With more than 3 billion downloads worldwide, TikTok has taken the world by storm.
There is a space on TikTok for your brand or business, whatever the narrative.
So, how can you make sure your content converts? How can we as an agency help you harness the creativity of TikTok?
There are 7 principles that TikTok advise are vital when harnessing the creativity of the platform which we will explore below:
1. Structure
It’s important to think about the layout of your TikTok video. TikTok suggest 3 things to consider when structuring your content:
Hook – capturing your audience’s attention.
Body – rewarding their attention.
Close – set the intention.
Although research suggests that all formats on TikTok can deliver success whether that’s a short video or the full 3 minutes, the first 6 seconds are make or break.
Grab that attention early to have an impact.
2. Narrative
TikTok recognises 3 different narratives through content.
A-ha – a reveal based journey through the content. This could be through transitions and before/afters.
Problem solving – a problem through to resolution narrative. This could be through tutorials and parody’s.
Journey – complex weaving stories. This could be through guides, episodic content and news coverage.
3. Go Native
Specifically in ads, native ads grab attention. TikTok native content is highly engaging to its audience. It’s usually bubbly and earnest, it often results in imperfections in creative – but that feels more real! It’s been made in the moment…
This, in turn, helps it feel authentic: which is critical when trying to draw target audience members to your brand for the first time.
4. Sound
Sounds helps your content to resonate. Research shows that TikTok was one of the only platforms where sound drove significant lifts in purchase.
50% of users say music makes content more uplifting.
90% of users say sound is vital to the TikTok experience.
5. Trends
TikTok is an app built on trends. Leveraging trends allows you to show your personality, take advantage of the fun side of the app and become part of the community.
You’ll find trends by scrolling the “For You Page” (FYP) , finding a hashtag and choosing a narrative.
It’s important to remember that even if the trend is huge on TikTok at that moment, not every trend is relevant to your brand.
Establish your relevance first to the trend so you don’t lose your authenticity in the content you’re creating.
6. Stimulation
Use attention triggers. The three top performers that TikTok recognise are music, transitions and text, if you can add these to your content you may start to see better results from your ads.
Fast Paced Music boosts neural-activity, associated with ad memorability.
Transitions create fast scene changes which draw users in, increasing the chances of making an impression on the audience.
Lastly, Native Text as a visual guide sustains high engagement for users.
7. Production
Make sure your content fits within the UI zone, shoot in vertical, and be hi-res.
Well executed creative works harder.
When supporting your content with paid support, using high quality assets are essential.
However, no matter how effective, eventually your videos will encounter content fatigue, so your content conveyor-belt should be planned and ready to support your campaigns!
Check out our last blog piece on ‘The Antidote to Content Fatigue.’
At E1, we recognise the importance of strategy behind content, and we work hard for our clients to develop the underpinning theory, as well as the creative!
Contact us if you would like to have more information about this topic. Follow us on our social media for more content and updates.
