Are you following the top brands on TikTok right now?
Because the platform is booming and there’s no better time to get on board.
Quickly on its way to becoming the third-largest social network behind Facebook and Instagram, TikTok’s surge in activity spells good news for social-savvy businesses.
Food for thought: nearly half of all users make purchases from brands they see on the platform.
And so it’s no surprise that companies are stepping it up on TikTok.
But we’ll bite — marketing on TikTok is a totally different game versus other social media channels. That’s why we put together this guide breaking down how top brands tackle their TikTok presence.
Which Brands Have Mastered the Art of TikTok Marketing?
Trying to figure out how to use TikTok for business? Need some ideas for your own campaigns?
We’ve got you covered! Below we’ve highlighted nine of the best brands on TikTok (in no particular order), what they do well and how their strategies can inspire your own content.
1. REI
REI is a shining example of an established social brand (hint: 2.3 million Instagram followers) that’s currently up-and-coming on TikTok. The brand’s content strategy centers around awesome landscapes, customer stories and products in action. As a result, they’re quickly making a name for themselves among creators in the outdoor space.
Why Their TikTok Marketing Stands Out
- They put creators front-and-center throughout their content. From storytelling and inspirational posts to showcasing products and more, REI highlights how customers can flex their creativity.
- Emphasis on community and sharing — the brand’s #OptOutside tag boasts over 138+ million views as of January 2022.
- REI produces content that is not only visually striking but also highlight’s the brand’s values. This includes diversity and encouraging people of all shapes and sizes to embrace adventure.
2. Duolingo
Reality check: the best brands on TikTok aren’t always found in the fashion or beauty industries.
Duolingo has carved out a brilliant niche for itself on the platform. Humorous skits featuring the language app’s mascot “Duo” have earned over 44 million “likes.”
Consider that nearly 60% of modern consumers want to see humorous messages from brands. By leaning into memes and skits, Duolingo’s account has exploded in popularity.
TikTok is the go-to place for lighthearted and comedic content. The phenomenon of Duolingo’s success also highlights how TikTok is one-of-a-kind versus other social platforms in terms of tone and content.
Why Their TikTok Marketing Stands Out
- Memes and comedy. Humor goes hand in hand with increasing social media engagement, and the overwhelming popularity of Duolingo’s content is a great example of how it’s done.
- The brand’s skits feel like organic TikTok content, not ads or promos. They accomplish this by featuring real people and keeping an unpolished, off-the-cuff recording style.
- Consistency! Duolingo posts on TikTok multiple times per week without fail. By posting frequently and figuring out what was resonating with their audience, they were able to find their voice faster.
3. Milk Makeup
Despite being one of the biggest beauty brands on TikTok, Milk Makeup’s presence doesn’t feel corporate at all. That’s no accident, though. The brand’s emphasis on user-generated content gives its overall strategy a more intimate, personal vibe.
Recent data from TikTok highlights just how important creator content is for brands when it comes to building trust and driving higher engagement rates. That’s exactly what Milk Makeup has done by focusing on authentic content.
Why Their TikTok Marketing Stands Out
- Milk Makeup empowers customers and creators alike to share and show off their products in action. This does double duty of building trust via creator partnerships while also encouraging ongoing UGC to repost.
- Picture-perfect post previews! Thoughtful titles and previews help viewers zero in on relevant content and find exactly what they’re looking for.
- By organizing their customer showcases into a “Hacks” feed, the company seamlessly publishes promos and products in action without feeling “salesy.”
4. lululemon
An ecommerce giant that’s already popular on Instagram and Pinterest, lululemon is another example of how brands on TikTok can find their voice on the platform. The company’s creative, self-aware content strategy is all about product hacks, workout inspiration and daily affirmations.
What’s most striking about lululemon is how much creator content they generate. Their company hashtag has over 1.7 billion (yes, billion) views and related #lululemon tags have millions of “likes” attached to them.
The takeaway? Don’t neglect the power of TikTok hashtags when it comes to raising brand awareness and getting creators talking about your company.
Why Their TikTok Marketing Stands Out
- Again, the amount of UGC around lululemon is staggering. C2C marketing is an obvious cornerstone of their TikTok strategy — this is true for most fashion brands on TikTok.
