by Game Marketing Genie, on 05-Jan-2021 11:21:06
Organic traffic is one of the best ways to get new clients. It assures viewers of your brand's credibility, increasing the likelihood that they'll prioritize you when making a purchase.
Modern-day consumers require social proof before buying from a brand. They wouldn't just choose a brand because it runs creative ad campaigns. They want to see people like themselves interacting with your product and having fun before making a purchase.
That's why user-generated content marketing is a winning strategy for connecting brands with their target audience. TikTok is one of the social media platforms that support social selling through user-generated content.
This post highlights how to use TikTok to create a likable image of your brand and increase its worth in your target audience's eyes.
What is TikTok, and why is it essential for your video game marketing?
TikTok is a social media app that focuses on content creation and entertainment. It was officially launched in 2016, and it has grown to become one of the popular video-sharing apps in the world. The app has been downloaded over 2 billion times and boasts 800 million active users, which is higher than other better-known platforms such as Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, and Snapchat.
Figure 1: The world's most used social media platforms. Source: Hootsuite/We Are Social
TikTok's main purpose is to allow users to showcase their creativity straight from their mobile phones. Users can create looping videos that last between 15 and 60 seconds, and have access to video editing tools, a large music library, and many effects and filters to pump up their creativity.
TikTok has hit the nail on the head perfectly when it comes to engaging the younger people. The older generation may not even know what TikTok is, but the youngsters can't get enough of it. Studies reveal that 41 percent of TikTok users are between the age of 16 and 24. 66 percent of its users are below the age of 30, so if your target audience fits this age description, then you need a TikTok marketing plan to grow your brand.
What is user-generated content?
User-generated content definition: This is any content that has been developed by contributors on a social platform like TikTok. It's equivalent to word-of-mouth marketing in digital marketing, where users are encouraged to share their brand experiences with the public.
UGC puts the power of marketing to the users, helping brands earn the social proof needed to connect with demanding audiences. Those who participate in these contests/challenges are not necessarily paid by brands to upload their video content: they do so because they appreciate a brand's products and want everyone to know about them.
User-generated content is a great marketing tool because people trust real people. They don't trust high-paid celebrities or branded content but would gladly accept the recommendation of other people like them.
UGC campaigns are authentic and represent the voice of real people who have used and benefited from a brand's products.
The ROI for user-generated content marketing is also high since it's all about encouraging your brand ambassadors to share their experiences online. You will pay less for a TikTok influencer than a celebrity and receive a higher CTR with user-generated ads.
How does user-generated content work on TikTok
Here are five ways to leverage user-generated content to market your brand on TikTok.
Hashtags
Hashtags are perfect for building awareness for a product. Using a branded hashtag to hype consumers about the release of a new product will encourage them to engage with your brand to ensure they don't miss out on the official launch.
Samsung used this tactic effectively to celebrate the launch of the Galaxy A smartphone. The phone is targeted at Gen-Z, and to promote it, Samsung added the three things that matter to them – a great screen, an awesome camera, and long battery life. They then created a song and dance with help from megaband BLACKPINK that dropped with the hashtag #danceAwesome to encourage users to try the platform's transition effects to create appealing, visual content.
Figure 2: #danceAwesome. Source: TikTok
The campaign was successful, resulting in more than 4 million user videos, 15 billion views, and a significant rise in purchase intent.
Giveaways
Running a contest is another way to create a supply of user-generated content for your brand. Given the viral nature of TikTok, a giveaway campaign will increase engagement on your videos, which will help you reach more people organically.
Set a goal for your giveaway and choose a prize that will excite your audience. Fans won't join your TikTok campaign if the prize isn't desirable, so take the time to choose a premium prize users will be glad to compete for.
Set the contest rules and guidelines and invite participants to create videos with a specific hashtag. The submission with the most votes wins the contest and receives the prize.
Figure 3: Contiki TikTok giveaway. Source: SweepWidget
Contiki recently hosted a TikTok giveaway with the winner getting to travel with the brand as an official creator. Participants were encouraged to share their inspiring travel moments with a branded hashtag for the opportunity to travel the world for free with Contiki.
Duets
TikTok duets allow users to create videos using existing content. Users can duet a video by making a creative version of the original content. When you do this, the creative version is placed next to the original video, and users can see how you have enhanced the content.
The most popular duets are with influencers, so find one in your niche and ask them to design a duet on TikTok. Invite fans to participate and share their creative versions of the video. When this is done properly, it can lead to impressive results such as viral trends and duet chains.
Challenges
TikTok challenges are a great way to see how users interact with the products you're promoting while also creating a supply of user-generated content for your brand. Happy customers will gladly share their experiences online, which will draw more users to try your products. TikTok challenges bring different user experiences together, allowing your brand ambassadors to connect with like-minded individuals.
Almost half of Chipotle's clients are Gen Z or millennials, so they decided to come up with a TikTok Challenge to better connect with them. They created the #ChipotleLidFlip challenge to showcase an awesome trick that involves flipping the lid of a Chipotle bowl. Popular content creators joined the challenge, and this encouraged more users to participate.
Figure 4: #ChipotleLidFlip challenge. Source: TikTok
The challenge reached many people, earning millions of views in a matter of weeks. Why? Because it was relatable and something that could be done at home, which helped attract many people to it.
Leveraging the power of influencers
You can also make TikTok influencers the lead for your campaigns. Popular influencers have passionate fans who follow them because of their content, and getting them to join your campaign will help you connect with highly engaged audiences. When the influencer shares their videos participating in your challenge, the followers are encouraged to join in the fun, generating massive awareness for your brand.
Before settling on certain influencers, you need to ensure they are inclined to your brand values, and their follower base is similar to your target audience.
We've covered everything you need to consider when working with TikTok Influencers in our blog, Your Guide to Video Game Influencer Marketing on TikTok.
A great example of influencer marketing on TikTok is when Kroger partnered with influencers on the app to encourage users to share their dorm makeover videos using the hashtag #TransformUrDorm. The brand was looking to reach college students going back to school by encouraging them to show off their decorated rooms.
Kroger added a unique feature to the campaign, a dedicated page where viewers could shop for the products they need. Viewers got to this page by clicking on the sponsored hashtag, presenting them with the opportunity to shop for dorm room essentials.
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Getting video marketing right
Video is a crucial component not just of your game marketing strategies, but also of the overall health of your business. However, it is not something you can just jump into without a strategy. Luckily, we’ve got all the best tips for you here: Your One Stop Video Marketing Handbook.
TikTok is one of the rising places for brands to market their content. It's popular with the younger generation, and if these are the people you're targeting with your game, then you need a plan that will help you connect with users on the platform.
TikTok supports user-generated content, which will help you reach more people organically. Developing a user-generated content marketing strategy is not easy, but the team at Game Marketing Genie can help. Our gaming marketing agency will guide you on creating campaigns that will go viral and bring positive attention to your brand.
Do you want to reach a wider audience with your game? Here are the best game marketing tips that will help you attract new users.
