You have six seconds to hook them.
In today’s fast-paced digital landscape, capturing consumer attention demands innovation, personalization and constantly having strong creative with an even stronger “hook.” In fact, you have just six seconds to grab a consumer’s attention on TikTok.
TikTok is a platform that combines entertainment with product discovery, and it serves as a playground for advertisers and brands. But within the seemingly boundless opportunities for creativity are emerging some actionable tactics that truly unlock the platform’s full potential to drive meaningful connections and maximize impact. What is clear: Creative is what makes or breaks TikTok campaigns.
We spent a few days with TikTok at their Creative Bootcamp, and work every day with some of the most innovative brands on the platform.
Here is our creative guide for driving success on TikTok in 2024:
Key Insights
- The TikTok Script is in full effect. Effective TikTok advertising requires tailored creative strategies aligned with each stage of the consumer journey, paired with a deep understanding of the target audience. More is just more, not necessarily better.
- Collaboration over control. Whether high production or user-generated content (UGC), composing a video with compelling hooks, clear messaging, and engaging CTAs is key to improved ad recall and conversion rates. Bonus points if the video is on trend or encourages viewer participation.
- Community means more than just showing up. For a brand to truly resonate within TikTok, it must immerse itself in the diverse communities and do so with authenticity.
To drive engagement on TikTok, strong creative tailored to each stage of the funnel and a deep understanding of the target audience are imperative.
Creative Best Practices for 2024
TikTok recommends a “Script Structure” for compelling content that captures viewers’ attention from the start and maintains engagement throughout.
- The Hook
- Capture viewers with a powerful hook within the first 6 seconds to set the tone and draw them into the video.
- The Key Messages
- Follow the hook with clear and memorable selling points to sustain audience interest in the advertised product or service.
- The CTA
- End with a clear call-to-action (CTA) motivating viewers to take the next step. Adding a CTA display card can boost ad recall by 45% and conversion rates by 30%.
- TikTok Creative Best Practices Across the Funnel
- Incorporate Viral Trends: Ads leveraging TikTok Trends are 1.5x more likely to hook a user. Staying culturally relevant is key, with 64% of users making purchases because of trending content.
- Audio Integration: Music is crucial for TikTok content. Ads with music drive 14% higher ad liking, 1.5x stronger recall, and faster emotional responses. Music should align with the story and desired outcome.
User-Generated Content (UGC) is Queen
Foster community engagement and authenticity through UGC, encouraging users to participate in challenges and collaborations, which drive organic engagement and brand advocacy.
- Creator Tips
- Text Overlays: Content with text overlays sees a 64% lift in conversion rate.
- Text Introduction: A text introduction of 5-10 words per second results in a +2.1x awareness lift.
- Live Action: Incorporating live action boosts click-through rates by 25%.
- CapCut
- TikTok promotes the use of its sister company, CapCut, for video editing. While TikTok is incentivized to drive users to CapCut, it is designed with TikTok best practices and formatting in mind.
- Popular Patterns
- Leveraging popular content patterns, such as product showcases and trending challenges, has been shown to resonate best with TikTok’s audience.
- Experiment with different formats and storytelling techniques to keep content fresh and engaging.
Engage with TikTok Communities
Understanding TikTok communities helps tailor content and engagement strategies to specific demographics and interests, fostering deeper connections with the target audience.
- Beauty 2.0
- 82% of beauty users learn new techniques on TikTok, and 1 in 4 make purchases based on TikTok content. Collaborating with creators drives high engagement.
- Commonly used hashtags on beauty posts currently are #ASMR, #DIY, #Unboxing, #Tutorial, #SFXmakeup, #SockCurls.
- Selling points like ease of use, clinically proven, pleasant scent, cruelty-free are popular on the platform. Consumers are also interested in content that addresses paint points like acne, dry skin, fine lines and wrinkles.
- Beauty brands see high engagement when they collaborate with creators to make content with their products. Non-traditional collaborations are also taking off like special effects makeup.
- Fashion 2.0
- Over half of TikTok users discover luxury brands on the platform.
- Commonly used hashtags in fashion content include #Outfit, #Gift, #OutfitInspo, #ThrifTtok, #Original, #Pink.
- Key selling points for fashion products are comfort, cuteness, high quality, and versatility. Phrases like “free shipping,” “limited time,” and “different colors” drive engagement.
- Video formats like try-on sessions, creative presentations, and using trending audio bytes contribute to successful fashion content.
- Entertainment 2.0
- 69% of TikTok users primarily use the platform for entertainment purposes.
- Popular hashtags in entertainment content include #MainCharacter, #Cosplay, #FavoriteScene, #WipeItDown.
- Brands can tap into this community by leveraging trending entertainment themes and formats.
- Meme Culture
- TikTok’s meme culture is a prevalent part of the platform, driving engagement and conversation.
- Users actively create and share memes related to trending topics and pop culture.
- Brands can participate in meme culture by seeding content that resonates with broader internet conversations and encouraging inventive meme-making among users.
- Opportunity to Connect with Women
- Female creators play a significant role in shaping TikTok trends and influencing consumer behavior from “Girl Dinners” or the popularization of the Stanley Tumbler.
- Authenticity, self-discovery, and relatability are key themes for content targeting women on TikTok.
- Brands can leverage female influencers and creators to authentically connect with women on the platform and showcase diverse narratives.
By constantly iterating and leaning into the best practices for creative on TikTok, brands can unlock new opportunities for engagement, storytelling, and brand advocacy on the platform. From new formats to stronger hooks, community building to UGC, brands that are finding success on TikTok in 2024 recognize that creative is the new black.
