Discover the advantages and disadvantages of TikTok for your business and see whether it can help promote your brand while selling your products or services.
As a business owner, diving into TikTok might seem like showing up fashionably late to a party consisting of 18 to 21-year-olds.
Initially, you might feel a bit out of place. But with 54% of business owners already leveraging TikTok for promotional activities, perhaps it's time to reassess.
In this blog, we’ll talk you through the pros and cons, how to set it up and whether it’s worth selling on TikTok for your business.
So, get your ring lights ready. It’s time to explore the possibilities of this social media phenomenon.
Is TikTok worth it for your business?
In terms of gaining popularity, yes!
Downloaded over 4.1 billion times since its launch in 2016, TikTok continues to grow with the addition of the TikTok shop feature for businesses.
According to the social platform’s latest insights, 69% of UK TikTok users feel a deeper connection with the brands they interact with on TikTok over other apps and sites. While 52% of UK Millennial TikTok users are believed to have bought a product because they saw it on the app within the last year.
Sounds good, right? But despite throwing off its social shackles as a juvenile-only platform in recent years, it’s worth noting that TikTok still won’t suit every business.
It depends on your industry, target audience and your overall brand identity. With this in mind, let’s explore the advantages and disadvantages of using TikTok for businesses.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of TikTok for business?
The advantages of TikTok for businesses
Keeping things positive, let’s start with some of the good stuff:
Find your people
Remember, TikTok users feel a deeper connection towards brands they interact with. This attachment provides a perfect chance to promote your brand/business identity and find your true followers.
And don’t hold back. By showcasing everything you’re about, users can get to know the people behind your business to create powerful human connections. Plus, with the incentive of posting regular content and responding to user interaction, you can indicate to your followers that you’re always there.
Like a friend, it shows your business cares by putting time and effort into making user-specific content and engaging with your audience.
TikTok analytics access
Once set up (which we’ll get to later), you have access to data that you can monitor, such as in-depth insights into your audience demographics, interests and whereabouts. (Content marketing metrics are key, after all.)
These insights help you manage your marketing performance by seeing what’s working and what isn’t. Being open to experimentation in making different types of content will help provide this reference for your marketing performance.
Wide-reaching
Just in case you forgot, there are over one billion active monthly users worldwide! Plenty of potential customers to say the least.
As a developing platform that’s constantly diversifying, there are different ways of appealing to your audience and selling on TikTok.
For example, 1 in 3 Gen Z users are interested in buying from TikTok live because they can see the products being used rather than just seeing pre-determined images and videos. On the other hand, if you’re a B2B business, you’ll want to produce content that suits your industry-specific audience while leveraging the right hashtags.
The disadvantages of TikTok for businesses
Okay, with those advantages in mind, here are some of the inevitable cons:
Audience limitations
Without causing you too much of a surprise, TikTok buyers are primarily still Gen Z (born 1997-2023). While the age range is gradually changing, if your target market is older, you may struggle to reach them as quickly as you would a younger audience.
However, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try! Who knows? Perhaps you might even stand out more as a result.
Great expectations
In business and on social media, being unique is important. After all, it’s how you sell and stand out in the crowd. But with popularity comes great responsibility because the more popular you are, the greater the expectations.
For example, even if a video you post goes viral, as great as it'll be for engagement, it will go so far in defining you. Therefore, if you’re not as consistent with your branding or fail to maintain the same quality, it can impact your reputation.
Now, this is a good problem to have for sure, but something to consider all the same. Consistency is key.
Trends versus originality
Piggybacking on new trends is a great way to generate some quick engagement. Whether having a sense of humour or promoting your values, it can help show your business in the light you wish to promote and requires minimal creative effort.
However, that doesn’t mean you should always try and use other people’s ideas. Look to do things differently and express some personality unique to your brand. Remember, for your business to appeal to its target audience, you want to stand out in a manner they’d appreciate as authentic.
