Spark joy this holiday with TikTok for Business

The daily grind and battle during a global pandemic has left people looking for sources of joy in their lives. Most especially seen during the holiday season, people all across the globe are spending more and more time trying to cope through social media – particularly TikTok – now one of the happiest places on the internet today. Brands and businesses can take advantage of this!

But first, brands must understand why the holiday season matters and how badly joy is needed in their holiday marketing campaign to drive awareness, engagement, and ROI.

Why spark joy this holiday season

For almost 2 years now, we have seen the world run differently in the face of Covid-19. More and more people feel isolated in their little corner as they increase screen consumption.People are now looking forward to even just a little sense of normality; and the holidays are a way to achieve just that! The holidays are a source of joy and much needed hope. With the twinkling lights to the festive meals, people are eager to get into the holiday spirit – and so should businesses.

Businesses that ride and drive the tide of the holidays see greater impact on their ROI as they release relevant, joy-inspiring content to engage their audience. Sparking joy within holiday marketing campaigns will render brands on top of people’s minds in decision making, thus increasing shopping sales through platforms such as TikTok.

How brands can celebrate the holidays on TikTok

The holiday opportunity is real and can be felt in TikTok. 

• In fact, 57% of TikTok users are already searching to shop for perfect gifts to give to their loved ones starting June to October. 
• Additionally, 84% of shoppers intend to shop online through retailers or brand websites. (Source: TikTok for Business) 

These statistics show a great opportunity for businesses on the TikTok platform.

Below, we list down tips on how brands can celebrate the holidays on TikTok and ultimately drive better user experience and engagement:

Tip 1: Start planning festive content

It is never too early to start planning holiday content – especially for e-commerce and B2C businesses. One way to do this is to note down key holiday dates such as:

• November 26 – Black Friday Sale
• November 27 – Small Business Saturday
• November 29 – Cyber Monday
• December 21-23 – Last-minute Shopping
• December 26-31 – Post-season Sales

And so much more! Engaging yet relevant content on TikTok is the way to go when planning for your holiday content. The next tips are examples of content that are sure to keep your audience following your TikTok presence:

Tip 2: Unboxing joy with TikTok influencers and content creators

Brands can take advantage of the many content creators on TikTok. Remember that your audience is also made up of influencers so encourage user-generated content (UGC). Nurture an online environment where people are invited to create content together with your products and share their positive experience.

• Tiktok users in Southeast Asia have created around 800 million videos that spurred a reach of more than a trillion video views in June 2021 alone.

Tip 3: Start a holiday-themed challenge

Challenges where people can join and post their videos online became the foundation of which TikTok was made famous (Remember the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge? We surely do!). TikTok content is focused on being short and impactful, so create a holiday-themed challenge where people can make an impact themselves. Challenges like gift giving to those in need can help your content and brand go viral. Check out this list of holiday-themed challenges for more ideas.

Tip 4: Behind the scenes joyful content

TikTok users crave authenticity, and it’s always a good idea to show your brand’s story behind the scenes. Show your audience some snapshots of photoshoots, your team members, and even the in-between moments. These are surefire ways to get noticed because users on the platform want to see brands humanize themselves, and in return, strengthen the bond between the brand and the consumer.

Tip 5: Look into TikTok’s advertising capabilities (Reach & Frequency, Spark Ads)

TikTok’s solutions such as Reach & Frequency and Spark Ads let brands and businesses reach relevant audiences on their ‘For You’ feeds. TikTok’s ‘For You’ feed is a mixture of both organic and branded content, and is a great way to let your brand be known to even an untapped audience. Ads in the For You feed help communities discover content relevant to them and drive awareness for businesses. 

The power of the For You feed cannot be left alone by brands as they can build better branding and engagement campaigns on TikTok. You can also drive product discovery through reach and frequency. The For You feed is a safe space for all – people and brands alike, to express themselves by policies, practices, partnerships, and products.

• Each month, more than a billion people engage with TikTok. In Southeast Asia alone, 1 out of 4 global users are in TikTok.
• Currently, there is an 85% year-on-year growth in TikTok users in the region. 

For over the past year, the TikTok community has welcomed businesses to build their campaigns on the platform and drive engagement among its target audiences. The platform has launched a myriad of commerce solutions such as Collection Ads, Dynamic Showcase Ads (DSA), and new partnerships to influence purchases and drive sales both on and off TikTok. 

This holiday season is a perfect chance to utilize TikTok for business to not only engage your audience and drive sales, but also to spark joy! We know we all need it in these troubling times of a pandemic.

ADVT