We Told 1,000 Stories on TikTok: Here's What We Found Out
When we embarked on what we like to call the 'TikTok Adventure' nearly two years ago, we faced serious challenges—not just those you might expect when starting to work with what was then a relatively new social network.
It was immediately clear to us that TikTok would become a major player in the digital market and, as such, would completely change the rules of the game. Understanding the field in which you work allows you to invest all your knowledge and experience in finding the right approach and creating a strategy that will bring about the desired results.
Our initial goal was to dispel common myths that have persisted for so long: that achieving a large number of organic views on social networks without paid advertising is impossible, that each social network requires different content, and that nobody wants to watch branded content.
But we were also persistent! In one year, we launched 14 TikTok profiles, created over 1,000 videos for our clients, garnered over 1.6 million likes, gained 80 thousand followers, and accumulated 32 million views—all without any investment budget for advertising!
So it is possible!
Although deciphering all the secrets of TikTok was challenging at the time, we can now say that the formula for success is actually very simple.
A viral video follows a certain structure (we've talked about it many times so far, but we can always delve deeper!) and there are also types of content that have proven to be the best for brands (keywords include education, inspiration, identification, and entertainment).
And, best of all, you only need to do all of this once. That is, you really don't need to create different videos for different social networks. Let's remember that both Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube copied TikTok and introduced short video content formats just to keep up with the growing competition!
With the 'magic formula' for creating video content that we then applied across all networks, we achieved an impressive calculation: if one TikTok video gets 2,500 views, and the same video on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube gets 10,000 views, and if we publish 15 videos a month, 'earning' more than 150,000 views, we reach millions of views in a year! You can watch some examples of such videos on the SmartPoint website.
Now, let's discuss strategy—what are the key points that your strategy should cover?
To begin with, you need to determine the goal of your TikTok profile. Is it to increase brand awareness, expand reach, engage target groups, drive direct sales, generate leads, introduce new products or services, educate audiences, build employer branding, conduct market research, or something else? You don't have to stick to just one!
Next, determine the TikTok persona you are addressing, which is the perfect representative of your target group. Think carefully: who is this person, and what are their interests and values?
When it comes to the content itself, the basic element is the theme. Design it in a way that allows you to convey it through the types of content already mentioned (education, inspiration, identification, and entertainment).
In the realm of content creation, the eternal rivalry between quantity and quality also unfolds. More videos can undoubtedly yield faster results and greater visibility, but they may sacrifice video quality, deplete resources rapidly, and risk audience fatigue. On the other hand, fewer videos may result in less visibility and slower outcomes, yet they can strengthen the brand's connection with the audience, eliciting a desire for more content. Strive for a balanced combination of both!
And finally, what else can we say except: stick to your goals and believe in them wholeheartedly. Don't hesitate to trust your strategy and steadfastly adhere to your work plan, as this approach will surely lead to success in the long run.
For Marketing mreža website text written by:
Marko Anđelković, Digital Team Leader, smartpoint adria
Nikola Jagodić, TikTok consultant, smartpoint adria