TikTok has become a major player in the realm of social media, capturing over a billion active monthly users worldwide. It enjoys special popularity in Saudi Arabia, particularly among the youth, with approximately 26.39 million active users on the platform aged 18 and above.
Given this massive user base, TikTok presents an ideal platform to reach a large audience of potential customers, target them effectively, make sales, and generate increased profits.
Selling on TikTok requires knowledge of methods and secrets that must be understood and applied correctly to promote your products and services.
We will discuss some of these principles and strategies for TikTok Ads, starting with the key considerations before selling on TikTok.
5 Key Considerations for Professional Selling on TikTok
First: Define Your Target Audience
Given the diverse age and social categories on TikTok, it is essential to identify the audience you want to target with your products or services. This targeting ensures the effectiveness of your goals on the platform.
For instance, if your business specializes in selling cosmetics, your target audience would likely be young women aged 18 to 34, and so on.
Second: Understand the Audience’s Nature
After identifying your target audience, it’s crucial to understand their preferences, problems, and needs. This knowledge allows you to promote your products effectively and create videos that cater to your audience’s interests.
You can utilize data analysis tools, surveys, and market research to create a well-informed marketing strategy.
Third: Create Professional Videos
TikTok heavily relies on visual content in the form of videos. Therefore, it’s important to create high-quality videos that capture your audience’s attention and highlight the genuine benefits of your products or services.
This can be achieved by being creative, making videos enjoyable, and focusing on solving problems through your offerings.
Here is an Example from Noon, one of the leading online stores in Saudi Arabia
@noon مع الأصفر كل شي يصير😍💛 #albumcover #albumcoverchallenge #albumcovertrend ♬ original sound – Kngpsi
Fourth: Maintain a Regular Posting Schedule
Having a systematic strategy for posting on TikTok is crucial. It helps increase brand awareness, enhance sales, build trust with users, and attract potential customers. Consistent posting contributes to increased interactions and fosters customer loyalty.
Fifth: Utilize Hashtags
Hashtags on TikTok, like other social media platforms, help organize content and make it discoverable. Proper use of hashtags can help users find your videos in search results, even if they are not following you.
Ensure the hashtags are relevant to your content and avoid overusing them to maintain algorithmic favor.
To use hashtags effectively on TikTok, consider the following:
- Use relevant classification tags related to the content you provide.
- Avoid overloading with classification tags to prevent TikTok algorithms from categorizing your content as annoying, which could
- negatively impact your business activity.
- Link hashtags to relevant keywords related to your products and services.
Speaking of important considerations, let’s move on to the most effective marketing strategies for selling on the TikTok platform and achieving the maximum ROI.
3 Marketing Strategies for Selling on TikTok Professionally
According to some statistics, the potential reach for TikTok ads in Saudi Arabia increased by 85.2% between 2022 and 2023, highlighting the significance of TikTok as a digital channel contributing to sales growth.
There are various marketing methods and techniques that can be employed to market and sell products on TikTok. Among these, some of the prominent strategies and methods include:
1. Influencer Marketing:
Undoubtedly, influencer marketing is one of the key strategies used on TikTok. This is due to the value of influencers and celebrities, as well as the audience’s desire to follow them for the purpose of benefiting or enjoying their content.
The focus of this strategy doesn’t have to be solely on celebrity actors or football players; ordinary individuals with significant popularity on the platform can also be leveraged. You can search for TikTok influencers, compare them, and then collaborate with those who align with your business and help achieve desired results.
@noon شركاء نون الأبطال @Newcastle United Football Club يتمنون لكم رمضان كريم✨🌙 #رمضان #رمضان_مع_نون ♬ original sound – noon
2. Utilizing Different Types of TikTok Videos:
In the world of TikTok marketing, video content reigns supreme. Therefore, businesses should take advantage of the various types of videos on the platform to capture the audience’s attention and encourage them to make purchases.
Some of the different types of videos that can be utilized to promote your products or services on TikTok include:
- TikTok Duets: Users can collaborate with existing video content on the platform, appearing alongside it in another video. This enables the delivery of marketing messages professionally, in an engaging manner, strategically directing users toward desired actions.
- Live Streaming Videos: This type of video can be used to interact with the audience, inform them about product/service features and updates, answer their questions, and more.
3. Promoting Products through Sponsored Ads:
Creating sponsored ads on TikTok is a common marketing method used to promote business activities and offerings. TikTok offers two main targeting options:
- Interest-based targeting relies on selecting the relevant interests of the target audience.
- Behavior-based targeting allows targeting users based on their behaviors on the platform over the last 7 to 15 days.
