At the TikTok Creative Bootcamp hosted in NYC last week, TikTok and Media Agency attendees discussed the elements necessary for creating compelling TikTok ads for both upper and lower funnel brand objectives.
Since TikTok is the fastest growing social media platform in history, it boasts many appealing statistics for advertisers. According to Adobe, over 50% of business owners have used TikTok to market their brand, with an average of 9 posts per month. Advertisers need to stay up to date on TikTok platform trends for optimal performance, unlike platforms with static images and evergreen copy.
Harmelin derived three key takeaways from the TikTok Creative Bootcamp event that could positively impact our clients’ Influencer and Paid Social strategies: strategic application of User-Generated Content, proper utilization of the TikTok Creative Exchange, and understanding how to tailor your message for upper or lower funnel objectives. We’ll dive deeper into each takeaway below.
1. Strategic Application of User-Generated Content (UGC)
User-Generated Content (UGC) is a category of creative that involves an independent creator producing raw assets for a brand. UGC can differ from influencer content as it is not always shared organically by the creator, but specifically created just for a brand to use within ads. Deploying this strategy is an effective tool for brands aiming to consistently produce authentic-looking content that resonates with audiences at a low overhead cost.
Brands engage professional UGC creators for several reasons; however, the primary driver is the evolving content consumption habits of audiences. Modern audiences gravitate towards authentic, low fidelity (or lo-fi) content that avoids over-production and feels consistent with the typical styles of the creators they follow. Consequently, such content aligns with the algorithms favored by different platforms. Crafting engaging video ads on TikTok that effectively convey a product’s message and inspire action is an art form. Armed with the right creative insights, agencies and clients can learn to skillfully navigate this dynamic platform.
For Harmelin clients currently using our influencer offering, this session served as a reminder to lean into UGC trends by thinking outside of the box, embracing creativity and playful trends, and maximizing unexpected partnerships. The following are some recommended best practices for incorporating UGC into future campaigns.
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- Safe Zones: Pay attention to safe zones to ensure your content looks polished and professional on the platform. Safe zones refer to areas within the screen not blocked by CTAs or other platform buttons.
- Safe Zones: Pay attention to safe zones to ensure your content looks polished and professional on the platform. Safe zones refer to areas within the screen not blocked by CTAs or other platform buttons.
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- Influencer Insights: Dive into influencers’ frequently used hashtags to uncover potential crossover opportunities, even outside your brand’s vertical.
- Influencer Insights: Dive into influencers’ frequently used hashtags to uncover potential crossover opportunities, even outside your brand’s vertical.
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- Unconventional Partnerships: Think outside the box! Unexpected partnerships can yield powerful results. Explore case studies to learn from successful collaborations.
- Unconventional Partnerships: Think outside the box! Unexpected partnerships can yield powerful results. Explore case studies to learn from successful collaborations.
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- Creative Text Tips: Text overlay can significantly enhance the performance of your videos. Aim for 5-10 words per second for optimal engagement, leading to a 64% lift in conversion rates.
- Creative Text Tips: Text overlay can significantly enhance the performance of your videos. Aim for 5-10 words per second for optimal engagement, leading to a 64% lift in conversion rates.
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- Inclusive Communication: Text overlay not only boosts performance but also makes your content accessible to diverse audiences, including the deaf community.
- Inclusive Communication: Text overlay not only boosts performance but also makes your content accessible to diverse audiences, including the deaf community.
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- Stay Current: To encourage brands to embrace creativity, highlight what’s trending online and create your own take on successful strategies from other brands.
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With these insights in mind, agencies and clients can harness the full potential of TikTok, creating compelling content that resonates with audiences and drives tangible results.
2. Proper Utilization of The TikTok Creative Exchange (TTCX)
TikTok Creative Exchange (TTCX) is the ultimate destination for streamlining every facet of the creative journey. The TTCX is designed to facilitate swift, scalable production and the delivery of copious amounts of captivating content. For Harmelin clients interested in the world of UGC but facing limited budgets for fully-flushed influencer campaigns, the TTCX is an excellent choice for sourcing organic and native-feeling content! Disclaimer: This creative is solely for the brand to use and is not posted organically by the creators.
The TTCX connects brands with creative agencies to produce net new ads for paid campaigns on TikTok. There are no upfront costs associated with the program as it is based on platform spend alone. This platform bonus feature ensures that each piece of creative resonates with the advertiser’s unique requirements and strategic objectives. Through the intuitive TikTok Creative Exchange portal, creative projects are executed in an easy-to-use workflow, starting with sourcing and progressing through briefs, feedback, approvals, and insights.
This is a terrific way for brands who are feeling held back from advertising on TikTok to get onto the platform. All that is needed to unlock this feature is a minimum platform spend of $20k (with more robust offerings at $35k+) within a 30-day campaign, along with brand guidelines, campaign messaging, and raw assets for repurposing when possible.
3. Understanding How to Tailor Your Message for Upper & Lower Funnel Objectives
TikTok prides itself on being a platform for both upper and lower funnel campaign objectives. Due to the engaging nature of the app, advertisers can yield strong conversion results while also spreading awareness with low CPMs.
A unique marketing capability of TikTok is the ability to implement interactive add-ons to fully engage users. Below is a recommendation for which interactive enhancements to employ for each funnel stage. At the consideration and conversion levels, TikTok has one-of-a-kind offerings like Voting Stickers, Shake Surprises, Gift Code Stickers and more. To understand which tactics are recommended for a particular campaign, we recommend working with your Harmelin Influencer point of contact(s) to ensure the best utilization and deployment.
We hope you enjoyed our insights from TikTok’s Creative Bootcamp! For any questions regarding Influencer Marketing or TikTok, please reach out to influencer@harmelin.com or paidsocial@harmelin.com.
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