TikTok has rapidly evolved from a platform for dancing teens and comedic sketches to a global marketplace where brands of all sizes can cultivate direct, authentic relationships with audiences. What distinguishes businesses that are winning on TikTok is not simply their willingness to participate, but how they leverage the platform’s unique culture, tools, and algorithms to drive engagement and growth.
The Influence of Genuine Connection: Narratives Instead of Sales
En TikTok, la publicidad convencional suele no ser efectiva. Los usuarios prefieren el contenido que se siente auténtico y cercano, lo que implica que las compañías que actúan más como creadores que como empresas generalmente prosperan. Por ejemplo, Ryanair, una aerolínea de bajo costo, ha conseguido millones de seguidores al convertir la marca en un personaje con el que se puede identificar. Utilizando sonidos de moda, filtros graciosos y comentarios autocríticos sobre los retrasos de vuelos y las ansiedades de viaje, Ryanair transforma las quejas de los clientes en contenido humorístico. Esta táctica hace que la aerolínea sea percibida como accesible y humana, en lugar de ser solo otra empresa sin rostro.
Rather than direct product pitches, businesses winning on TikTok utilize story-driven content. Small businesses frequently showcase behind-the-scenes glimpses: how products are made, day-to-day operations, or candid reactions to customer feedback. The hashtag #smallbusiness has over 109 billion views, illustrating the appetite for this raw, unfiltered perspective. For instance, coffee shop owners like Kleins Coffee in the US narrate stories about their family recipes or showcase the “Coffee of the Day,” encouraging meaningful connections beyond the product itself.
Adopting Trends and Overcoming Challenges: Flexibility Yields Benefits
Virality on TikTok is fueled by trends and challenges—formats that level the playing field for brands regardless of marketing budget. Duolingo, a language-learning app, signals the potential of this strategy. Their approach centers around the company’s green owl mascot interacting with trends, memes, and cultural moments in a playful, sometimes irreverent fashion. Duolingo’s TikTok channel regularly achieves millions of views by responding swiftly to trending sounds or viral jokes, proving that relevance and speed are major assets.
This agility extends to retail. Beauty brands like Fenty Beauty and The Ordinary have succeeded not by pushing products, but by reacting to viral makeup challenges, responding to user questions, and sharing creative tutorials that demystify skincare routines. Their willingness to hand creative control to TikTok creators, empowering authentic voices to experiment with products, enhances credibility and drives virality.
Content Created by Users as a Driver for Expansion
Another hallmark of successful TikTok businesses is embracing user-generated content (UGC). Brands like Chipotle intentionally create campaigns designed for replication, such as their #LidFlip challenge, which encouraged users to flip burrito bowl lids and showcase their own Chipotle orders. Such campaigns not only generate buzz but also allow the brand’s reach to extend organically as users remix, react, and reinterpret the original content.
UGC also supports grassroots marketing for smaller businesses. For instance, Bala Bangles, a fitness accessory company, surged in popularity after TikTok creators demonstrated creative workout routines featuring their products. This peer-driven exposure resulted in a cascading effect, with the brand’s sales spiking as viral videos inspired countless imitations and positive reviews.
Utilizing TikTok Shopping and Collaborations with Influencers
The emergence of TikTok Shop and smooth shopping integrations has led to notable changes in the marketplace. Businesses using TikTok’s built-in e-commerce features experience simplified transitions from finding products to buying them. For instance, fashion brand ASOS employs try-on hauls, “get ready with me” clips, and live shopping sessions to present products in an authentic manner, encouraging swift purchases directly within the app.
Collaborations with influencers continue to be crucial too. Companies such as Glow Recipe partner with skincare influencers whose genuine product evaluations and demonstrations ignite viral trends and ongoing discussions about ingredient transparency. This open, peer-to-peer marketing is especially powerful among Gen Z and millennial age groups.
Diverse Sectors Finding Success
The successful approach isn’t limited to just one field. A variety of industries are flourishing:
Education: EdTech firms such as Study Smarter and science communicators like Hank Green break down complex topics into snappy, digestible insights, making learning entertaining and shareable.
Finance: Financial literacy creators work with fintech brands, explaining investment basics or demystifying credit scores through skits, turning a traditionally dry subject into accessible advice.
Food & Beverage: Local bakeries and international chains alike thrive with recipe demonstrations, taste tests, and customer reaction videos that tempt viewers into placing online orders.
Data and Case Studies: Measuring Impact
Data emphasizes the impact of TikTok on businesses. TikTok’s “What’s Next” report for 2023 reveals that 38% of its international audience has bought a product after viewing it on the app. A significant example is Little Moons, a mochi ice cream company from the UK, which experienced a 700% rise in sales at supermarkets following a viral video on TikTok directing users to buy the product. The “TikTok made me buy it” trend highlights the platform’s ability to ignite sales trends swiftly.
Another investigation conducted by Marketing Dive found that campaigns utilizing influencers on TikTok achieved almost twice the engagement compared to those on Instagram or Facebook, particularly in the sectors of beauty, fashion, and food. The common factor: Successful businesses synchronize their messages with the dynamic, creator-focused environment of the platform.
The future of business
Enterprises thriving on TikTok are the ones who understand and adopt the platform’s environment of sincerity, quickness, and community involvement. They view each video as a chance to tell stories, rather than just to promote products. By combining innovation with adaptability and prioritizing authentic interaction over traditional advertising, these firms engage users in a shared, ever-changing brand story. Achieving success on TikTok focuses less on capturing attention and more on collaboratively shaping significance with an engaged and enthusiastic audience.
