TikTok has become one of the most popular social networks worldwide. This platform allows companies to communicate with their target audiences in different ways. Travel, one of the five most popular topics on this network, is starting to take advantage of this opportunity – travel marketing.
In Europe, 100 million people already use the app for posting short videos accompanied by up-to-date music. A huge market to open up to tourism professionals, pushing them to take a closer look at it to reach out to their (potential) clients.
“Don’t make ads, make TikToks,” says a new campaign launched in September by TikTok For Business, the commercial arm of the social network. It offers a new way of communication for brands and companies.
According to a 2021 study by Walnut Unlimited, 77% of platform users say they were inspired to travel or purchase a travel-related product by content they saw on TikTok, and 49% of them booked a trip or purchased an item.
Features of TikTok
The social network differs from other networks, in particular, in its format, which varies. These are short videos ranging from 15 seconds to 1 minute that go around in circles until you decide to change the program.
The platform algorithm selects for each user popular videos that may be of interest to him, based on his interests. Just like on Instagram, here you can follow and be followed.
Using TikTok for Travel Marketing
There are three ways to use TikTok for a travel business:
– Create a channel for a specific company and upload related videos about a specific business.
– Using influencers to expose company content to a wider audience that doesn’t necessarily have a TikTok account.
– Pay for ads using TikTok marketing features.
Creativity becomes profitable
The TikTok app allows users to gain wide exposure for free, without the need for a large sponsorship budget. The algorithm rewards the creativity and value of the content, not the number of subscribers or company funds. One video can influence the sales of large companies and the behavior of thousands of subscribers without having to invest a large marketing budget. On TikTok, posts are public and can go around the world in a few hours.
TikTok allows you to reach a younger audience. The age of 15-24 years is 42% of users. These clients are an interesting target for travel agencies and travel marketing companies as they are the future consumers of escape-hungry vacations. However, the age range of the social network will change as it develops. In 2020, 65% of users over 25 years old were already registered on this social network. Thus, the social network attracts many travelers looking for new travel destinations.