‘Be more you’: how brands can connect authentically on TikTok

TikTok’s ability to lift moods is also being reflected onto brands. As mentioned, more than half of its users admit positive vibes toward a brand after seeing it on TikTok. The ‘creative authenticity’ that underpins content on TikTok gets transferred to perceptions of advertising, generating brand trust, with half of TikTok users admitting they trust brands that advertise on the platform.

“At TikTok, we aim to inspire creativity and spark joy among our community of more than one billion people around the world who come to TikTok every month to be entertained,” said Isobel Sita-Lumsden, head of B2B marketing Europe at TikTok. “We know that authentic content lifts users’ spirits, but how can your brand establish an authentic tone? In a nutshell, authenticity means to play a more human role in the TikTok community.”

To play this more human role, TikTok shares five tips that brands should follow:

Identify your consumer’s purpose

This audience is on TikTok to be inspired and have their spirits lifted. If brands start by asking users to buy products, the truth is they’re probably not going to stick around for very long. Consider the reason your consumers are coming to the platform and work this into the creative content.

Get involved with the community

The community is more likely to engage if they’re being given something that’s been created for them. What can you teach your audience? Leverage your brand knowledge and share inspiration. While this won’t always explicitly promote products, it’s about building a relationship and giving your audience a reason to like, comment or follow. 38% of TikTok users said a brand feels authentic when teaching them something – so when you do talk about your products, do so through an educational lens and show users how it can benefit them.

Stay true to your values

When you’ve understood how to contribute to your community, work this into your content strategy. Identify what content works for your audience and run with it. Get involved with trends as a way of approaching new audiences. But again, don’t only use these trends to actively promote your products – users will see right through it and be less likely to engage. If your first few TikToks are helpful tutorials followed by an influx of promotional posts, you’ll lose the audiences’ attention quicker than you gained it.

Show your original, high-energy self

The TikTok study found that 42% of respondents feel the platform allows them to express themselves in the most original way possible, without worrying what people think. They are much more likely to engage with brands who do the same. Don’t worry about having the perfect lighting; the TikTok community is inspired by those who show up as they are. By bringing enthusiasm and energy to your branded content, emotional uplift is increased and you’re more likely to encourage participation.

Be more you

Authenticity means to play a more human role on TikTok. Being imperfect on TikTok creates intimacy between brands and their audiences, and builds a relationship driven by respect and understanding. It also gives brands a license to be vulnerable. When talking about your brand and the story you want to tell, use your voice, utilize the backing track features and sounds for more impact, and speak openly and honestly about the lows as well as the highs.

By understanding the role your brand can play on TikTok, and how to go about creating authentic content, it becomes much easier to give your community what they want, which will work wonders when it comes to increasing followers and building relationships with your audience.

“Once you’ve built up an authentic profile, you can start running In-Feed Ads to further boost your content and find a bigger audience,” adds Sita-Lumsden. “In your ads, you can speak directly about your products, and if your target audience wants to know more about your brand, they can visit your profile where they’ll find a flurry of original, authentic and joyful content.”

1. TikTok Marketing Science Understanding Authenticity, Happiness and Joy in Germany, France, Italy, Spain and the UK conducted by Flamingo Group.

The video in this article is part of TikTok For You: Real Joy, a wider exploration of authenticity on TikTok.