We could break marketing down into dozens of elements that all work together to get a company’s message out. In the digital marketing world, you have everything from pay-per-click ads to keyword-focused blog posts and articles. But when you strip away all the five-dollar words and highbrow marketing phrases, you are left with one thing: connecting with customers where they are. Enter TikTok and Instagram.
For the next few minutes, set aside everything you know about creating dynamic and keyword-friendly content. Forget about analytics and search engine result pages (SERPs). Instead, think about messaging. Think about the venues that get your company’s message in front of the target audience.
TikTok and Instagram do not rely on text. They don’t rely on cleverly worded sentences and bullet points to encourage people to read. Both social media platforms rely exclusively on visuals. TikTok is about videos; Instagram is about graphic images.
Your Audience Is Changing
As a digital marketing agency located in Salt Lake City, UT, Webtek Digital Marketing has long maintained that email marketing is not dead. They are absolutely correct. According to statistics, email marketing still dominates most other types of digital marketing. But things are changing.
Things are changing because your audience is changing. The baby boom generation has officially entered retirement. The oldest members of Gen X are within a decade of retirement. Millennials, who are currently the highest priority due to their disposable income, are also getting older. Who is waiting in the wings? Gen Z.
Statistics show that email marketing is still very popular with baby boomers and Gen Xers. They prefer email marketing over videos and images. But that preference starts to fade away as you look at younger demographics.
If forced to choose between email and video, millennials will choose video. The same goes for Gen Z. The thing about Gen Z is that they are heavily oriented toward mobile. They will always choose video over text because videos are easier to consume on small screens.
Know Your Audience, Right?
One of the most important rules of successful marketing is to know your audience. Experienced marketers drill that truth into the minds of their younger protégés from day one. Rest assured the principle applies just as much to digital marketing as it does the traditional realm.
This suggests that your company should be on TikTok and Instagram – especially if your target audience consists of millennials and/or Gen Z. As far as social media goes, that is where they are. Likewise, Facebook and Twitter are no longer the top places to see and be seen for the younger audience.
This is not to say that it’s time to abandon Facebook and Twitter. Nothing could be further from the truth. It is simply to say that not being on TikTok and Instagram means throwing away a valuable marketing resource.
How to Market with TikTok
TikTok is one of the most exciting social media platforms out there for younger people. It is growing in leaps and bounds. Users love it because they can quickly make videos with their phones and get them posted. They don’t need to be professional videographers to generate a huge following. They just need to reach their audiences effectively.
Your company can do the exact same thing. You can leverage the same resources daily users leverage to expand your marketing reach significantly. So how do you market with TikTok? Experts recommend the following:
1. Keep It Short
A TikTok video can be as long as 10 minutes. However, that is neither a requirement nor a wise idea. It is hard to hold a viewer’s attention for that long. So, keep your video short. To emphasize the point, bear in mind this incredible statistic: TikTok’s best-performing videos are but 16 seconds in length, on average.
2. Love the Hashtag
Hashtags are a quick and easy tool to categorize content. They also help users find content they are searching for. Whenever you post a new TikTok video, use a minimum of three hashtags. Five work better. TikTok doesn’t limit the number but using more than five only leads to redundancy.
3. Create Exclusive Content
TikTok is the hottest thing among young social media users right now. Its popularity will fade over time but take advantage of the growth while you can by creating exclusive content just for the platform. By putting content on TikTok and nowhere else, you give your followers the impression they are getting something no one else gets. Users find that exciting.
How to Market with Instagram
Learning TikTok will set you up for effectively marketing on Instagram. Many of the principles that make TikTok successful also apply in the Instagram arena. However, there are some specific tips for making the most of Instagram:
1. Utilize Instagram Reels
First and foremost, Instagram offers their own short video platform known as Instagram Reels. Use it. Instagram Reels lets you record short videos in real time while you are on the platform. You can also upload existing videos. You can record a single video or add multiple clips. Just bear in mind you only have 90 seconds to work with.
2. Cover Easy-to-Digest Topics
Because Instagram videos need to be so short, cover topics that are easy to digest. Perhaps do a quick employee interview explaining what makes your company so awesome. Or maybe do a time-lapse video showing how one of your products is made.
3. Follow Videos with Memes
According to IGInstant, Instagram users love memes. A meme displays a clever and poignant message that can be absorbed very quickly. Follow videos with clever memes and you can really drive your marketing message home. Just make sure your memes enhance the video content, not detract from it.
Times are changing. So are online audiences. As your marketing audience gradually gets younger, you are going to need to rely more on video to get your message across. Right now, TikTok and Instagram are the best places to post your videos. Your company needs to get on both platforms as soon as possible.
