagram, and it’s become relatively easy to share posts from one app to the other.

To be successful on Instagram, focus on the visual elements of your brand. Clearly show your products, especially as new lines appear throughout the year. If you are a service-based business, focus on imagery that conveys the facts you want customers to know about your business. Think of Instagram as a series of magazine spreads that allow you to showcase what your business has to offer.

TikTok is Changing the Game

While many online marketers are still using traditional formatting for videos, time invested in marketing on TikTok and Instagram is quite worthwhile. According to TikTok, 46% of the site’s users engage without any distractions, making the site a marketing powerhouse. This short-form content is here to stay, and businesses should see where they can make adaptations.

There is some stigma and concern in B2B and B2C marketing that utilizing these specific social media apps will decrease a brand’s integrity or convey a sense of overall immaturity. However, it’s important to remember that Generation Z (or Zoomers) are hitting adulthood and will soon be the main marketing demographic to target. Therefore, it simply makes sense to use the sites they use so that you communicate with them where they’re already spending time online.

As you develop a TikTok marketing plan, keep short-form content in mind. Create a channel for your business and focus on short video clips that are light-hearted, have an interesting takeaway, or are somehow controversial. Encourage users to post videos of themselves using your product, unboxing your product, or trying on the items they’ve purchased. Consider creating a viral challenge, such as the major TikTok campaigns that Chipotle has become known for. Finally, remember that you can still create authority content in your niche; you’re just producing it in smaller, bite-sized pieces.

As members of Generation Z graduate from college and business school, they’ll move into careers where they’ll be the primary decision-makers. Whether they’re making purchasing decisions, launching their own business, or deciding which marketing firms they’d like to work with, they’ll make decisions based on readily available information. Positioning your company on Instagram and TikTok will help ensure that the next round of individuals with purchasing power will notice your brand. Simply put, learning to utilize these tools will help your company stay culturally relevant.

Summary:

• TikTok allows marketers to create short, viral video content.
• Instagram works perfectly for visually-based content.
• Generation Z uses both of these platforms to communicate and share information.
• Learning to utilize these tools helps you keep your business and marketing as relevant as possible.