TikTok has revolutionised the world of marketing, transforming how brands connect with audiences. From viral trends to user-generated content, it’s become a powerful platform driving purchase decisions, especially for Gen Z.
Social media, you either love it, hate it or are simply puzzled by it and with that you’re most likely to be familiar with TikTok. And just when you think it’s just a random mobile application, where Gen-Z make silly dance videos or do ice bucket challenges and trauma dump about their situationship, it dawns it’s become much more than that. It has altered marketeers’ brain chemistry, TikTok has introduced new lingo in the English language, like cheugy and finna, and taken over the purchase decisions of the masses. It has changed the world, the retail experience and how we process information.
If you are from the age group 18 to 25 you’ve most likely experienced a “TikTok Made Me Buy It” moment at least once, Since 2020. The hashtag has been surfaced by users to showcase amazing products they have discovered thanks to TikTok’s influence. To date, #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt has over 9 million posts, which explains how this platform is turning into a shopaholic’s search engine – It’s like Google for people like me. Right now, whilst I am writing this article, my laptop is on a portable desk, tumbler on my side table, my lip oil on my lips, and my concealer applied, all because I was influenced by TikTok – Guilty as charged – TikTok did really make me buy it or I could be addicted to shopping? But numbers don’t lie.
When you scroll through TikTok, it never gets boring, it’s extremely immersive and so much fun. The ads never feel like ads, they’re more like entertainment and shopping is easy as it can get. You aren’t only looking at the close-ups or beauty shots, but also virtually feeling the product through creative takes – First Reactions, User Generated Content, Fashion Hacks, and so much more. Brands like Dyson, Rhode, Anua Beauty, CeraVe, Huda Beauty, Shein, Coach, Miss Rose, Zero Makeup, AQ Cosmetics, LAAM, and Daraz. These brands are looking into the future and really understand audience; therefore, I will assume that you are at least familiar into one of these brands. They understand that this authentic and raw feel of the adverts on the platform, create engaging content that capture the audiences’ attention constantly.
But now the question is, how should brands leverage the “TikTok made me buy it” craze? Where should they start? While there is no foolproof formula for going viral, there are a few things we can learn from the above-mentioned brands that had their viral moments.
Short & Fast:
The generation with an attention span of 8 seconds cannot focus on old-school TV Commercials. This isn’t a diss, it’s just a reality. The short, quick videos make an ideal watch. OOTD videos by influencers of Shein and H&M. “What I ordered vs What I received” – short and crisp content. Reviewing Daraz and LAAM about their experience and also validating their claims, makes them go viral and the sales skyrocket.
User-Generated Content:
The live reactions, ‘before and after’ results with the combination visually appealing videos, is one more reason that makes TikTok an ideal place to advertise. Brands like Dyson, Rhode, and Miss Rose, cashed this opportunity. TikTok users giving their first reaction while unboxing and then using the product in real-time proved to be convincing enough that most of them were sold out.
Trends:
When a certain form of content is going viral on TikTok, brands tend to adapt it and use it for themselves and hop on the bandwagon. If done at the correct time and genuinely, the products can go viral. Like the ASMR Videos, Pack Your Order, and Get Ready with Me. I remember the #CeraVeRoutine, Clean Girl aesthetic, and the Y2K Style. All the on top of our heads because of TikTok. And also, you a Brat or a Demure? Asking for a friend.
When we look at TikTok trends in Pakistan, influencers and users offer a different perspective. Many are still in the state of inquiry, experimenting and testing trends and products. Despite this, the word most often associated with Pakistani TikTok is “cringe,” which feels like an assumption, there are always two sides to the story and people will have to delve deeper to understand what the application is really about. There’s still so much to learn, brands like Maybelline, L’Oréal, and Miss Rose have tapped into these valuable insights, leading to some of the most viral and successful products in the market today.
Aside from the usual, TikTok is educating the creators on how to make content in order to grow their business. For this, TikTok hosted its #GrowWithTikTok Masterclass in Karachi, empowering Small and Medium Businesses in Pakistan. The workshop brought together SMB owners, marketers, and entrepreneurs who learned how to leverage TikTok’s features to increase brand visibility and connect with a younger demographics.
Expert-led sessions covered content creation tools, audience engagement, and campaign optimisation strategies. Attendees also gained insights into TikTok’s Community Guidelines, safety features, and content moderation. The event provided valuable networking opportunities, fostering partnerships and collective growth among local businesses.
This initiative is part of TikTok’s global commitment to supporting SMBs, recognising their vital role in Pakistan’s economy. By providing essential tools and resources, TikTok aims to be a key partner in the growth journey of Pakistani SMBs. TikTok is really changing the game and it truly cares for its users and creators, which is rare in this age.
Like it or dislike it, TikTok is here to stay. With its user base constantly growing, it’s an extremely successful tool for marketers. If you are still sleeping on its potential. This might just be your wake-up call. The best time for small brands to grow their community and make their place in the market. One of the most effective strategies to reach your target audience is social proofing; giving them life-changing solutions, creating FOMO and the users get hooked to your brand or products. Generating campaigns, connecting with the audience, and staying relevant. This is all what you have to do to be successful and TikTok is just that. Just one more thing, before I end this, I am spilling a deep, dark secret, that TikTok may or may not approve of – the moment you lose connectivity with your audience, some other brand is going to come and replace you, that’s one downside of this fast-paced, truly amazing platform. But that shouldn’t stop you from all the upsides.
This piece may feel like a love letter to TikTok (it just might be one) but this application is a precedent that social media is a great tool if used correctly, it offers direct evidence that social converts sales and creates action. It educates and creates opportunities. What’s not to love about that, right?