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.
Instead of straightforward product promotions, companies thriving on TikTok create content focused on storytelling. Smaller enterprises often share sneak peeks of their operations: the production process of items, daily activities, or genuine responses to client feedback. The hashtag #smallbusiness has accumulated over 109 billion views, highlighting the demand for this candid and unedited viewpoint. For example, café proprietors such as Kleins Coffee in the US tell tales about their family traditions or spotlight the “Coffee of the Day,” fostering deep connections that extend beyond the products.
Embracing Trends and Challenges: Agility Pays Off
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
An additional feature of thriving TikTok companies is adopting consumer-created content (UGC). Companies such as Chipotle purposefully design initiatives aimed at duplication, like their #LidFlip challenge, which invited participants to flip burrito bowl lids and display their personal Chipotle meals. These types of initiatives not only create excitement but also enable the brand’s influence to grow naturally as users remix, interact with, and reimagine the initial material.
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.
Leveraging TikTok Shopping and Influencer Partnerships
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.
Influencer partnerships remain pivotal as well. Brands like Glow Recipe align with skincare influencers whose honest product reviews and demonstrations spark viral trends and sustained conversations about ingredient transparency. This transparent, peer-to-peer marketing is particularly potent among Gen Z and millennial demographics.
Various Industries Achieving Success
The successful approach isn’t limited to just one field. A variety of industries are flourishing:
Learning: EdTech companies like Study Smarter along with science communicators such as Hank Green simplify intricate subjects into engaging and easy-to-understand insights, transforming education into an enjoyable and shareable experience.
Economics: Creators focused on financial education cooperate with fintech companies, breaking down the fundamentals of investing or clarifying how credit scores work through engaging sketches, transforming a typically dull topic into practical guidance.
Food & Beverage: Both neighborhood bakeries and global brands flourish by showcasing recipes, conducting flavor trials, and sharing customer feedback videos that entice audiences to make online purchases.
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
Businesses prevailing on TikTok are those that recognize and embrace the platform’s culture of authenticity, agility, and communal participation. They treat every video as an opportunity for storytelling, not just selling. By merging creativity with responsiveness and placing genuine engagement above formulaic advertising, these companies invite users into a collaborative, evolving brand narrative. Success on TikTok is less about dominating attention and more about co-creating meaning within a passionate, participatory audience.
