Information in this blog was obtained from the Social Media Examiner, Sprout Social, and Social Media Today.
There are billions of dollars being spent on commerce through live streaming on TikTok’s Chinese version (Douyin). According to Social Media Today, Douyin generated $119 billion in products from live-streaming in 2021 and has had a 7x increase year-over-year. America hasn’t quite nailed commerce integration through live-streaming, however, if it does catch up to China it could become a new content marketing strategy increasing customers and revenue.
TikTok has provided information on TikTok LIVE and how this opportunity can connect brands and creators to expand its reach all around the world. The main objective of TikTok LIVE is to create a deep connection with brands and TikTok audiences. As stated in Social Media Today, 64% of TikTok users and 43% of non-TikTok users are interested in live content from a brand or sponsor. 77% are interested in live streams that are hosted by creators, 72% are interested in live streams hosted by celebrities, and 68% are interested in live streams hosted by brand ambassadors.
What is TikTok LIVE?
TikTok LIVE is an app feature that allows live-streaming broadcasts on the social media platform. You can still add effects and filters using the LIVE feature as you would with regular TikTok videos. The main difference between the two is that live streams has no time limit and are in real-time while TikTok videos have a time limit and can be pre-recorded. Only certain accounts on TikTok can access this LIVE feature while every TikTok user can upload regular videos. If you are looking to stick to regular TikTok videos check out my colleague's blog post on "5 Secrets to Making Your TikTok Videos Go Viral" by Kayla Brannick.
When determining what content to produce make sure that it aligns with your brand’s marketing objectives. Such content ideas include “how to” tutorials, questions and answers, product sales, live events, product reviews, and product drops or releases.
As TikTok can be used to drive shopping it can also be used to build brand trust. TikTok users are 1.5 times more likely to say that it is a trustworthy social media platform to make purchases and shop as claimed by Social Media Today.
How to Create a TikTok Live
As stated in Sprout Social, first open the camera by tapping the "+" button. You can record or upload your typical TikTok videos with this button. Then swipe to reveal the bottom navigation bar, then choose "LIVE" from the menu that appears. If you don’t have this option, you may not be qualified to use the feature. Next, you can add a title or topic, or thumbnail. This phase is crucial since those specifics will help the audience understand what your stream is about. Even if someone has never heard of you before, the proper thumbnail and title could persuade them to watch your TikTok LIVE video. Finally, click the red "Go Live" button at the bottom of your screen when you're ready to begin your TikTok LIVE stream. You can flip your camera or add effects and filters while you're broadcasting. You can even add other creators to your live stream, and you can also enable or disable commenting on TikTok.
When determining what content to produce make sure that it aligns with your brand’s marketing objectives. Such content ideas include “how to” tutorials, questions and answers, product sales, live events, product reviews, and product drops or releases. As TikTok can be used to drive shopping it can also be used to build brand trust. TikTok users are 1.5 times more likely to say that it is a trustworthy social media platform to make purchases and shop as claimed by Social Media Today.
Benefits of Using TikTok Live
Here are a few reasons why your brand should be utilizing TikTok LIVE in your content marketing strategy, even if your TikTok account is already receiving high views and followers:
1) Real-time, Genuine Engagement
Real-time interactions are possible with TikTok LIVE. It gives you the opportunity to be authentic with your audience. This creates customer-brand relationships, which fosters loyalty and trust. Instead of viewing you as a creator or a corporate account, your followers may consider you more as a buddy they are chatting with in real-time.
2) It’s Free
This feature on TikTok is free to use. Any applicable user that meets the requirements can go on the social media platform and use the tool. IT’S FREE! A social media tool that can create billions of dollars is FREE. Why wouldn’t everyone be using this tool for their brand?
3) Less Time Consuming
Creating TikTok videos can be difficult when it comes to mastering edits, and transitions, staying on top of trends, and brainstorming fresh ideas. LIVE videos tend to be more spontaneous and impromptu in the eyes of the audience. Since they are produced in real-time, they are quicker to make than typical TikTok videos. Going live on TikTok can be a quick solution if you're out of video ideas or you need to engage your audience.
4) Opportunity to Earn Money
You can activate the LIVE Gifts function and make money from live streaming if you're a member of the TikTok Creator Next program. With this function, your supporters can send you digital gifts like a football or mirror which are worth certain amounts of coins. You can earn Diamonds through the LIVE Gifts and later exchange them for actual money. Therefore, you can make more money if your live streams attract more interaction and gifts.
Requirements To Use TikTok LIVE
To go live on TikTok, you don't need a creator or business account. To utilize the TikTok LIVE feature, there are various age and follower count limits such as being at least 16 years of age and having at least 1,000 followers. If users meet the minimal age and follower requirements, they should be able to use the feature in the majority of cases. If you don’t have 1,000 followers, you can try joining someone else’s live stream such as an influencer who is promoting your brand.
Tips & Tricks
Try engaging with your audience with the use of the live chat box to answer your audience’s questions. This is a very important feature to use, especially during a live-stream shopping event. This way you can answer questions about product size, color, price, functionality, and more. You could dedicate a live session to a specific subject or topic. You also want to acknowledge your loyal customers, audience, and viewers. You can give shoutouts to show the brand’s appreciation for their loyalty. This is commonly done when a viewer sends a Gift. Behind-the-scenes content is also very popular as the audience likes to see the process of their order being made or packaged, a tour of the facilities, or just the creative process in general. You have the ability to use a moderator on TikTok LIVE which can wee out bad or unprofessional comments which can ruin the environment you want to build on your live stream. Lastly, view your analytics to see the best times for creating, posting, and going live on TikTok.
According to Social Media Examiner, there are five steps to structuring a plan for a TikTok live stream. First, structure your TikTok LIVE broadcast by starting it off with an introduction of yourself and the company. Secondly, highlight some key things you will be reviewing on your live stream. Third, you should share a call to action. Ask viewers to follow you, share the live stream, check out your accounts on other social media platforms, and opt-in to emails or texts for free gifts, discounts, promotions, or whatever goal is set by your marketing strategy. Fourthly, designate time for a Q&A portion of your stream. Typically, if you schedule this for the end of the video, viewers are more likely to stay on throughout the whole stream. Fifthly, ask viewers to share your content because TikTok LIVE can be seen by anybody not just the people following you. Your video could end up on someone’s “For You Page”.
Resources
Hutchinson, A. (2022, October 23). TikTok Shares Insights into the Potential of Live-Streaming for Brands [Infographic]. Social Media Today. Retrieved April 23, 2023, from https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/TikTok-Live-Streaming-for-Brands-Infographic/634749/
Kelly, K. (2021, April 6). TikTok Live: How to Live-Stream Your Way to More Business. Social Media Examiner. Retrieved April 23, 2023, from https://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/tiktok-live-how-to-live-stream-your-way-to-more-business/
Zote, J. (2022, June 29). How to go live on TikTok and engage your followers. Sprout Social. Retrieved April 23, 2023, from https://www.sproutsocial.com/insights/how-to-go-live-on-tiktok/
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