Here are some tips for creating a successful sponsored ad on TikTok:
- Segment your target audience into categories and select the category you want to target with your ad.
- Use short, vibrant video clips.
- Ensure that the text included in the video is clear and easily readable. The text should be concise to avoid overwhelming users.
- Include a clear Call to Action (CTA) to prompt users to take a specific action after watching your ad.
- Allocate an appropriate advertising budget based on your objectives.
No matter which method you choose from the three marketing strategies presented for promotion and marketing on the TikTok platform, be aware that there are secrets to successful selling on this platform. These secrets serve as the keys to success in increasing sales and growing your business activity.
Case Study: Saudi Shgardi App’s Use of TikTok Ads
As an illustration of the aforementioned tips, let’s examine a case study involving a food, beverage, and grocery delivery app in Saudi Arabia called “Shgardi.”
In 2021, Shgardi adopted TikTok as one of its main strategies to promote and raise awareness about its app and services.
Shgardi created a TikTok account and began sharing organic and sponsored content, which quickly garnered over 13,000 followers in a short period, along with thousands of engagements.
In terms of advertising, Shgardi’s main focus was on testing TikTok campaigns targeted at iOS14 users, aiming to promote the app and acquire new customers while minimizing costs and maintaining brand loyalty.
Just two days after launching the iOS14-targeted campaign, along with the new content creation approach, the app installation costs decreased by 30% compared to previous ad campaigns.
To further enhance the results, Shgardi adopted best advertising practices such as:
- Including multiple designs in a single ad set.
- Updating designs and videos every 7 to 10 days or when the Cost per Install (CPI) starts to decline.
- Collaborating with more influencers and producing new interactive video content for the campaign.
Shgardi managed to achieve over 25,000 app installations during the campaign period, with a 75% decrease in CPI compared to other marketing tools, based on internal brand metrics.
Key Types of TikTok Video Ads for eCommerce Stores
There are several types of TikTok video ads suitable for promoting various business activities, including:
1. In-Feed Ads:
These are the most common type of TikTok video ads. They appear to users as they browse through videos based on personal preferences and popular content. In-Feed Ads have various formats, but users generally perceive them as part of the platform’s content and engage with them accordingly.
In-Feed Ads are vertically oriented and typically last up to 13 seconds, even though the platform allows up to 60 seconds.
To make the most of In-Feed Ads for your business, try to capture users’ attention within the first 3 seconds to prevent them from skipping the ad.
2. TopView Ads:
These ads appear to users as soon as they open the TikTok app. They are 60-second video ads that take up the entire screen and cannot be skipped. TopView Ads offer several advantages, including reaching a large audience and grabbing their attention effectively.
To optimize TopView Ads for your business, keep the ad short and concise, ensure high-quality video content, and include a clear and direct call-to-action (CTA).
3. Product Ads:
These ads help businesses promote their products and services on TikTok. Product Ads vary in duration, ranging from 15 to 60 seconds, and can be placed in different areas of the platform, such as the home page, the business profile, or the discovery section.
Product Ads can serve various goals, such as increasing brand awareness, boosting sales, and driving visits to your online store.
For effective Product Ads, use simple and understandable language to explain the product’s features and benefits, focus on what the product or service can offer the target audience, and create engaging and short videos.
The 5 Principles of Advertising on TikTok for Business Growth
1. Create Interactive Content:
Interactive content is key to success on TikTok. Users prefer interactive content over traditional formats. Consider creating videos with movement, music, and interactive elements that engage the audience and effectively convey marketing messages.
2. Utilize Relevant Hashtags:
Use hashtags strategically to spread your videos and attract potential customers, encouraging them to make purchases.
3. Follow Trends:
Leveraging trends is one of the easiest and most effective ways to gain visibility and sales on TikTok. Utilize trends to promote your products or services and increase your profits.
4. Build Trust and Relationships:
Engage with interactive content, share user-generated content, respond to queries, and establish a trustworthy relationship with potential customers. This fosters loyalty and repeat purchases, while also attracting more potential customers through recommendations.
5. Seek Marketing Experts:
To succeed on TikTok and other social media platforms, consider seeking help from marketing professionals. Learn the latest strategies and techniques to promote your business, products, and services, and ultimately enhance your brand, sales, and profitability.
In conclusion,
TikTok is an excellent platform to raise brand awareness and increase sales. By creating creative, engaging, and interactive content, you can reach a larger audience and build relationships with potential customers.
Collaborating with influencers and implementing effective advertising techniques can also contribute to the success of your business on TikTok.
If you’re looking for a new and innovative way to promote your business and its products or services, TikTok is an ideal choice to increase your profits.
