TikTok has released a marketing guide for small to medium businesses (SMBs), to aid growth and help reach brand objectives.

If you view TikTok as a marketing minefield, you aren’t alone – but TikTok has revealed some ways to use the platform as a marketing opportunity for businesses.

The statistics speak for themselves, with TikTok users being 48% more likely to discover new products and immediately purchase them on the platform.

1. Consumer packaged goods.

Consumer packaged goods (CPGs) refer to products that are used regularly by customers, requiring regular replacement – such as nail products you may sell to nail techs, or cuticle oils you may sell to clients.

The attention-grabbing aspect of TikTok fosters an ideal environment for advertising and reaching mass audiences, with 82% of users having discovered an SMB on the platform.

TikTok found that one in three users on a CPG journey reported buying a product because they saw it on TikTok, highlighting the huge potential of the platform to sell products.

2. Reach objectives.

TikTok enables access into the Ads Manager feature, allowing SMBs to track and control their campaign performance, and gain insight into what content and products are, and aren’t, performing well.

TikTok Pixel can be used to track user journeys, measure ad performance and help optimise campaigns, providing data which can be used to meet Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) such as increased traffic to websites, engagement on social media posts, or the conversion rates of booked appointments.

Brands can also target users who have previously interacted with their business to reach relevant customers, and increase the likelihood of desired conversions.

3. Optimise creative content.

TikTok has revealed three important narrative elements of a TikTok video, illustrating how strategic structuring of video narratives plays a large role in their marketing success.

The first three to five seconds of a video is labelled ‘the hook’, and business owners should prioritise engaging and solution-based content to grab the attention of potential customers.

The middle 10 to 20 seconds should feature your business’ unique selling points. What makes your product or service stand out? What benefits does it offer?

The final three to five seconds should include a call to action relevant to your desired conversion, whether you suggest clicking a link, buying a product or filling out a form; this section should be saved to gently nudge potential customers in the right direction.

Visit tiktok.com for access to the full marketing guide.