TikTok ads are costly—even costlier than ads on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. If you're considering advertising on this platform, take note of these prices:
Average cost-per-mile (CPM) = $10
Average cost-per-click (CPC) = $1
Minimum budget required at the campaign level = $50 per day
Minimum budget required at the group level = $20 per day
Hashtag challenge = $150,000 per week
Brand takeover = $50,000 per day
Now, let's examine the cost of Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest ads to see why TikTok ads are costlier.
Average cost-per-mile (CPM) = $6.70
Average cost-per-click (CPC) = $0.20 to $2
Average cost-per-mile (CPM) = $2 to $5
Average cost-per-click (CPC) = $0.10 to $1.50
Average cost-per-mile (CPM) = $14.40
Average cost-per-click (CPC) = $0.44
Why are TikTok ads costly?
TikTok currently has 1 billion monthly active users, less than 50% that of Facebook or Instagram. Despite this, 69% of Gen Zers use TikTok, which is just 6% short of Instagram's Zoomer traffic and 10% more than Facebook's. Clearly, TikTok appeals more to next-gen consumers than its top competitors.
In the next few years, Gen Zers will take over the global market in terms of number and buying power. In the US alone, 1 in 5 people are Gen Zers, and at least 5 million more will be added next year.
With the fast growth of its Gen Z population, TikTok is confident in its future dominance in the social media sphere. Thus, gaining a presence on this platform is more lucrative for brands than ever, justifying its steep ad prices.
Still, these prices are a bit too much for small and startup brands with limited budgets and small target audiences. Is there a cheaper alternative that can guarantee similar traffic and conversions?
Yes, there is! This option is more challenging to do, but it's completely free. It's called organic marketing.
What is organic marketing?
Organic marketing is when you promote your brand using non-paid tactics. It's a long-term strategy that maximizes TikTok's standard and free features. In other words, natural outreach, NOT paid ads. The best way to explain it is by understanding the function of algorithms.
An algorithm is a set of rules or criteria a computer system follows when processing data and making decisions. TikTok and other social media platforms utilize algorithms to instruct their computer systems on determining which content to display to viewers. Organic marketing ensures that your content meets these criteria to appear in high-traffic places.
In contrast, paid ads bypass algorithms. They don't undergo the same scrutiny as organic ads, so TikTok can show them in places advertisers pay for.
Marketing brands on TikTok organically looks complicated. Is it worth it?
Competing for viewership against millions of TikTokers may be difficult, but it's doable, and boy, does it pay off well. A study conducted by BrightEdge reveals that organic search drives 53% of traffic, while paid ads only drive 15%. This principle applies to both search engines and social media sites. Organic marketing may take a while to produce results, but it offers many benefits.
- Meaningful engagements: Organic marketing encourages two-way communication between your brand and audience. By actively engaging with comments, messages, and mentions, brands can spark conversations, address concerns, and gather feedback, leading to more meaningful interactions.
- Build an authentic audience: By creating content that resonates with your audience's interests, values, and needs, you can attract individuals who genuinely relate to your message. Building relationships with your audience encourages loyalty and trust, leading to an authentic connection.
- Permanent traffic source: Building long-term relationships with your audience, providing value through high-quality videos, and earning their trust over time can lead to a more sustainable and permanent traffic source for your TikTok account or shop.
- Target unexpected audience: Unlike paid ads that rely on what the algorithm thinks, organic marketing can reach even audiences you least expect to be loyal visitors and commenters on your videos. Many of them even convert and become repeat customers.
- Increased conversion: Have you ever watched a brand takeover video through to the end? I bet you haven't, and like most people, you skip after five seconds. That's how most viewers feel about ads, the exact opposite of how they feel about authentic content, which translates to conversions.
What does organic marketing mean for TikTok?
TikTok is a short-form video-sharing platform. Your focus should be on creating short videos that follow TikTok's guidelines and appeal to your target audience.
Following TikTok's guidelines gives your videos a better chance of showing up on your target audience's "For You" feed, while the concept and creativity you put into their content drive engagement. These two elements work hand in hand to make your videos pop and, hopefully, go viral.
How does TikTok curate content?
Creating content for TikTok is easy if you know how to shoot and edit videos. The real challenge is making your content stand out. A look into TikTok's algorithm gives you an idea of what types of videos to create. TikTok curates content based on these factors:
- Views: Videos that attract organic views tend to blow up faster.
- Engagement: Besides views, your content must attract reactions, comments, and shares. TikTok even factors in saves, forwards, and the followers it generates.
- Watch time: TikTok's algorithm favors videos viewers watch from start to finish.
- Integrity: Your videos must not contain elements that violate TikTok's guidelines, such as plagiarism, infringement, and violence.
While it sounds contradictory that TikTok only promotes content that already generates engagement, this makes sense because, like other social media sites, TikTok wants to encourage creators to create engaging videos. There's your first clue—make engaging videos to increase your chance of going viral and driving more traffic to your account or shop.
