TikTok is one of the fastest expanding social media platforms of recent years, having grown exponentially since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. With over a billion users worldwide, it’s the sixth most popular social media platform and has a whopping 45 million users every single day.
In today’s blog, we’ll be exploring what makes engaging content for TikTok, and how holiday rental and glamping businesses can use the platform to expand their audience, attract new visitors and increase their brand profile.
What Kind of Presence Do Businesses Have on TikTok?
TikTok is a brilliant platform for showcasing user generated content. Whilst this makes it perfect for jumping on dance trends, lip syncs and storytimes, it can be a bit tricky for businesses to have a meaningful presence on the platform.
The best way for businesses to find their presence on TikTok is to make sure that the content they’re posting is fun, creative and engaging. Steer away from any sales messaging; this isn’t the place to be openly persuading your audience to book a stay with you. Instead, you’ve got to show them what you’re all about and what you’ve got to offer – make them feel like it’s an experience they can’t possibly miss out on (capitalise on the FOMO!).
TikTok is a unique platform where prospective customers can discover all about the experiences other customers have had. They want to hear from their peers; in essence, customers trust customers. However, this doesn’t mean that businesses shouldn’t have a presence on TikTok. It just means that you need to approach it slightly differently than you would approach Facebook or Instagram marketing.
The holiday rental and glamping industries have a unique advantage as different people are always passing through their doors. We highly recommend capitalising on the user experience, either by asking visitors to create their own content whilst they’re staying with you, or by asking if they would be happy to be filmed reflecting on how wonderful their experience has been. Customer testimonials are key!
How to Jump on TikTok Trends
If you’re an avid TikTok user, you’ll know that trending sounds and topics are ever-changing. After a few days, a trend you couldn’t escape will have completely disappeared, so it’s important to keep an eye on what types of content and sounds are trending so you can engage with them as soon as possible.
Sometimes, it can be tricky to recreate a trend when your content is related to a venue or organisation rather than a person. It’s okay to let some trends go; don’t feel pressured to shoehorn your content into a fleeting trend that might not work for you. It’s best to engage with a trend when it really fits your vibe – this creates an authenticity your followers will appreciate, enjoy and engage with.
Which Trends Should Holiday Rental and Glamping Businesses Be Engaging With?
Transition videos are a staple trend on TikTok, whether it’s a before and after of a haircut, makeup application or costume change. Transition videos are easy to translate to any activity, organisation or venue.
Be creative with your assets. Have you got a cottage that needs revamping, or a glamping pod that needs jazzing up? Capture footage of the accommodation before you start any transformations and then capture footage afterwards, making sure your camera location for each shot is the same – or as close as you can get it.
You could also set up your phone or camera on a tripod and film the transition as a timelapse, so TikTok users can see the process you go through to perfect your offering.
How Often Should Businesses Be Posting on TikTok?
Research shows that, in order to build a significant following on TikTok, users should be posting between 1 and 4 times a day. However, this may feel like a daunting task when you’re a small business with lots of other plates to spin.
Focus on populating your account with relevant, engaging and creative content that users will interact with. This way, you’ll be able to establish what kind of content is performing well for your page that you can replicate and repurpose, and which videos don’t perform well so you can steer clear of them.
As your account becomes more established, you’ll develop confidence in the content you’re creating and you can begin to post more regularly, with assurance that your content will perform well.
How Long Should TikTok Videos Be?
The maximum length a TikTok video can be is 10 minutes, which is a notably higher than 90 second Instagram Reels. However, most TikTok videos which see high engagement range between 24-31 seconds.
The nature of scrolling through TikTok means that you only have a matter of seconds to engage your audience before they scroll on to the next video. Find a way to capture their attention immediately, within the first 1-3 seconds.
Storytime videos are one trend which proves that longer length content can be popular. A great way to instantly capture your audience’s attention is to summarise the most interesting part of your story right at the beginning of the video, in a way which hooks them in. Don’t be afraid to use a ‘clickbait’ style intro – it works!
Keeping Your TikTok Account Active
The key to content performing well on TikTok is keeping your account active with consistent engagement. It isn’t enough to post content and expect the likes and views to come flooding in… it takes time, work and dedication.
Be sure to use your account on a daily basis, scrolling through your For You Page and any accounts you follow, liking and commenting on videos that you like or find particularly interesting. Interacting with other users’ content will boost the performance of your own content, with the potential to go viral!
Paid Advertising for Businesses on TikTok
Paid-for advertising on TikTok is a great way to grow your audience if your organic content isn’t performing as well as you hoped. TikTok has a designated Business Creative Hub full of inspiration and ideas on what kind of content performs best for ads.
Top-Class TikTok Marketing Strategies from Melissa’s Copy
In today’s digital world, it is vitally important that your business has a bulletproof online presence. Social media is a totally FREE form of advertising, allowing you to elevate your brand above competitors. As one of the biggest social media platforms in the world, TikTok could prove to be an invaluable platform for the holiday rental and glamping industries – so, what are you waiting for?!
Melissa’s Copy can help develop your business’ brand across multiple social media platforms. Click here to book your FREE consultation with one of our team today!