- lululemon’s TikTok marketing is a complete 180 from what you see on the company’s Instagram, Facebook or Pinterest pages. That’s because TikTok is a unique platform that requires unique content.
- lululemon balances humor, self-awareness and product-centric posts to keep their TikTok feed fresh.
5. CASETiFY
By now you can probably see the common thread between these brands and TikTok marketing examples.
That is, they almost all put a spotlight on creator-based content.
CASETiFY is no exception. The company isn’t shy about putting its products front-and-center but does so through its community of creators and brand ambassadors. By providing serious entertainment value via skits and challenges, their ads and announcements don’t feel like promotions at all.
Why Their TikTok Marketing Stands Out
- The brand’s colorful aesthetic and enthusiastic voice speak directly to their Gen Z audience.
- CASETiFY scores bonus points for their creativity. This includes videos based on trying to break their “indestructible” phone cases via various challenges.
- Eye-popping product reveals and UGC makes for an entertaining content strategy.
6. Chipotle
Beloved by millennials and Gen Z alike, Chipotle’s TikTok account is a balancing act between more traditional social content (think: food hacks) and meme-worthy UGC. Thankfully for Chipotle, their cult-like following never fails to come up with creative skits and videos worth reposting.
Why Their TikTok Marketing Stands Out
- The company is self-aware and leans into humor but does so without being considered a “joke” account.
- Chipotle knows its audience and engages with them whenever possible via TikTok comments.
- The brand isn’t shy about sharing UGC or showing off its personality.
7. GoPro
We’ll bite: GoPro is a social brand that benefits from a product that lends itself to viral, visual content.
Even so, they still rely on go-to TikTok marketing tactics such as hashtag challenges. GoPro’s content receives a big-time boost from creator partnerships with their official brand ambassadors. Oh, and let’s not forget social media mentions from thousands of professional photographers and everyday creators.
Why Their TikTok Marketing Stands Out
- GoPro’s high-quality, breathtaking visual content speaks for itself.
- They’re a champion of UGC and hashtags. This includes over 11 billion branded hashtag views on #GoPro alone.
- GoPro boasts its own army of brand ambassadors (via #GoProFamily) that consistently produces content on the company’s behalf.
8. Glossier
Glossier has quickly established itself among the best TikTok brands after years of being a must-see beauty account on Instagram.
Like most makeup brands, behind the scenes and creator-based content are Glossier’s bread and butter. Their collaborations and UGC range from posts from Olivia Rodrigo to content featuring creators with just a couple hundred followers.
Why Their TikTok Marketing Stands Out
- Plenty of posts focused on unboxing and product gifting. These are prime ways to build buzz, encourage more UGC and build positive relationships with customers.
- Their UGC doesn’t care about your follower count. This highlights how much the company values its entire audience and likewise wants to celebrate them.
- Glossier’s diverse content strategy (think: behind the scenes content, unboxings, customer videos) is scroll-worthy and perfect for their target audience.
9. Pull&Bear
Again, marketing on TikTok requires creativity. Your promotion ideas should be anything but “ordinary.”
Clothing brand Pull&Bear knocks it out of the park with their flashy, jump-cut-heavy content that’s all the rage with the younger crowd. As an added bonus, they’re all-in on creator content and encouraging sharing via their #pullandbearcommunity tag.
Why Their TikTok Marketing Stands Out
- Emphasis on trend-focused UGC and off-the-wall content that performs well among the TikTok community.
- Creator-centric content that makes their promos seriously entertaining.
- Excellent use of the TikTok music library to grab the attention of viewers and make their videos pop.
What Can Your Company Learn from the Best Brands on TikTok?
Listen: you’re spoiled for choice when it comes to marketing on TikTok.
If you have no idea where to start, don’t panic. You can look at these brands using TikTok as a starting point for inspiration. To recap, consider how all of the companies above:
- Rely on creator-centric content to build brand awareness and audience trust
- Primarily post content that’s totally unique to TikTok
- Let their personalities, brand voice and creativity shine whenever possible
Building your brand’s strategy around content partnerships can kickstart your TikTok presence. Not only do creators already know the best practices of the platform, but they also encourage other users to spread the word about your company faster than you possibly could yourself.
And that means more awareness and opportunities to grow your audience faster.
If you are interested in working with creators to help promote your brand, contact Statusphere to chat with one of our consumer-to-consumer marketing specialists.