How to set up a TikTok business account
If you’re sold on the advantages of using TikTok, it’s time to get the wheels in motion. The good news is that setting up a TikTok business account is simple.
All it takes is to:
- Download the app and create your business account.
- Tap on your profile located in the bottom right corner of the screen.
- Tap on the three lines at the top right.
- Select settings and privacy.
- Tap on “account” at the top.
- Then select – switch to a business account.
- Choose the category that best describes your business and tap “Next”.
- Add your business email address to your profile.
And as easy as that, you’re good to go!
How to use TikTok for business
Now your account is set up and ready to post, here are some tips for using TikTok for your business:
Establish your identity
Now, onto the fun part, where we get the creative juices flowing. The number one question remains – how do we introduce ourselves to a new corner of the internet?
Think to yourself, how do we want others to see us? And how do you want to come across with your first impression?
Think of it as a recipe with what matters to you, your attitudes, and values.
What are you about, and what do you stand for?
Write it all down, putting these tasty ingredients together with content cooking instructions. This strategic approach will provide you with your TikTok brand guidelines, ready to create the perfect content that’s consistent with your branding.
Define your audience
Nothing new but impossible to ignore. We can’t forget the basics, so take a good look at your target audience. Think about what they like and check out what kind of TikToks they’re into. In essence, put yourself in their shoes.
After recording your findings, you can create buyer personas. Remember, they’re the people in the audience most likely to buy your merch after the show, so don’t forget to give your biggest fans the content they crave to boost those sales.
Be yourself
While it’s crucial to know what’s trending, whether it’s a challenge, song, or dance, seeing the content out there going viral helps you see TikTok for what it is.
But I think the number one lesson with TikTok and where its beauty truly lies is not taking it too seriously. The world of TikTok and its users have a language of its own.
So have fun, and don’t force it. The authentic energy you bring will find your audience.
Know your competitors
Keeping an eye out for your competitors helps you see what works and what doesn’t. If they’re using TikTok and they’re gaining positive engagement, don’t see this as a threat. Just embrace the fact if it can work for them, it can work for you too!
Less is more
TikTok put the short in snappy. It made its name with 15-second videos, so there’s no need to overwork things. Keep it fresh, fun and catchy.
Experiment
Once you’ve started to build up a following, try experimenting with the different content opportunities available. Go live and collaborate with content creators. Make short videos and long videos and interact!
Post at the right time
Uploading content can be exciting and fun to share, but there’s no point posting when half your audience is asleep. Like experimenting with your content, experiment with when you post so you can see the best times to reach your followers.
Is it worth selling on TikTok?
For those who have just scrolled down for an immediate answer – yes, it’s worth selling on TikTok if the audience is there for you.
Combine an understanding of the platform with some care and consideration of its users, and nothing is stopping your business from making great quality content. And all from your phone!
By presenting a potential future of marketing and business, TikTok provides an appeal which might prove more interactive and engaging to your consumers while offering new, fun and interesting ways of creating content for your business.
So, if you’re determined and want to show your business off, go for it!
You never know. Selling on TikTok right now might be the best way forward for your brand.
Sell your products using the TikTok Shop
If you have products for sale, you can use the TikTok shop feature to sell your goods directly to your followers.
To set up TikTok Shop for your business, you must sign up as a seller and complete the onboarding process. Once completed, you can upload your products and link your TikTok Shop with your business account.
Now you have a TikTok Shop, you can create shoppable content while even collaborating with influencers and content creators specific to your brand.
Need a hand getting to grips with TikTok?
Once upon a time, even Content Chef had yet to step foot into the world of TikTok. But ever since making that leap, we haven’t looked back while having buckets of fun along the way!
As part of our social media marketing services and packages, we can help welcome your business to TikTok while providing professional, personal and creative solutions in strategy, management and content creation.
While, at first, it might seem foreign and daunting, TikTok might provide the perfect platform to promote and sell your products or services. If anything, it's at least worth a conversation.
If you'd like to learn more about how we can help your business get up and running, get in touch today.
Written by Olivia Checkley
