“TikTok made me buy it!” With a massive user base of over 1 billion, the platform daily incubates and discovers a variety of hot picks. How can small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) utilize TikTok to rapidly increase their brand recognition and take the lead in the social media e-commerce market in a short period of time?
In March’s Digital Academy seminar, we invited TikTok’s official collaborative partner Karin, the Co-Founder of Guru Online, to share on-site some Go-Abroad strategies for European, American and Southeast-Asian markets, and the relevant TikTok marketing skills.
TikTok: More Than Just Entertainment
TikTok brings unlimited marketing opportunities for brands in terms of personalized recommendations and user interactions. In the seminar, Karin pointed out that regardless of whether they are independent sellers or well-known brands, as long as they have good products, they can be quickly sold out on this global arena. She stated explicitly that cross-border marketing has already been a new competition battlefield that every brand competes to spearhead their cross-border business expansions.
While many think that TikTok is an entertainment short video platform, Karin believed TikTok is in fact a shopping platform. Due to TikTok’s unique recommendation mechanism, a large number of users’ search habits have switched from relying on other traditional search engines to actively searching for their desired products on TikTok.
Synergizing User-Generated Contents (UGC) with TikTok Algorithms
Many unknown new products will suddenly burst in popularity and become “hot picks” after users spontaneously shoot videos and share them with hashtags. Karin emphasized that this is not an isolated case, but something that happens every day on TikTok! How to use this powerful mechanism to promote their products becomes a prerequisite for SMEs to go global.
Converting the audience into customers is the key. TikTok’s innate “interest-based recommendation mechanism” will read the habits of the audience and then push related content according to their interests. TikTok users are keen on sharing, and they will shoot videos, comment, and share when they start using new products, so that more people can see the products. Coupled with TikTok’s inherent high propagation, it forms a snowball effect, allowing merchants’ products to gain a large amount of exposure in a short time.
Turning Audience Into Customers with Real-life Scenarios
In the seminar, Karin shared one of TikTok’s features — matching people and goods. She pointed out that in the past, consumers would only go to online platforms to find goods when they have a demand, and TikTok Shop also has similar shelf functions. But the key is, due to the nature of the TikTok platform, the goods themselves can actively “hunt” customers as well!
One method is “scenario design”, designing short dramas for selected products with interesting usage scenarios, etc., to stimulate the audience’s desire to purchase. One example is a parent-child brand promoting dirt-resistant clothes and initiating a “dirty clothes challenge” on TikTok, which aroused massive responses. The brand has been on TikTok for a year, and accumulated fans have exceeded 1 million, with brand exposure reaching hundreds of millions!
What SMEs care most: Which overseas market as the starting point? What are the different characteristics of markets such as Southeast Asia, Europe and the United States? Check out below video to find out!
Watch the Webinar Recording Now (In Cantonese):
For more digital marketing insights, please register at the Digital Academy website to view!
About the Speaker
Karin / Co-Founder of Guru Online
Karin, the founder and executive director of Guru Online, boasts an impressive 10-year track record in global marketing. With a passion to propel brands to conquer new horizons, she excels in harnessing localized resources and devising innovative strategies. Under her leadership, the company has successfully guided over 100 brands to triumph in the global marketplace. Karin possesses a profound understanding and keen insight into the complexities of international expansion, and her team of over 200 staff and partners spans across Europe, United States, and Southeast Asia.
Guru Online stands proudly as first and only TikTok premium partner agency in Hong Kong, securing the prestigious title of Best Brand Creative Agency from TikTok for five consecutive years. Beyond their expertise in crafting captivating short-form video content and delivering unique entertainment experiences to avid fans, Guru cultivates holistic end-to-end marketing solutions that seamlessly fuse creativity and cross-cultural elements. Their esteemed clientele includes Hisense, Midea, Xiaomi, OPPO, Tsing Tao Brewery, HK International Airport, MG Motors, KOHLOR, and many more.
Meanwhile, don’t forget to visit hktdc.com Sourcing powered by AI to source your favourite items!
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