We get the question all the time from clients: “Should I be advertising on TikTok?” or “Are my customers using Snapchat?” My answer is usually the same, particularly for higher-education, where I focus: What if your competitors started to?
I sat down with Myles Biggs to discuss advertising on new and emerging social platforms for our Test. Learn. Grow. Podcast. Here are a few takeaways from the episode.
Set Aside a Budget for Testing Social Platforms
Understanding the behavior of your audience can help determine whether you should invest in a new platform. As such, younger audiences are adopting new technology that speaks to them more authentically. If your target is the traditional student, expect that these tastes will change over time.
Dedicate resources to testing different social platforms. Try advertising on TikTok or launching paid campaigns on Snapchat. The same goes for new platforms that haven’t arrived yet. Here at Level, we recommend spending 90 days testing a new platform. For platforms like TikTok, we like to follow their rule of thumb for advertising: Spending $100 a day or a $3000 monthly minimum while testing. After which, you can adjust based on your findings.
TikTok Creative is Not Facebook Creative
Recycling creative from other channels just won’t cut it. Users expect a consistent experience when they use apps like TikTok. We’re especially seeing success with user-generated ad content — creative that feels authentic and natural in the channel. Take some time. Use the app yourself. Pay attention to the best ads on TikTok, and fit them into your brand story.
Be an Early Adopter
Being present on a new social platform means that you’re not ceding space to your competition, as I mentioned earlier. There are other benefits to testing the waters as well. Setting up the account and getting a feel for its functionality takes time. Starting early allows for you to figure the nuts and bolts out when the stakes are low. If you’re successfully reaching people and your creative is hitting home, well, you’re set up and ready to scale! That’s our Test. Learn. Grow. philosophy in a nutshell.
For more on this topic, give our podcast a listen. Have questions? Want to chat about how our marketing services could grow your business? Drop us a line!
