Have you seen what brands are doing on TikTok?

TikTok started off as a lip-syncing dance app, so many of us still have a tough time wrapping our minds around just how our businesses can show up there in a way that will get people to pay attention. It's become increasingly hard to ignore, especially when you consider the significant advantages to being early (which it still is). The days when attention is high and competition is low are the times when RedBull built its brand on YouTube, when Oreo got everyone talking on Twitter, and when Glossier was able to dominate UGC marketing on Instagram.

When we look back at the brand adoption of those channels, it seems like they all follow some pretty familiar phases:

1. A young crowd of users picks it up, and most people write it off
2. The users grow, and early adopters of all ages get creative with it
3. A few brands start to pay attention, some fail
4. The channel starts to go mainstream, but most businesses aren't convinced
5. The most creative brands get involved and prove that it can be valuable
6. It becomes a generally accepted practice and everyone wishes they had jumped on it earlier

If you've been at this for a while, you'll recognize the phases where you got involved with Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. You'll also recognize that Vine, Clubhouse, and Periscope were working their way through, but never quite made it to the final phase.

It seems obvious that we're at #5 with TikTok right now, where it's getting mentioned everywhere and a lot of the best content on other channels was originally created on TikTok.

The problem is, how do we get started? To provide a bit of creative inspiration, we've pulled together a set of 5 brands that are using TikTok in 5 very different ways. For the full analysis of each of the examples, check out our article here.

1. VESSIVessi teamed up with local TikTok comedian @KallMeKris to create a series of bizarre, but entertaining skits that incorporate the footwear.One of their most popular posts is a simple Duet where they gifted a creator who seems to love dancing in the rain with a pair that would "keep his socks dry."
   
   WATCH THE VIDEO
   Post results: 445k views, 50k likes, 122 comments, 40 shares
   
2. CROCSCrocs showcase the creative things that people do with their products, often by duetting or collaborating with lesser-known TikTok-ers.One example is called Dad vs Daughter and it's a cute little video where an X Games athlete takes on his young child in a heated competition – while wearing Crocs.
   
   WATCH THE VIDEO
   Post results: 6.5m views, 311k likes, 452 comments, 223 shares
   
3. CANVACanva shows how TikTok has evolved as a platform by using it to share helpful tips and tricks for people who are designing with its software. The posts are fewer trends and jokes, and more easy ways to make better work using Canva.The most popular recent post was a simple set of shortcuts that can be used when designing a presentation.
   
   WATCH THE VIDEO

SO WHAT?

TikTok isn't always right for every brand, but for those who are brave enough to jump in early, the opportunity to build a community can be significantly greater than when we try to compete in the same channels as every other brand.

The brands that are currently gaining traction are all showing off their personalities and have identified what their communities want to see.

Being early on any channel requires an investment that may not pay off in easy-to-report returns that can stack up against other direct-conversion activities; However, it's the brands that are able to take that risk and make those early investments that we look back on later and wonder why we didn't do the same

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Written by Conner Galway, Junction Consulting