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There isn’t any doubt that TikTok has developed past the brand new platform that companies dismissed in early 2020 and even 2021. However what typically stays missed is its strategic worth for rising startups.
No shock right here — TikTok continues to be comparatively uncrowded. It is rising exponentially. It is dwelling to the biggest asset within the business, creator expertise. What this implies is that TikTok is a robust experimentation channel that may take a startup from product-market match to scaling quicker than ever.
Listed below are 4 methods TikTok can grow to be a development driver for startups when the standard development hacking fashions do not ship.
1. TikTok is a speedy product-market match testing channel
There are numerous frameworks for product-market match. For the sake of simplicity, we are going to observe Marc Andreessen’s “The Solely Factor That Issues” framework to make a case for TikTok. Product-market match is a very powerful factor for a startup to perform — and it equals the mix of a very good workforce, a very good market and an providing with the potential to fulfill the market.
That is the place TikTok is available in: it is the device in a startup’s arsenal to discover the proper market and its urgent want.
TikTok is inherently a platform for area of interest communities (or TikTok “sides”) that collect round particular values and wishes. Organically, the platform’s algorithm caters the content material to the best communities primarily based on the worth the content material gives. On the paid facet, TikTok permits a variety of concentrating on choices — from demographics to area of interest pursuits, hashtags and creator profiles the popular viewers follows — to place your content material in entrance of your hypothesized “ideally suited” viewers (market).
The inventive medium that reaches the specified viewers — short-form, unpolished video — is pushed by natural storytelling — a extra reliable format to convey the idea of the providing.
Put that every one collectively, and you’ve got an experimentation framework that helps shortly establish if there’s a symbiotic match between the startup’s providing (product) and the consumer want (market). Begin by figuring out:
- The “why”: what market want(s) or alternative space(s) the product can fulfill;
- The “what”: the product and its key advantages that discern it from the competitors;
- The “how”: the precise know-how behind the product that addresses the necessity.
Leveraging the hypotheses round these questions, develop inventive that educates the potential customers on how the product will enhance their lives. Be clear on the problem-solution, the individuality of the product and the tangible outcomes it helps the customers obtain.
When the product-market match is achieved on TikTok, it comes within the type of excessive engagement charges, clearly signifying robust resonance with the market.
Associated: Find out how to Use TikTok to Promote Your Enterprise
2. Leverage TikTok as a top-of-funnel consciousness driver
Constructing authority out there will be difficult for any startup, and TikTok solves this by permitting manufacturers to grow to be simply recognizable and identified for constant worth add.
An unstated rule in startup development is inspiring shopper belief and buy-in early. Excessive LTV and retention construct on this belief. This belief additionally fuels consumer loyalty and advocacy to gas the startup development loop.
Here’s a non-exhaustive record of techniques to remember when growing content material for TikTok as a startup:
- Tactic: Educate and give attention to being useful to your finish consumer.
- Embrace how-to’s, demos, explainer movies, and so forth.
- Tactic: Convey your neighborhood alongside your development journey to get buy-in. Share backstories, the founder’s ardour for the market and the way you intend on rising.
- Embrace founder movies, workforce members, development milestones, future launch/new function teases, and so forth.
- Tactic: Lean into the conversations your area of interest is already having to remain related and relatable.
- Embrace traits (music, filters, references to bigger cultural moments and occasions)
And at all times intention to offer worth first and convert second.
3. Acquire consumer suggestions on TikTok to tell the expansion roadmap
TikTok could be a highly effective device to create a suggestions loop between the startup and the viewers. The video remark part can home helpful suggestions that may information the workforce’s choices, from roadmap planning to product messaging. There are some things to look out for when analyzing content material engagement:
- Is there something that the customers are confused about? Is there something that proves to be a roadblock to changing them?
- Options: enhance consumer expertise, enhance touchdown web page copy, add a function to the product, create extra content material to offer readability, and so forth.
- What notably resonates with the viewers, and is there something particular they’d like to listen to extra about?
- Options: construct out the consumer expertise, add extra touchdown web page copy, add a function to the product, create extra content material to construct on engagement, and so forth.
- Do their questions make clear a greater variety of functions you may have the ability to resolve?
- Options: elaborate on the touchdown web page copy, add a brand new function to the product, create extra content material across the instructed subjects, and so forth.
Associated: 4 Steps to Develop to 1 Million Followers on TikTok
4. Create a flywheel of content material you’ll be able to leverage on different channels
The important thing to true startup development is steady experimentation. It spans a number of platforms to account for a broader vary of audiences — which implies that the learnings and property from any TikTok take a look at ought to be handled as a robust place to begin on a number of channels.
There are a number of methods to leverage TikTok learnings to increase the scope of experimentation.
- Repurpose property from TikTok organically to Instagram Reels, Fb Reels and YouTube Shorts.
- Reuse successful property as darkish adverts on TikTok by adjusting the video’s messaging to a given funnel stage (consciousness, consideration, conversion).
- Use the successful TikTok movies as top-of-funnel paid social adverts throughout further channels resembling Instagram, Fb, YouTube and Pinterest.
- Use messaging that labored on TikTok throughout PPC, paid social, touchdown web page copy, and so forth.
If this specific suggestions and consumer engagement technique appears helpful, TikTok’s suite of promoting instruments can amplify engagement and suggestions loops additional by way of Engaged Viewers campaigns.
