Beating the Ban: Reorienting Your Strategies for a Post-TikTok World
TikTok’s facing accusations of threatening national security, causing legislators to consider banning the app — again. However, Amazon, Apple, and Oracle are rumored to be among the potential buyers interested in acquiring TikTok. The acquisition of TikTok by one of these companies could have significant implications for the future of the platform and its users, but in the meantime, new developments are allowing for TikTok Shop’s successes to be replicated elsewhere anyway: “[A new] partnership aims to integrate Amazon’s e-commerce platform with Meta’s social media platform — providing customers with a seamless purchase experience and opening up new opportunities for targeted advertising,” Yuriy Boykiv, CEO of agency Front Row Group, told Digiday. “Plus, the addition of Buy with Prime to Facebook and Instagram stores is a major convenience for shoppers.”
Despite these advancements and in the face of a potential ban, here’s what brands can do to reorient their marketing efforts ahead of the industry at-large.
Foster and Deepen Influencer Partnerships
Influencer marketing has been a driving force behind the success of many beauty brands on TikTok. In a post-TikTok world, beauty brands should shift their focus towards collaborating with influencers on other platforms. Starting with identifying influencers with strong presences on Instagram, YouTube, or other social media platforms can help beauty brands diversify their efforts to better fit different platforms’ audiences. And with many platforms continuing to develop offshoots of TikTok like Reels and Shorts, adapting content for TikTok for other platforms should be seamless.
Focus on User-Generated Content
User-generated content (UGC) is a powerful tool for building brand authenticity and fostering community engagement. With communities needing to find other platforms to host them, beauty brands can encourage their customers to create and share content that allows members to identify one another more easily, leveraging hashtags and challenges to inspire creativity, participation, and unity. By having their content showcased on web, in paid ad campaigns, and on social media, customers feel as if their true opinions and voices can be amplified by their favorite brands, creating a sense of belonging.
Leverage E-Commerce Features
With the rise of e-commerce and online shopping, brands should consider optimizing their digital platforms with interactive features such as shoppable posts, live shopping, augmented reality (AR) try-on tools, and virtual consultations. These e-commerce functionalities provide a seamless shopping experience for customers, drive conversions, and enhance the online shopping journey, important things to keep in mind after a TikTok ban.
Invest in Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Optimizing their digital content for search engines can help beauty brands enhance their online visibility, attract organic traffic, and improve their search engine rankings. Incorporating relevant keywords, meta tags, alt text, and descriptive content into website pages, blog posts, and social media profiles lets beauty brands increase their chances of being discovered by new audiences.
Of course, staying informed about the latest industry trends, competitor strategies, and consumer behavior is most important for valuable insights to stay ahead of a continuously changing industry. If facing this TikTok ban is about optimizing opportunities for creating community, that’s what our team is trained to do. By constantly embracing new marketing strategies, technologies, and monitoring consumer insights, our team is making daily decisions that help beauty brands thrive in a dynamic and competitive market. Discover what our team can do for you by chatting with us at frontrowgroup.com/contact/.