When TikTok first emerged onto the social media landscape, it was best known for its Gen Z dance tutorials. Now, it’s evolved into one of the biggest and fastest-growing platforms in the world.
The app uses its genius algorithm to push content you actually want to see, which could be anything from beauty to cooking videos. Considering our attention span gets worse with time, it makes sense why TikTok is so successful. The majority of TikTok videos are under a minute long, and you receive whatever information is being fed to you quickly and efficiently.
Whether you use the app or not, you would have heard people talking about some of the platform’s biggest names: Alix Earle and Mikayla Nogueira. These two ladies, both in their early 20s, have attracted a deeply devoted audience, and each boasts over a million followers (With Mikayla sitting at a cool 14.3 million).
But you don’t have to be a hugely successful influencer to have an impact on TikTok — which is why it's so appealing. Someone with 10 followers can find success overnight if their video garners enough attention. This is because TikTok constantly pushes people’s content via the ‘For You Page’, and it doesn’t discriminate.
Thanks to this combination of content discovery, the app has become a useful tool for brands seeking a new audience. And if you don’t believe us, there are over 100 billion views on posts tagged #beauty.
From skincare and makeup trends to reviews and get-ready-with-me’s, all the cool and most-talked-about brands found their fame through the video-sharing app.
So, how can beauty brands leverage TikTok?
Stay on top of trends
We can’t stress this enough. To make it on TikTok, brands need to be aware of what is currently trending on the app. That could be viral sounds or a beauty look that’s taking the app by storm (e.g. cold girl makeup).
Of course, ensure the trend is relevant to your overall strategy and brand messaging because you still want to appear genuine. Usually, when creators jump on a trend, TikTok rewards them by pushing their content to as many people as possible, which means the product you’re promoting can reach millions in a matter of hours.
Use influencers — and not just the big ones
Mega and micro-influencers are not just great for starting beauty trends, but they also help drive brand awareness. If 10 influencers are seen using your product, then others will soon follow — that’s just how it works.
Influencers also come across as more genuine than traditional advertising, and many of their viewers are extremely devoted to them. This means whatever product they try and like, their audience will hit purchase almost immediately.
We’ve seen it happen with the Mielle Rosemary Oil, for example, which is currently sold out everywhere after Alix Earle promoted it on her TikTok. The same goes for the Drunk Elephant D-Bronzi Anti-Pollution Sunshine Drops, which is sold out in MECCA stores nationwide.
Think outside of the box
TikTok is all about creativity, and you only have a few seconds to grab someone’s attention, so make it count. The beauty space on the app is flooded with videos, so be sure to brainstorm ways to market your product.
Shorter videos generally perform better than longer ones, so try and keep it under a minute. One example of a brand using TikTok to its full potential is Makeup by Mario. Founded by Kim Kardashian's makeup artist Mario Dedanovic, the brand's new releases are guaranteed to sell out almost immediately at this point, simply because of the way they choose to promote them on the app.
