TikTok has rapidly evolved from a platform for dancing teens and comedic sketches to a global marketplace where brands of all sizes can cultivate direct, authentic relationships with audiences. What distinguishes businesses that are winning on TikTok is not simply their willingness to participate, but how they leverage the platform’s unique culture, tools, and algorithms to drive engagement and growth.
The Power of Authenticity: Storytelling over Selling
On TikTok, traditional advertising often falls flat. Users gravitate toward content that feels organic and relatable, which means businesses that behave more like creators than corporations tend to flourish. For example, Ryanair, a low-cost airline, amassed millions of followers by transforming the brand into a relatable character. By using trending sounds, humorous filters, and self-aware commentary on flight delays and travel anxieties, Ryanair turns customer complaints into comedic content. This approach positions the airline as approachable and human, rather than just another faceless corporation.
Instead of straightforward product promotions, companies thriving on TikTok create content focused on storytelling. Smaller enterprises often share sneak peeks of their operations: the production process of items, daily activities, or genuine responses to client feedback. The hashtag #smallbusiness has accumulated over 109 billion views, highlighting the demand for this candid and unedited viewpoint. For example, café proprietors such as Kleins Coffee in the US tell tales about their family traditions or spotlight the “Coffee of the Day,” fostering deep connections that extend beyond the products.
Embracing Trends and Challenges: Agility Pays Off
Virality on TikTok is fueled by trends and challenges—formats that level the playing field for brands regardless of marketing budget. Duolingo, a language-learning app, signals the potential of this strategy. Their approach centers around the company’s green owl mascot interacting with trends, memes, and cultural moments in a playful, sometimes irreverent fashion. Duolingo’s TikTok channel regularly achieves millions of views by responding swiftly to trending sounds or viral jokes, proving that relevance and speed are major assets.
Esta adaptabilidad también se aplica al comercio minorista. Las marcas de belleza como Fenty Beauty y The Ordinary han logrado el éxito no solo a través de la promoción de productos, sino reaccionando a desafíos virales de maquillaje, respondiendo a las preguntas de los usuarios y compartiendo tutoriales novedosos que simplifican las rutinas de cuidado de la piel. Su disposición a otorgar el control creativo a creadores de TikTok, permitiendo que voces auténticas experimenten con los productos, incrementa su credibilidad y fomenta la viralidad.
User-Generated Content as Growth Engine
An additional feature of thriving TikTok companies is adopting consumer-created content (UGC). Companies such as Chipotle purposefully design initiatives aimed at duplication, like their #LidFlip challenge, which invited participants to flip burrito bowl lids and display their personal Chipotle meals. These types of initiatives not only create excitement but also enable the brand’s influence to grow naturally as users remix, interact with, and reimagine the initial material.
UGC also supports grassroots marketing for smaller businesses. For instance, Bala Bangles, a fitness accessory company, surged in popularity after TikTok creators demonstrated creative workout routines featuring their products. This peer-driven exposure resulted in a cascading effect, with the brand’s sales spiking as viral videos inspired countless imitations and positive reviews.
Leveraging TikTok Shopping and Influencer Partnerships
The emergence of TikTok Shop and smooth shopping integrations has led to notable changes in the marketplace. Businesses using TikTok’s built-in e-commerce features experience simplified transitions from finding products to buying them. For instance, fashion brand ASOS employs try-on hauls, “get ready with me” clips, and live shopping sessions to present products in an authentic manner, encouraging swift purchases directly within the app.
Collaborations with influencers continue to be crucial too. Companies such as Glow Recipe partner with skincare influencers whose genuine product evaluations and demonstrations ignite viral trends and ongoing discussions about ingredient transparency. This open, peer-to-peer marketing is especially powerful among Gen Z and millennial age groups.
Various Industries Achieving Success
The winning formula is not exclusive to a single industry. A spectrum of sectors is thriving:
Learning: EdTech companies like Study Smarter along with science communicators such as Hank Green simplify intricate subjects into engaging and easy-to-understand insights, transforming education into an enjoyable and shareable experience.
Economics: Creators focused on financial education cooperate with fintech companies, breaking down the fundamentals of investing or clarifying how credit scores work through engaging sketches, transforming a typically dull topic into practical guidance.
Food & Beverage: Both neighborhood bakeries and global brands flourish by showcasing recipes, conducting flavor trials, and sharing customer feedback videos that entice audiences to make online purchases.
Data and Case Analyses: Assessing Influence
Data supports TikTok’s role in business success. According to TikTok’s 2023 “What’s Next” report, 38% of users globally have purchased a product after seeing it on the platform. A notable case is Little Moons, a UK-based mochi ice cream brand, which saw a 700% increase in supermarket sales after a viral TikTok video pointed users to where the product could be found. The “TikTok made me buy it” phenomenon exemplifies the platform’s capacity to catalyze commercial trends overnight.
Another study by Marketing Dive revealed that campaigns leveraging TikTok influencers delivered nearly double the engagement of those on Instagram or Facebook, especially in beauty, apparel, and food verticals. The consistent thread: Winning companies align messaging with the platform’s fast-moving, creator-centric ecosystem.
The business of tomorrow
Enterprises thriving on TikTok are the ones who understand and adopt the platform’s environment of sincerity, quickness, and community involvement. They view each video as a chance to tell stories, rather than just to promote products. By combining innovation with adaptability and prioritizing authentic interaction over traditional advertising, these firms engage users in a shared, ever-changing brand story. Achieving success on TikTok focuses less on capturing attention and more on collaboratively shaping significance with an engaged and enthusiastic audience.