What works and what doesn't?
TikTok content consists of three elements—a video, an audio, and a caption. Using the correct format will increase your content's chance of ranking in viewers' feeds and boosting engagement. Here are some content formats that work and don't work:
Video
When shooting a video for TikTok, remember that TikTok prefers authentic content. This means overproduction won't do your metrics any good. If anything, it might work against you. That's what makes this platform appealing to all types of content creators. It levels the playing field for amateur and professional filmmakers.
As long as your video is at least 720p, shot vertically with a 9:16 aspect ratio, and fits into a phone's entire screen, it will prompt TikTok's algorithm. Studies show that TikTok videos in this format increase views by around 60%.
Your video must also be between 20 and 35 seconds long to promote conversion, especially if it comes with an in-feed ad or links to a product on your TikTok Shop. If you're using text on the video itself, you must ensure that it changes with the cuts and does not remain stationary throughout the video. Additionally, it should appear in an area of the video that is not obscured by the metrics.
Audio
Unfortunately, videos without background music, sound effects, or voiceover don't appeal to TikTok. The same goes for sounds that don't match the video or aren't sync with the cuts. Considering that 93% of top-performing videos use high-quality audio, neglecting this aspect of content creation isn't wise.
Caption
Attention-grabbing captions are short and sweet. The TikTok algorithm tends to brush off videos with too long captions. Even if the current character limit is 2,200, it's best to stay within the 100-character range. Hashtags also appeal to the TikTok algorithm, but only when used correctly. Only use relevant hashtags and include no more than five in your caption.
A Step-By-Step Guide to Creating TikTok Content that Drives Organic Traffic
Now that you know what works and what doesn't on TikTok, it's time to use that knowledge for your organic marketing. Here's a simple guide to creating and editing TikTok videos to drive authentic views and conversions.
Step 1: Do your research.
TikTok videos on your feed might appear random, but if you look at the accounts posting them, you'll see similarities in their other videos. It's like they're following a specific style or pattern. This pattern comes from a thorough research, and that's how you should begin your organic marketing journey.
Search for the top-performing videos in your niche, especially those about selling or reviewing products. Go to the accounts that posted them to see their other videos. Pay attention to the ones with the most views and reactions. See what they all share, like the idea, lighting, length, transitions, and sound. Also, read the comments to learn what caught people's attention and what they liked or disliked about the videos.
At some point, you'll need to make content that isn't about selling products. This means you should also look at popular videos in your niche that aren't made to promote, review, or sell products.
Step 2: Conceptualize.
Using the data you have gathered, brainstorm ideas with your team for creating viral videos. Consider several factors when developing video concepts.
- Filmable: If you're in the video or hiring an actor, ensure they can effectively portray your idea. For example, if your video involves an audio mixer, ensure you or your actor can use it well. Also, see that all necessary equipment and props are available and that filming is cost-effective.
- Educational: Your video should offer value to your audience. It should teach them something helpful, even if it's about selling a product. Adding important facts that showcase your product's value can make the video memorable so that when it's time to make a purchase decision, they'll remember your brand.
- Not too long: Keep your video short, ideally under 45 seconds. Aim for a duration between 20 and 35 seconds since that's when conversions are most likely to happen.
- Relatable: Assuming you already know your target audience well, your video's concept should be something they can easily relate to and feel strong emotions about, like humor, pride, or nostalgia.
What do viral product videos have in common?
- They show the products in a good light. One way to achieve this is by showing a bad "before" example to make the contrast in results more apparent.
- They have an implied scroll stopper or an element that can make viewers want to finish the entire clip. Longer watch time pushes the algorithm to increase your video's visibility and reach.
- They have a reaction trigger, such as a noticeable flaw or a controversial element. The creator's goal is to spark a discussion in the comment. The more comments a video gets, the longer it stays at the top of search results.
- They have a visual representation of the product. This means they show how the product is actually used without exaggeration or fakery.
Additional tips: Don't be overly creative. Use what already works. It can be tempting to be unique to stand out, but unique concepts haven't been tested yet and don't guarantee traction.
Step 3: Prepare your equipment.
While overproducing your video is not advisable, this doesn't mean you can neglect picture and audio quality. The video must still be pleasing to the eyes and ears to attract viewers. Some videos with potato quality may go viral because their concepts are intriguing, but their overall engagement and conversion remain mediocre.
Here are some of the equipment you need to create high-quality TikTok videos:
- Studio lights
- Studio
- Tripod
- Phone with a high-end camera
- Suitable background
- Fully charged backup battery
Since TikTok is designed for mobile phone videos, you don't have to buy expensive camera equipment. Just make sure your phone's camera takes clear pictures. iPhones from the past three years are a good choice.
Step 4: Tailor everything to your audience.
Decide who you really want to target. Be as specific as possible to hit the bull's eye. Precision targeting can go a long way in building strong trust with your audience.
