Since launching in 2016, TikTok has amassed hundreds of millions of users and billions of downloads worldwide, making it one of the most popular apps on the market. The short-form video app is encouraging brands and marketers to become involved in the community with the launch of TikTok for Business.

The playful Chinese-owned app has seen a global surge in users since the COVID-19 lockdown and is starting to gain real momentum with brands in Australia. What was once considered the latest online phenomena for teenagers has swiftly transitioned into the most consistently downloaded app in the world. Now, TikTok for Business has marketed itself as a home for all current and future marketing solutions for brands.

“Over the past few months, TikTok has been an important source of fun and positivity for users around the world, and we’ve seen more and more Aussie brands tap into opportunities on TikTok to channel creativity, spread joy, and connect with new audiences,” says Brett Armstrong, the general manager of global business solutions at TikTok Australia.

TikTok has not been viewed as a platform for traditional advertising but is now actively reaching out to brands and marketers and is encouraging businesses to get involved. The app is urging brands to ‘forget about making ads’ and instead utilise the opportunity to become creative storytellers and engage directly in conversations with the community. There are several ways businesses can become involved, from video ads, brand takeovers, hashtag challenges, branded AR content, and custom influencer packages.

The news of TikTok for Business coincides with well-known marketing consultants, Lucio Ribeiro and Sergio Brodsky, launching Australia and New Zealand’s first dedicated TikTok agency called TikMyDay. The agency will advise businesses on how to execute TikTok campaigns, leveraging the cultural trends-based nature of the platform.

AI expert Ribeiro believes that the strength of the entertainment platform lies in it’s algorithms: “Its uniquely accurate personalisation algorithm makes it not so much a content platform but an AI hub, predicting and serving relevant videos to viewers, which makes users want to engage with its content. They have the audience, the smarts, and the positivity.”

The launch of TikMyDay follows the success of the first automotive campaign on TikTok in Australia for MINI/BMW.

“TikTok is a phenomenon, and any media strategist should be looking at it to understand trends before they emerge. It has become a cultural barometer and participatory destination unlike any other for brands and audiences,” says Brodsky.

Photo by Kon Karampelas on Unsplash.