TikTok is where brands go to get judged by the market.
Not by a focus group. Not by your creative director. By millions of people with a thumb that moves faster than your meeting cadence.
TikTok hit 1 billion users in September 2021 - just four years after its worldwide launch. Facebook and Instagram took eight years to hit that milestone.
And TikTok isn’t just big. It prints money. It was named the first non-game app to generate $10 billion in consumer spending in the Apple and Google Play stores.
This guide covers what TikTok marketing is, how to set up a business account, and the tactics that actually matter in 2026.
Summary
- TikTok marketing = using short-form video to promote your brand, but in TikTok’s native style (not your polished brand video style).
- Start by creating a TikTok Business Account to unlock ads, analytics, and ecommerce features.
- TikTok’s algorithm is built for discovery, which means non-famous brands can still win - especially with strong creator-style ads and smart collaborations.
What is TikTok marketing?
TikTok marketing is using TikTok content to sell - or at least to get remembered.
It’s not the same as “social media marketing.” Social media marketing is a portfolio. TikTok marketing is a single stock that can 10x or go to zero depending on your creative.
Yes, you can repurpose videos to Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts. But if you treat TikTok like a dumping ground for recycled assets, TikTok will treat your account like background noise.
How to create a TikTok business account
First, know what you’re choosing. TikTok Business accounts trade some music access for tools that actually matter if you’re trying to grow a company.
TikTok business vs. creator account
| Feature | Business Account | Creator Account |
|---|---|---|
| Analytics Access | ✅ Full business analytics | ✅ Basic analytics |
| Sound Library | ❌ Limited access | ✅ Full access |
| Ecommerce Features | ✅ Storefront creation | ❌ Not available |
| Third-party Tools | ✅ Scheduling & management | ❌ Limited integration |
| Website Link | ✅ Profile link | ✅ After 1,000 followers |
Steps to switch to a Business Account
- Download the TikTok app and create a new account
- Go to your profile and tap the hamburger menu (top right)
- Tap Settings and privacy
- Tap Manage account
- Tap Switch to Business Account
- Choose the category that best matches your business
Now you can optimize your profile for the people you actually want to reach - not just random views.
How to use TikTok for marketing
Here’s the uncomfortable truth: TikTok rewards volume and iteration.
If your process requires a creator brief, a shoot day, two rounds of edits, and a meeting to “align on messaging,” you’re going to lose to the brand that ships 20 variations and learns in public.
This is where AI UGC starts to look less like a gimmick and more like a practical advantage.
Traditional UGC often costs ~$200/video because you’re hiring creators, coordinating, waiting, and hoping they nail it. With EzUGC, you can generate AI UGC for ~$5/video - with consistent delivery, real-looking AI avatars, and 32+ languages when you want to scale internationally.
A simple workflow that doesn’t collapse at scale
- Write 5 hooks
- Turn each hook into 3 versions (different angles, different CTAs)
- Publish, learn, and kill losers fast
If you can’t produce enough creative, your “strategy” is mostly vibes.
10 tips for building your TikTok marketing strategy
You don’t need to be “TikTok famous.” You need to be TikTok effective.
1. Create and brand your TikTok account
TikTok is chaotic. Your profile shouldn’t be.
Go to Edit Profile and fill out:
- Profile photo or video: High-res logo, or a simple animated logo
- Name: Your business name
- Username: Same as your business name if possible
- Pronouns: Optional (useful for solo operators)
- Bio: 80 characters - say what you sell and who it’s for
- Email: A real contact email
- Nonprofit: Tag if relevant
- Category: Pick the closest match
- Social: Connect Instagram and/or YouTube
Pin a couple of videos that explain the product fast. Starbucks does this well.
2. Define your TikTok audience
Reach without relevance is just entertainment.
TikTok skews young: nearly 7 in 10 18-19-year-olds are on the app, and around half of all 20-39-year-olds use TikTok.
But don’t stop at age brackets. Do basic market research, build a persona, and pay attention to what people complain about in comments. That’s your messaging.
3. Create quality TikTok videos
“Quality” on TikTok rarely means cinematic.
It means:
- A hook in the first second
- A clear point
- A payoff (demo, proof, punchline)
Test multiple formats:
- Your team making the product
- Product in action
- Funny takes using popular sound bytes
- Tutorials, before/after, comparisons
Post consistently. Start with at least twice a week. TikTok itself recommends posting 1-4 times per day.
If that sounds impossible, that’s a production problem, not a strategy problem.
4. Use ads in your TikTok marketing strategy
Organic is great. Paid is predictable.
TikTok ads run on bids, like Meta. You pick an audience, upload a video, set a daily or lifetime budget, and let the market tell you if your creative is good.
5. Tap into TikTok influencer marketing
Influencers aren’t just “awareness.” They’re distribution plus creative.
Three practical plays:
- Send product: Cheap, scalable, not guaranteed
- Collaborate on a video: More expensive, more control
- Co-create a product line: Big upside, big risk - only for hyper-relevant partners
Also: micro-influencers can punch above their weight on TikTok because discovery is the default.
6. Monitor TikTok analytics to track performance
If you’re not watching analytics, you’re basically gambling.