Make sure everything in your video matches your audience's age, interests, and habits. This means choosing the right setting, background, music, lighting, and images. Also, use words and phrases your audience will easily understand.
Step 5: Write a script.
Even if you are a glib talker, don't attempt to create impromptu videos. Keep in mind that your video must be short, ideally less than a minute. You can't afford to stutter or say unnecessary things. Use your time wisely by choosing the right words and organizing them.
An excellent way to write video scripts is to base them on frequently asked questions about your product. Even if you worry viewers won't like your answers, address those questions honestly. This makes your script authentic and helps manage viewers' expectations, preventing objections or negative reviews.
Additional Tip: When doing a voiceover, use an accent your audience can easily understand. For instance, if you're British and selling products to Americans, either learn an American accent or hire a voice actor who has one.
Step 6: Plan out the video.
You've got the idea, script, and gear. Ready to film? Hold on. Take a moment to plan your shoot carefully. Ask yourself these questions first:
- How long will the shoot be?
- How many cuts will it comprise?
- Can we shoot everything in a few hours?
- Which parts use the same background or props?
- What controversial parts do you want to include?
- How long does your phone battery last?
- Which parts of the shoot take the most time?
- How do you want the transitions to look? Will that need special shots?
A clear plan saves time and resources. Skilled TikTokers can shoot many clips in a day because they plan well.
Step 7: Look for trending sounds.
Sound is crucial for TikTok's user experience. Picking the right sound can increase views and keep viewers engaged. When planning your videos, it's better to use popular sounds than ones you like personally. Using your preferences to guide your sound choices is a bad idea. The question is, where can you find tending sounds? Here are some places you can check.
- TokChart: It's a website that tracks trending music on TikTok.
- TikTok: In the search bar, type "trending sounds" or "viral music." The platform will display all the popular music and sounds used by creators on it.
- Viral videos: Go to your "For You" page and check out top-performing videos. List down the tracks and sound effects they use.
- TikTok Library: When you post a video, you're given an option to add sound, and TikTok shows you all the music you can use. Most of these sounds are trending. You can add them to your list.
- TikTok Creative Center: If you have a TikTok Business Account, you can access the TikTok Creative Center. This is where TikTok provides free resources to content creators, including trending music and sounds.
- Spotify: TikTok has its own account on Spotify, where it creates playlists for trending sounds. Besides TikTok, many other users have created accounts specifically for creating playlists for trending TikTok sounds.
Step 8: Warm up your account.
One of the biggest mistakes brands make is assuming that the TikTok algorithm only keeps track of inbound activity. They tend to forget that social media sites promote engagement among members, including brands.
To get your content noticed faster, warm up your account for at least five days before posting. This means engaging with videos in your niche—reacting, commenting, sharing, forwarding, saving, and even messaging the owners. This will let TikTok know that your account is legitimate and active and that you are willing to interact with your audience.
Step 9: Audit your video.
Don't rush with excitement and post your videos without checking for mistakes. Once they're up and getting attention, it's hard to take them down to fix any errors you missed. Before posting, ask yourself these questions:
- Do they appear clean?
- Do they match the rhythm?
- Do the sounds and cuts blend well?
- Are any elements missing?
- Do they convey the right message?
- Do they look satisfying to viewers?
- Do they prompt a reaction?
- Do they include a call to action?
- Are the transitions smooth?
Suppose your videos are missing any essential elements. By all means, reshoot. It won't make sense to upload an incomplete video that might receive more negative feedback than positive. Shooting just the missing parts will solve the problem.
Step 10: Analyze your content.
Sort your videos based on how well they do. Look at the best-performing ones and review their comments and reactions. Figure out what viewers enjoyed about them, like background, lighting, hooks, ideas, etc., which made TikTok show them to more people. Repeat this pattern in your other videos.
Step 11: Know when to post again.
Consistency is critical to getting TikTok's algorithm to promote your content. It's best to post two videos daily, with at least ten hours between them. Also, share the same content on YouTube and Instagram, but remember to post the original video, not the one with the TikTok logo on it.
Partnering with Content Creators
Setting up your products for affiliate marketing or directly partnering with influencers is also an excellent way to attract organic traffic. Unlike brands that have the option to promote their products through TikTok Ads, both affiliate marketers and influencers prefer creating original content.
After all, spending money on ads as an affiliate marketer or influencer is counterintuitive. Fortunately, the organic traffic they draw can be funneled to your TikTok account or shop. Because their audience trusts them, your brand also soaks up some of that trust. The next time you post content, some of their audience will have become your followers.
Get 53% Conversion Boost with Organic TikTok Marketing
Organic TikTok marketing is all about telling, NOT SELLING, your unique brand story. It's a way to create a lasting impression and draw authentic interest from your target audience. Videos that spark a reaction, educate, and offer value are the key to growing your following and establishing your brand in your niche. Be ready to invest in good-quality equipment and learn advanced videography skills to create viral videos. Let this step-by-step guide help you get started.