TikTok has become one of the most popular and influential social media platforms across the globe. While it was originally popular with younger audiences, the COVID-19 pandemic caused it to see rapid growth with different demographics.
Many businesses have jumped on board the platform, and whether you’re a major corporation or a mom-and-pop shop, you can benefit from utilizing TikTok in your marketing efforts. It’s a great way to show the “human” side of your business, build customer loyalty, and have a little fun while you’re at it.
However, it’s important to make sure the content you’re sharing on the platform is both relevant and relatable. Thankfully, you don’t have to be a marketing guru to come up with stellar content that will connect with your audience. Let’s cover 15 creative TikTok content ideas for your business that can help you find your footing on the platform.
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1. Staff introductions
If you’re new to TikTok, it’s a good idea to introduce yourself. Talking about your brand is one thing, but you can make your content more platform-friendly by doing staff introductions. You can choose to introduce your entire team in one video, or develop a “series” that allows you to spread out your introductions.
The more your audience learns about who is working behind the scenes, the more comfortable they’ll feel supporting your business and the people behind it.
Using introductions to kickstart your content creation is also a great way to use KPIs to measure success. You’ll be able to track metrics on how well your content is performing by:
- Identifying short-term and long-term goals;
- Defining metrics of success;
- Adding KPIs to product roadmaps;
- Referring back to your goals during meetings.
You’ll start to see analytics on TikTok right away while you’re posting staff videos, so you’ll have a better idea of what works and what doesn’t as you establish your goals.
2. Influencer content
There are over 50,000 influencers on TikTok with over 1,000 followers. They cover a variety of genres and niches, and if you’re new to the platform and trying to find your audience, they can help.
Working with an influencer will give you instant exposure. Search for content creators that feel like a good fit for your brand, pitch your idea(s) to them, and you could kick start a successful and beneficial relationship for both of you.
3. Follow trends
TikTok trends come and go very quickly, so it’s important to stay on top of them. Having someone on your team solely dedicated to social media can make that easier. Some of the most popular TikTok trends of 2022 have included:
- Tell Me Without Telling Me
- Lip Syncing
- Picture Trend
- Inverted
- Sheesh
It’s okay if none of these sound familiar right away. However, spend a few minutes on the app, and you’re bound to see at least one of them pop up.
These trends are meant to be fun and creative, so don’t spend days trying to “master” one. Your audience will know when you’re being authentic, and that’s what the platform is all about.
4. Challenges
In addition to popular trends, there are also countless “challenges” on TikTok that will allow you to showcase different members of your team.
From the “put a finger down” challenge to the newly popular and hilarious tortilla challenge, you can bolster healthy competition within your team while boosting your views on the app. If you see something with a challenge hashtag on your For You page, tap on the tag and see what’s required to get involved. Your challenge could be the one that goes viral and gets shared, duetted, or stitched by others. Any type of user-generated content is worth its weight in gold.
5. Song challenges
In addition to physical challenges on the app, there are also challenges specifically set to music. Many of them are creative dances. Others use specific filters or require quick changes.
One of the most popular song challenges that remains today is the “Now Look at This” challenge. Creators use a clip from Kid Cudi’s song “Day n’ Night,” and when the lyric says “now look at this,” they cut to something interesting, unbelievable, or hilarious.
6. Holidays
Holidays are a great time to get creative and have a little fun with your TikTok content. New holiday trends pop up on the app each year, so pay attention to those and jump on board as quickly as possible.
You can also focus on creating original content that uses holiday music and decor or showcases your products and services in a unique way. It will get your entire staff in the holiday spirit, users are more likely to watch videos that fit with the theme of the season, and you can use your content to promote any holiday specials or deals you’ve got going on.
7. Special occasions
You don’t have to wait for a holiday to celebrate. Sharing content that focuses on special occasions for your business is another great way to let users see the more “human” side of your brand.
