TikTok Exec provides recommendation for manufacturers seeking to faucet into their person base

By Jack On Aug 10, 2021

At his 2021 New fronts Presentation, Tick tock a simple slogan for brands that want to successfully market to their users: “Don’t advertise, do TikToks.”

Now, Becca Sawyer, the platform’s Global Head of Small Business Solutions, has added some practical advice for businesses to this buzzword.

“The best performing ads don’t look or feel like ads,” she told Social Media Today. “We always remind brands not to reconsider. TikTok is the place where authenticity and genuineness are not only accepted; it will be celebrated.”

To that end, Sawyer said, brands should focus on running ads that tell a story about themselves and their products.

Nor should you expect ads to just drop and walk away – instead, interact with users and “build a community” by “being at the forefront of trends and conversation,” she said.

“Brands that come up authentically and really want to be part of the daily conversation will get the best results,” she said.

@kentuckyfriedchickenGet ready. @lilihayes launches the new KFC sandwich. (Because we paid them for it!) #TryTheKFCSandwich # ad ♬ original sound – KFC

Sawyer highlighted several campaigns she considers successful, including: horst Campaign with TikToker Hannah Schlenker (884.6K followers), which resulted in 130,000 signups on the brand’s “notify” list for upcoming products; GAP‘s decision to bring back a long-discontinued hoodie after it went viral on TikTok and plans to have TikTok users vote on the sweatshirt’s new color; a wink KFC cooperation with Lili Hayes (4.3 million followers) who received 208 million views; and Lala hijabs, a company founded in 2020 that showcased its products by joining TikTok and creating organic videos that Sawyer said helped drive sales to six-figure sales without upfront marketing costs.

Overall, according to Sawyer, brands that want to market successfully on TikTok should also watch a lot of TikTok and try to mimic top trends (presumably without crossing the often thin, thin barrier into criminal, stubborn territory).

“A brand’s content should look and feel exactly like the community’s contributions,” Sawyer said.