TikTok is a platform where users create and share short videos, often dancing or lip-synching to a soundtrack.
A Brief TikTok History
TikTok started as Musical.ly in 2014, attracting millions of users worldwide. In 2018, ByteDance, a Chinese tech company, acquired Musical.ly and merged it with its lip-synching app, Douyin. The result was TikTok, which debuted in August 2017.
How Has TikTok Fared Since Its Debut?
By September 2018, TikTok had surpassed Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Snapchat in monthly installs, with more than one billion downloads. That’s distant history, right? In April of this year, TikTok was the most downloaded non-gaming app worldwide, with more than 59 million installs. Moreover, based on Q1 data from Sensor Tower, TikTok was also the highest-earning app on both Google Play Store and Apple App Store, growing by over 100 percent year-on-year.
In Nigeria, it is currently the seventh most popular iOS social media app and the second most popular Android social media app, according to Sensor Tower. Based on a Q3 2020 survey by Statista, 39.1% of Nigerians between the ages of 16-64 have used the platform, and it’s still growing. The continuous growth of the platform among young Nigerians makes a strong case for brands to adopt it.
Nigerian Brands on TikTok
At the moment, few major Nigerian brands are on TikTok, and those that are present haven’t recorded significant growth. This could be due to business TikTok being a budding aspect of the platform, yet to gain relevance in Nigeria. Additionally, significant investments haven’t been made in TikTok marketing by these brands.
The Exceptions
As mentioned earlier, few Nigerian brands have adopted TikTok, and most aren’t thriving as expected. However, @HCHealthClinic stands out. According to their website, @HCHealthClinic is a “Chiropractic health clinic established to offer quality chiropractic care through its certified chiropractors using state-of-the-art equipment as well as manual adjustment.” Chiropractic is a pseudoscientific alternative medicine that focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of mechanical disorders of the musculoskeletal system, especially the spine.
Examining the brand’s TikTok handle, their massive engagement and follower numbers are noteworthy. How has this brand achieved this? They have successfully fused their core activities—analysing the spine to determine where misalignments occur and using their hands or specialised instruments to adjust the spine—with who does what in their videos, all while being entertaining, informative, and educational. They showcase instant feedback from clients and explain their processes in an engaging manner.
@HCHealthClinic has managed to hack TikTok for Business by understanding what type of content thrives on the platform. Understanding the type of content that the customer connects with is the first step to success. Then, deciding what production style to adopt is the next crucial step.
The production technique adopted by @HCHealthClinic has played a huge role in their success. They’ve managed to incorporate popular memes and gifs in their videos, making them funny and entertaining for viewers. The brand has also leveraged celebrity clients to boost engagement. Another key to their success is seamlessly adopting trends and challenges on the platform.
Through its content approach, the brand creates a desire in viewers to experience the relief it offers its clients.
TikTok Strategy
Your brand’s strategy for TikTok must fully consider the peculiar nature of the platform—being solely a video-content distribution platform.
For your debut, I’ll advise you to launch your presence in two phases, with the strategies I will discuss divided accordingly.
Phase I
Content Republishing
Republish content previously published on other social media platforms that meets TikTok’s requirements to kick off your debut.
Content Repurposing
Convert your highly engaging content (carousels, blogs, etc.) into short, mobile-first videos.
Hashtag and Trend Adoption
Hashtags and trends play a significant role in gaining visibility and sustaining it on the platform. Adopt relevant hashtags and trends that will further your brand message.
Phase II
TikTok Challenge
TikTok thrives on liquid content—content so contagious that it can’t be controlled, i.e., highly shareable content. This offers you the opportunity to garner a share of voice from your target audience when they participate in the challenge. Some form of incentive can be used to push adoption.
Collaboration with Independent Content Creators
Collaborate with independent content creators for repurposing old content and creating new content. This helps get your message in front of a diverse audience, offering a different creative perspective to your videos. These independent content creators can be dancers, singers, actors, or models contracted on a needs basis.
TikTok Influencer Engagement
The impact of TikTok influencers (people with a huge following and high engagement rate) in pushing brand messages and activities cannot be overlooked. Although it’s still in its infancy, look to collaborate with TikTok influencers to leverage their influence to drive your brand messaging and reach more people.
Conclusion
TikTok’s rapid growth and immense popularity, especially among young Nigerians, present a unique opportunity for Nigerian brands to reach a broader and more engaged audience. By understanding the platform’s dynamics and the type of content that resonates with users, brands can successfully carve out a space on TikTok. The success of @HCHealthClinic serves as a case study on how to effectively use creativity, humour, and trend adoption to engage viewers and build a substantial following. By employing a strategic approach that involves content republishing, repurposing, and leveraging influencers and trends, Nigerian brands can enhance their visibility and drive engagement on TikTok. As the platform continues to grow, those who invest in these strategies now will likely see significant returns in brand awareness and customer engagement.
Note: Contains photos by cottonbro studio from Pexels