Obviously, it’s important to check with your employees before sharing any aspect of their personal life, but you can get creative and have fun with things like:
- Pregnancy/birth announcements
- Weddings
- New products
- Milestones
- Moving/renovating
With a little bit of simple editing knowledge, sharing these special pieces of content can become an integral part of your video marketing efforts. They don’t necessarily have to show off any goods or services, but they’ll build trust and loyalty.
8. Production videos
We’ve touched on sharing behind-the-scenes videos, but if you really want to establish more trust with your audience, show them your process.
If your brand creates a specific product, show how it’s made. Are you a busy restaurant? Share how your chef makes a signature dish, or take users along with you as you visit the local farm where you get your produce.
These types of behind-the-scenes looks into how your business runs will promote transparency and get people talking. It will also spark questions, which you can save to answer in future pieces of content.
9. Tips and advice
The average TikTok user opens the app eight times per day. You can provide value for them by giving actionable tips and advice related to your brand.
If you run a small mechanic shop, cover some DIY maintenance car tips people can do themselves. If you sell clothes, offer tips on how to put outfits together. Make sure to utilize a wide array of models, including people of different ethnicities and body types.
You never know who will come across one of your videos, but all it takes is one user to see someone that looks like them or to hear some advice they can use no matter their situation to cast a positive light on your brand.
10. Q&A videos
Nowadays, consumers want relationships with brands. Consumer preferences are replacing loud advertisements with inclusive, authentic messaging. Social media has made it easier to connect with your audience and let them know what your brand is about, but you can take things one step further.
Consider hosting live question and answer sessions on TikTok. Scroll through your comment section once a week to find a few questions you’d like to answer, and post multiple videos talking about each one. It’s a simple way to let your followers and customers know that you’re listening and that you value them.
11. Brand values
Your brand needs to showcase itself as something more than a business that sells goods and/or services. You need to stand for something and be proud of your values. When you are, you’ll be more willing to share those values with your audience.
Consider what you’re passionate about and what you want your business to reflect. If you’re concerned about climate change, create videos showing what your business is doing to promote sustainability and fight back against global warming. If you want to promote animal welfare, take plenty of videos of your team volunteering at a local pet shelter.
Not only will showcasing your brand values make you more relatable, but you might also bring in a new target audience.
12. Share your brand story
Another great way to humanize your business and get a conversation going is to share your story. Tell users what made you want to start your business in the first place.
By letting your audience know not only who you are but where you came from, they’ll get to know you better. That establishes relationships and can make your business feel more like a friend to your followers.
13. Duet and stitch videos
TikTok is a huge community, and it’s easy to get wrapped up scrolling through your FYP and checking out the latest and greatest content from users and businesses. If you see something that stands out to you or something relevant to your business, consider duetting or stitching it.
These are two different things, but the concept is similar. You take an existing video on the platform and either respond to it or add to it. When you publish to your own page, viewers will see the original video on one side, and yours on the other. The original content creator will also see it and might end up sharing it with their followers.
14. Create product campaigns
While you might not want to come out of the gate only showcasing and advertising your products, it doesn’t mean you should never do it. You’re still a business, after all.
Once you’ve established an audience, you can use TikTok for product launches and marketing campaigns. It shouldn’t be the only thing you’re posting, and it’s important not to take too much of a “salesman” tone. However, you can still use the platform to generate excitement around your goods and services, just make sure you’re doing it in a fun and creative way.
15. Start your own challenge
Once you’re comfortable with the platform and you’ve participated in a few challenges, consider starting one of your own. This can take some time and creativity, but if you’ve got a great idea that you think other people will get on board with, go ahead!
Make sure to use hashtags so people can search for the challenge. That way, you’ll also be able to see everyone who participates. You never know when a challenge will go viral, so don’t be afraid to give it a try.
If you haven’t downloaded TikTok yet, consider how it could be a positive marketing tool for your business. Have fun creating original content that could expose your brand to a completely new audience.
