TikTok just surpassed YouTube in average watch time per user. That's a big stat.

From an app that did not exist in the consumer mind a few years ago, the shift in consumer time spent over to TikTok is dramatic.

This is of course a threat to YouTube. But, it’s much more of a threat to the type of lean back social scrolling that Instagram and Facebook benefit from. YouTube has much more utility and search intent viewing hours than Instagram.

The old news that keeps getting repeated is that TikTok's here to stay.

The problem for businesses? Entertaining TikTok videos are harder to produce than most social content. And trying to jump on the latest sea shanty or little lad dance trends is not a fit for most.

Longterm sustainable TikTok strategies are needed (we're doing a TikTok webinar about just that topic).

Let’s take a look at 3 wildly different brands who have built highly sustainable TikTok content strategies.

​

Crave It – @craveit.co​

Crave It is a social network for foodies. And their approach to TikTok focuses on restaurants that are already content creators, and featuring those restaurants.

They studied what type of food content was working well on the platform and found process shots were very successful. Close ups of food being made, ASMR audio, quick edits, etc. It’s a simple formula and very engaging.

This is a pure curation strategy.

They research restaurants and chefs that are already producing good content, contact them for approval, and promote them by crediting their account when they publish.

Curation requires research and a steady outreach process, but gives a brand a large variety of content opportunities to pull from.

​

Step Bank — @step

Step is a digital bank focused on teen users as the primary customer. Their TikTok strategy is a combination of teen influencer, creator, and UGC content.

They work with big influencers, even Charli D'Amelio, and small. They have partnered with creators of all audience sizes, and they have a big community of users who join their Step Squad referral program, and produce Tiktok content.

Teens can make money for each person who joins from their link. The referral program encourages social content, and TikTok is the primary social channel for Step.

When users or creators work directly with Step, the content typically focuses on some sort of shopping video, using and talking about and actually showing their Step card. It’s a simple and repeatable formula.

​

UC Davis – @ucdavis​

UC Davis’s account is produced by students for students. The social media team manages a group of interns that strategizes, plans, and produces all the University's TikTok content. With “limited millennial supervision.”

The obvious benefit of turning over a TikTok content to students is it will be closer to what their target audience expects. The students are more aware of trends and therefore the content is more organic. And, less polished than what most brand marketers would expect.

Not every business has a group of interns, but consider what assets, team members, and partners you might have access to that could help your content process.

​
​
To big ideas,
​

Jason

​

​YOUR BRAND IS ON TIKTOK, NOW WHAT?​
Learn From Leading Brands

Our next webinar is September 29, a discussion on sustainable TikTok strategies. Speakers include:

• ​Madeline Moy, Starbucks
• ​Carina Petrillo, Hulu
• ​Victoria Tran, Among Us
• ​Jared Kleinstein, Fresh Tape Media
• ​Nick Cicero, Conviva

​Click here to register.

​