TikTok has taken the world by storm. While it started out with a higher percentage of Gen Z users than any other age demographic, people of all ages are now using TikTok. As lovers of both social media and email strategy, one thing our team realized is that some elements of TikTok success can also be applied toward successful email marketing. Here are the top 3 things that can be learned from TikTok and applied to improve your email marketing program.
Know your content
Many successful creators on TikTok are well known for sticking to one type of content. Their viewers know what to expect when visiting their page, and they build their following because they’ve built trust with their audience through sticking to a specific content niche. One example of this is @thesaladlab. Every day, @thesaladlab makes a new salad. This may seem boring, but their content is clean, consistent, and hasn’t changed. It’s niche content, but their following is huge. You can translate this to your email program by making sure your content is purposeful for your organization and that your readers always know what to expect from you.
It’s not forever
Don’t worry, you won’t be stuck to a super specific niche forever. Some Tiktokers have bridged the gap of posting niche content by developing a following that became so large that they are now able to post about whatever they want and people are still interested. For example, @annaxsitar became really popular recently for her daily Starbucks videos. Every day, Anna would go to a Starbucks and ask for them to make her a surprise drink. She gained such a large following that she was able to expand beyond Starbucks content and still has a captive audience. This can be applied to your email program too. Gaining a trusted following will allow you to be flexible in the future with the content you put out.
Be consistent
Successful content creators don’t always follow an exact schedule, but they do stick to regularly posting. This is important for keeping your audience active and engaged — if you post infrequently, your viewers might forget about who you are and what your content is. This is vital when building an email program, too, especially when you first start out. You need to establish a regular flow so you stay near the top of readers’ inboxes and minds. Consistency is key to keep readers aware and engaged.
Be adaptable
TikTok is an ever changing trend-driven social media platform. Trends spread rapidly on TikTok and creators quickly adapt to them. Your email program should also reflect this. Be adaptable in your content and aware of trends happening in your industry. Your brand identity is important, and while your identity may not be so adaptable, the way you present your organization to readers should be flexible and show awareness of industry trends.
Don’t take yourself too seriously
Yes, it’s true that TikTok is not a serious social media platform. The creators have a lot of fun and it shows. It’s okay to have fun — after all you want folks to enjoy engaging with your content, whether the platform is TikTok, email, or another altogether. As an example, The Washington Post’s TikTok account, @washingtonpost, run by Dave Jorgenson, sometimes posts news content, a lot of the posts are geared to entertain. This is a good example of promoting your brand without actually promoting your product. Your email program should look like you put time and effort into it because you should be. Even if you aren’t always selling a product or making an ask, you should always be selling the best version of your organization.
Ultimately, just like a successful social media account, your email program should look like you carefully cultivated it with consistent, relevant, and adaptable content. If you don’t want to read your own emails, why would anyone else? Your emails should always be something that you yourself would look forward to receiving in your inbox.