Skiddle Experts: Using TikTok to promote your events

Any marketing campaign needs planning. So, before event promoters begin to use TikTok, what should they consider? 

“There are two key things you need to consider before venturing into the world of TikTok: goals & audience.

Like any marketing campaign, you need to establish what you’re trying to gain from the campaign first. Brand awareness? Community engagement? Conversions? Once you’ve established your goal, this will help influence the content you produce.

People think TikTok is “just for kids”, and there’s no question that the younger generations make up a large percentage of active users on the platform. However, recent reports show there are still 1.9 billion active users of the age of 18, so there’s a pretty good chance your audience is on the platform! Determine who you’d like to target with your content, and let this target audience influence the type of content you’ll be posting.”

What makes TikTok stand out from other social media platforms? Are there things it can provide that Instagram, Facebook and Twitter can’t?

“In a world of content saturation, audiences’ attention spans were getting shorter and shorter, craving constant stimulation from various outlets. Then TikTok came along, spoon-feeding easy-to-consume entertainment into users’ mouths.

The TikTok algorithm is different to any other social media platform, as it continuously adapts to serve what the user wants to see. By tracking how the user interacts with a certain piece of content, TikTok’s algorithm uses this data to decide whether or not to show similar content in the future. Feeds are not chronological or filtered by huge brands; they’re focused on serving the content the user wants to see regardless of account status. This means that as a creator posting organic content, you have just as much a chance of “going viral” as any other creator on the platform, making TikTok a hub of opportunity for small businesses and micro-influencers.”

How important is it to create content solely for TikTok? Rather than say, creating reels for Instagram and then posting them to TikTok. 

“Repurposing content can save time. However, it may not offer the same results due to the unique nature of TikTok’s algorithm and audience preferences. TikTok has a distinct algorithm that favours specific types of content. Often, the videos that perform the best on TikTok feel casual and authentic, sometimes created in just a few minutes. In contrast, highly polished and edited videos that may thrive on Instagram often don’t resonate as well on TikTok.

TikTok also loves a good trend. The platform thrives on viral challenges, trending sounds, and popular hashtags. By quickly jumping on these trends, you can increase the chances of reaching a broader audience. TikTok’s algorithm is designed to promote trending content on the For You Page (FYP), making trend participation crucial for visibility and engagement. Tailored content that aligns with current trends and the casual nature of TikTok is more likely to be shared, liked, and commented on, increasing your reach whilst ensuring the audiences and app preferences are met.”

Communities like #BookTok have taken off over the past few years. Why are these communities important and how can event brands use them to promote their event?

“Social media is social – it’s right there in the name! Communities thrive on social media because, as individuals, we like to be a part of something, and it’s comforting to know there are other people out there who share the same interests as you.

TikTok communities are often categorised by a specific hashtag (like #BookTok), making them very easy to find and infiltrate. Tapping into these communities is incredibly useful in gaining insights into audience preferences, helping you to put your content directly in front of the people it’s intended for.

An easy way for event brands to tap into these communities is by focusing on the genre of the event. Creators will often categorise their music content by genre to keep their content circulating in their desired community. Start by searching the genre name as a hashtag and browse through the content that appears in the results to discover niche community hashtags you’d like to target. For example, searching #Techno will serve you results that are also tagged with #TechTok – which seems like a relevant community to be targeting!”

Does overly polished, glossy content turn users away? 

“Yes, especially on TikTok! Content not created using the platform’s in-app editing tools is glaringly obvious to the average user and it’s believed TikTok doesn’t favour these types of content either. These tools create a consistent look that resonates with the audience. Therefore, posting ‘over-produced’ content stands out negatively and appears less ‘authentic’ to the audience, decreasing your reach. The preference for authentic feel videos is deeply ingrained into TikTok culture, with overly polished content appearing out of place. Content that feels over-produced won’t be pushed by the algorithm, reducing its visibility on the For You Page.

In 2020, TikTok for Business launched with the slogan “Don’t Make Ads. Make TikToks”, urging brands to embrace the authenticity and creativity of the platform. Brands creating content that aligns with TikTok culture will allow the algorithm to favour it, pushing the content to wider audiences. Numerous brands have embraced this approach by creating content that blends with user-generated content, such as behind-the-scenes content, challenges and jumping on trends. Seeing brands do this successfully shows that, on TikTok, you can easily engage an audience without the polished, glossy content.”

Are there any event brands, DJs or promoters who use TikTok in a way that has impressed you? 

“Ibiza Rocks absolutely smash their content on TikTok. While promoting their events, they also share general Ibiza-related content. This evergreen content enhances their visibility and reach on TikTok as it reaches audiences seeking generic Ibiza videos. As users see this content, they are drawn to Ibiza Rocks’ page, where they can discover their events and more. By incorporating a mix of promotional and general Ibiza content, Ibiza Rocks creates a well-rounded brand presence that appeals to a wide audience. Their ability to blend entertainment with promotion keeps their followers engaged and interested, ultimately driving more traffic to their events and hotel.

When it comes to artists, Window Kid stands out for me. Through his TikTok content, he has crafted a hilarious personal brand through content such as his ‘Where’s That?’ feature. Like Ibiza Rocks, Window Kid posts content that diverges from typical promotional material, allowing him to reach diverse audiences. If viewers enjoy his personality, they are more likely to attend his shows, which enhances fan engagement and loyalty. This unique approach not only sets Window Kid apart from other artists but also showcases his creativity and ability to connect with his audience on a personal level.”

Analysis is important when it comes to marketing. What are the key tools on TikTok to analyse posts and why? 

“The metric we look out for on TikTok is views, not for vanity purposes, but to determine how many people our content is relevant for. TikTok’s algorithm pushes videos to a user’s ‘For You Page’ depending on whether that user has responded well to similar content in the past. Therefore, when a post has garnered lots of views, this generally means there is a large audience out there consuming that type of content.

Engagement rate is also a very handy metric to keep track of, as it determines the sustainability of your account growth. This metric is used to assess the average number of interactions your content receives per follower. To calculate your account’s engagement rate, add up the total number of interactions (likes, comments, shares & saves) your content has received, divide by your total number of followers and then multiply by 100%.”