Track what matters, not what looks good in a screenshot.
| Metric Category | Specific Metrics | Business Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Engagement | Likes, Comments, Shares | Measures content resonance |
| Reach | Video views, Profile visits | Tracks brand awareness growth |
| Growth | Follower growth rate | Indicates audience building success |
| Performance | Average watch time, Completion rate | Shows content quality effectiveness |
| Conversions | Click-through rate, Lead generation | Measures direct business impact |
One note: analytics won’t save bad creative. It just helps you identify it faster.
7. Jump on popular TikTok trends
Trends are distribution hacks. Use them when they fit.
A small jeweler took a well-known trend and went from typical 100-600 views and 2-20 likes to over 275,000 views and over 12,000 likes on one video.
That’s not magic. That’s packaging.
8. Take advantage of TikTok’s editing capabilities
TikTok likes TikToks.
The app’s built-in tools are good enough:
- Filters
- Trimming
- Text overlays
- Captions
- Stickers
- Visual effects
- Voiceovers
- Audio editing
- Slow motion
- Transitions
If you overproduce it, it can start to feel like an ad - and TikTok users smell ads.
9. Keep your videos short and sweet
TikTok’s own guidance: optimal business video length is 21-34 seconds.
A clean rule: aim for ~30 seconds. Long enough to sell, short enough to rewatch.
10. Incorporate live video into your strategy
Live is underrated because it’s messy.
And messy is what builds trust. Lives show up in For You feeds, and TikTok even allows viewers to send stickers and other accolades - which can become a real monetization stream if you build an audience.
Advanced TikTok advertising strategies
TikTok ads work when you match the format to the job.
| Ad Format | Placement | Best For | Key Benefit |
|---|---|---|---|
| In-Feed Ads | For You page | Brand awareness | Native integration |
| TopView | App opening | Maximum impact | Full-screen attention |
| Branded Hashtag Challenges | Discover page | User-generated content | Viral engagement |
| Branded Effects | Camera features | Interactive experiences | Creative engagement |
A few operator-level notes:
- Align your objective with your business goal (traffic, leads, app installs, purchases).
- Use targeting (demographics, interests, behaviors, custom audiences) - then layer it.
- A/B test hooks, CTAs, angles, and lengths.
- Watch CPA, CTR, completion rate, and conversion rate.
TikTok isn’t a targeting platform pretending to be creative. It’s a creative platform pretending to be targeting.
Meaning: your biggest lever is still the video.
What are the benefits of marketing on TikTok?
Three reasons TikTok keeps showing up on serious growth teams.
People are using TikTok to find products
The hashtag #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt has 7.2 million posts.
And the buying behavior is blunt:
- 71.2% of TikTok users have shopped after seeing something on their feed or Stories
- 58% use TikTok for shopping inspiration
- In 2023, there was a 40.5% increase in shoppers on TikTok from 2022
- By 2026, TikTok is projected to increase in purchases from the app by 67%
If you sell consumer products and you’re not testing TikTok, you’re choosing to pay more for attention elsewhere.
You have a higher chance of going viral
TikTok’s For You page is built for discovery, not friend graphs.
That means a brand-new account can get outsized reach - if the video earns it.
Influencer marketing opportunities are abundant
TikTok is stacked with creators.
Even better: TikTok influencers average a 15.86% engagement rate, more than triple the next highest platform’s engagement rate.
TikTok marketing brand examples to inspire your strategy
Steal like an artist. Then measure like a scientist.
Chipotle
Chipotle didn’t just benefit from viral menu hacks - they responded like a company that pays attention.
When TikTokers Alexis Frost and Keith Lee reviewed an off-menu meal and demand spiked, Chipotle added the meal to their menu. Then they kept working with the creators.
Lesson: viral moments are cheap. Long-term creator partnerships are the compounding asset.
The Washington Post
News is “dry.” Their TikTok isn’t.
They turned complex stories into bite-sized explainers and grew to 1.6M followers.
Lesson: if you can explain it simply, you can sell it. Even if you’re not “fun.”
Duolingo
Duolingo leaned into the chaotic reputation of their owl mascot.
They made the mascot the main character, used trending sounds, and embraced the weirdness.
Lesson: if the internet gives you a persona, don’t lawyer it to death. Use it.
Get started with TikTok marketing today
The TikTok playbook isn’t complicated.
- Create a business account
- Post consistently
- Learn from analytics
- Use trends with taste
- Add paid when you have winners
The hard part is production. Most teams simply can’t make enough variations to find what works.
If you want to ship more UGC-style TikTok ads without paying ~$200/video, try EzUGC. You can generate consistent, real-looking AI UGC for ~$5/video, in minutes, and in 32+ languages.
Create your first videos here.
Frequently Asked TikTok Marketing Questions
How does TikTok work?
TikTok is an app to create, share and watch short-form videos. Users scroll a “For You” feed, and the app serves videos based on behavior, not who you follow. TikTok also includes built-in editing tools, filters, and sound clips.
How to use TikTok for marketing?
Use TikTok to show product tutorials, real use cases, trend participation, and creator-style storytelling. You can sell products, generate leads, and build brand awareness - but creative is the main lever.
What are tools on TikTok?
TikTok includes editing tools, analytics, ads, and ecommerce features for businesses. Most brands also use external tools for scheduling, reporting, and creative production.
How has TikTok changed marketing?
TikTok made marketing videos cheaper and more accessible. You don’t need fancy cameras - and often, you’re better off without them.
How effective are influencers and affiliate marketing on TikTok?
TikTok influencers are extremely effective, with a 15.86% engagement rate - more than triple the next highest platform’s engagement rate.