How Can You Leverage TikTok for Efficient Growth This Holiday Season?

Most businesses look to the holiday season to boost sales and often rely on social media advertising to get their brand message out. TikTok (love it or hate it) has proven to be incredibly influential in taking even little-known books, products, and services and making them a staple of the culture. Is it for you? No matter how you feel about the role of TikTok in the larger culture, there’s no denying its role as an effective advertising platform.

TikTok’s own stats show the potential to reach a seasonal audience:

·  1 in 2 users turn to the platform to plan or celebrate holiday events

·  43% of TikTok users are more likely to buy an outfit, 32% more likely to travel, and 33% more likely to decorate based on the content they see on the platform 

Ways to boost TikTok engagement and prioritize efficient growth this holiday season

93% of TikTok users celebrate the winter holidays, with 33% excited about content around the holidays. Here’s how to get them acting positively toward your brand this year. 

1. Start early 

With Black Friday sales happening in October for many online brands and Amazon's own Prime Days stretching out the "sale" season for months (if not weeks), there's no reason to wait until Turkey Day to get serious with your holiday content. In fact, use search signals and other platform trends to see what people are hoping to find in their feeds. Whether it's a Google analytics spike for hot cocoa recipes or Pinterest pins with tree lighting tips, go with the flow (or even a bit earlier) to make sure your stuff is seen in time for shoppers to actually use it.

2. Jump on authentic hashtag trends

Hashtags may have fallen out of favor on sites like Facebook, but they are strong with the TikTok audience. The platform shares the numbers, and they look good for brands that can capitalize on the better hashtag trends. Favorites #holidaybaking (130 million views) and #holidayOOTD (1.2 billion views) are two hashtags showing the power of holiday-themed experiences. Consider creating TikTok content that fits easily into these top hashtag trends, making sure to create and include your own branded tags to stand out from the competition.  

3. Engage influencers carefully

The old adage “any press is good press” may not be the case these days, with people eager to “cancel” brands that do business with falling social media stars. Influencers are people, too, so fully vet any account to see that it fits with your values, and don’t hesitate to ask your customers who they follow for advice and entertainment. Before getting into an agreement with an influencer, have guidelines in place for how they will promote your product, including any non-compete agreement. If done well, influencer holiday campaigns can create incredible signal boost, with TikTok’s fashion influencers 2.1 times more likely to influence new trends than other platforms.

4. Get personal

If the idea of an influencer partnership freaks you out, avoid the risk by doing your content in-house. There’s certainly something that helps your brand stand out, from the people behind the scenes or your favorite in-office traditions. Use TikTok to peel back the layers of what makes your brand tick and give your audience a taste of what the holidays mean to you, your teams, and your loyal fans.

5. Take advantage of special offers

TikTok frequently runs promotions, like their current deal for new advertisers to the TikTok Creator Exchange (TTCX) program. This promotion gives advertisers free production of 8 video assets if they agree to spend $25,000 on the finished assets within 30 days of completion. While this offer ends November 14^th for the upcoming holiday season, it's just one of the ways TikTok has been enticing new advertisers to try out their platform with less risk. Stay signed up for TikTok advertising alerts to learn about new and upcoming offers. 

6. Keep going after the holidays

While the holiday shopping season may be exhausting, there’s no reason to give up on January 1^st. Between all the people returning their holiday gifts for something better and the redemption of gift cards, brands can continue to cash in during the month of January – and beyond. Take note of what works and what doesn’t and use it to build a holiday plan now that sets you up for success with other holidays, such as Valentine’s, Easter, or National Labrador Retriever Day. 

Bottom line: TikTok users are 1.4 times more likely to buy something they saw on the platform, giving you an incredible opportunity to get the word out about your holiday offering. The platform can be massively effective, but there’s some nuance to making content that resonates. If you find yourself short on time, consider working with a brand partner that has already figured things out and can approach TikTok advertising with your unique brand voice in mind. You don’t want to miss out on what may be the season’s most active social platform for eager buyers. 

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