Joy and community: how to drive conversions with TikTok for business

Due to the fast-paced nature of the platform, it can be hard to keep up with the latest TikTok trends, and just as difficult to know which ones to jump on to align with your business goals. Here to help, this blog summarizes findings from TikTok’s Global Trend Forecast for 2023 with suggestions on how to put them into practice.

Here are our top three picks to keep an eye on in 2023.

1. Actionable entertainment

TikTok’s content curation differs from other platforms as it’s based on what viewers find entertaining, rather than broad identity categories or browsing histories. The quality of TikTok content, created by gifted storytellers who understand the value of humor and helpful advice, captures viewers’ attention.

Trust is established when viewers relate to creators or consume content from credible experts which then results in them being more likely to take a desired action. According to the trends report, TikTok will aim to inspire users to test out new products and ways of thinking and behaving through its unique entertainment.

How can your brand work with creators to deliver tailor-made content to inspire your audience to take action?

Show, don’t tell: creators use personal stories to make engaging content. By sharing their own experiences, they can build trust and influence viewers. TikTok users go to the platform to discover facts and debunk myths, creating a stronger relationship between creators and their audiences.

The customer-to-creator pipeline: if your brand has existing fans that already create organic content for your products on TikTok, pay attention to them as their videos could be used as influential ads.

By cultivating relationships and turning your customers into creators, you can build genuine sponsorships that are more likely to resonate with your target audience.

2. Making space for joy

Despite the abundance of self-care advice, people are still struggling with burnout. Individuals are reevaluating their relationship with work and societal expectations, prioritizing their happiness – and making space for fun.

TikTok’s focus on joy makes it an ideal platform for users to discover unique forms of humor, relaxation, and content that allows them to prioritize themselves. To create successful messages on TikTok, you should keep content uplifting, funny and personalized.

Creating content that brings joy to users through humor and relatable points of view could help your brand have an impact in 2023. You can achieve this by utilizing editing techniques that the TikTok community has perfected to maintain viewers’ attention. Here are some creative approaches to try on TikTok.

• Syncing audio to transitions: using popular audio clips on TikTok makes the videos more engaging since it is a sound-on platform.

• Adding text overlays: creative captions and text overlays can help your brand tap into popular formats such as POV (point of view) videos.

• Voiceover effects: built-in voiceover options can make videos engaging without being too polished.

3. Building community ideals

TikTok’s hyper-niche communities allow users to connect with others who share their specific interests, which helps them thrive at scale.

Communities sharing niche interests help users bond and broaden each other’s horizons, with TikTok serving as a space for people to find new ideas on how to explore their passion. As individuals seek out ways to break the status quo, they’ll look to peers and role models who have the confidence to live life the way they want to, making TikTok an ideal platform for inspiration and connection or, as TikTok calls it, #BestieBehavior.

Three tips for TikTok marketing are: teaching people something new, being specific in your collaborations with creators, and starting conversations through polls and debates.

Teaching viewers something new related to your brand or vertical can form a stronger emotional bond while collaborating with creators whose ideas resonate with their community can drive engagement.

Finally, starting a conversation on TikTok can be done through creative prompts, questions, and debates. As we look ahead to 2023, it’s clear that the platform will continue to be a major force, with users findings new and creative ways to express themselves and connect with others. At Impression, we will be continuing to embrace the evolving platform, adopting the trends that will help to boost brand visibility and drive conversions.