Using TikTok to promote your events – your handy intro guide

Much like many millennials (and anyone else over the age of Gen Z), you might have found yourself resisting the TikTok wave… for a time. If you’re reading this, it’s safe to assume you’re one of those who’ve realised resistance is futile – this is the second most downloaded app in the world, after all.

The fact is, TikTok no longer only appeals to dance routine mastering teens. It’s now become a powerful platform for entertainment and marketing alike, and it’s definitely not just teens who are getting in on the action. According to Hootsuite:

• 42% of TikTok’s audience are aged 18-24 
• 31% of TikTok’s audience are aged 25-34

As an event planner, you’ll be pleased to know TikTok is rich with promo possibilities, making it the perfect tool to boost event registrations and sell more tickets. 

In this guide, we cover all you need to know about marketing your events on the social media platform with no less than one billion active global users. Let’s go👇.

The basics – how does TikTok work?

In a nutshell, TikTok is a social media platform where users share short videos – the ideal length being around 15-60 seconds (although you can make videos up to 10 minutes long).

Much like any other social media platform, TikTok users can like, share and comment on posts, use hashtags, and add effects, music and stickers to their videos. 

One of the most appealing things about TikTok is that any video has the potential to go viral – regardless of the number of followers the original poster has. Although going viral definitely doesn’t have to be the main aim of the game for marketers, as there are tons of other ways to increase brand awareness, build engaged communities, and sell (in the case of event planners) tickets. 

How to use TikTok for marketing your events

TikTok marketing can broadly be split into three main areas. You can:

• Create your own content 
• Work with influencers & creators
• Use TikTok paid advertising

By no means do you have to do all three. But it’s a good idea to get familiar with what your options are, then you can make an informed decision. Let’s take a closer look 👀👇.

Tip: Before you get started, you’ll need to set up a business TikTok account >

Creating your own content

TikTok is all about fun, engaging content. In fact, almost all (90%) TikTok users say the platform makes them happy and never gets boring. Add to that the fact that 4 in 5 users rate TikTok as very or extremely entertaining – and it’s clear that the fun factor has a big part to play in the world of TikTok content.

Don’t panic, though – you don’t need to be a bonafide comedian here. There’s a big element of the tongue-in-cheek with this platform, which means goofy and imperfect content can end up going down really well. 

Here are a few tips to get you started on your content creation journey:

• Look at what similar events are posting – this can be a good starting point if you’re struggling to come up with any initial ideas.
• Jump on a TikTok trend – this is a big one; TikTok has given a whole new meaning to the word ‘trending’, thanks to the fact trends spread on this platform like wildfire. There’s quite a bit to learn here, so we cover TikTok trends in more detail below 👇.
• Find your niche: TikTok content is segmented into lots of different categories. This is good news for marketers, as it’s easier to climb the ranks within a specific category and community than trying to make waves in the seemingly infinite TikTok ocean. 

Some examples of content categories include ArtTok, CookTok, DanceTok, FashionTok, MusicTok… you get the picture! Finding the area that is most appropriate for your event brand is a valuable first step in your content creation journey.

TikTok trends – what you need to know

So, what exactly makes a TikTok trend? Usually, a few different components, including:

• A theme or action – for example, someone posting a video of them reacting to a specific thing, or lip syncing to a certain soundtrack.
• A sound – a specific song, sound or soundtrack being used with the video.
• A filter – some but not all trends will involve a certain filter being used on the video.
• A text overlay – some but not all trends will involve a specific text overlay being used on the video.
• A hashtag – there’ll often be a hashtag to accompany the trend. 

TikTok does have a trends page, but this can end up being outdated as trends tend to fade out as quickly as they take off. So, to stay one step ahead of the game, it can help to look at trend-alert accounts like:

• @wavewyld – “Queen of Trend Alerts” – regularly posts emerging trends
• @jera.bean – posts tutorials for new trends/filters

Leveraging TikTok Live

It’s worth noting that TikTok Live can also be a really powerful marketing tool for your events. In fact, 50% of TikTok users have bought something after watching a Live. 

Some ideas for event TikTok Lives include:

• Q&A with a performer, influential figure or event organiser
• Behind the scenes at your event
• A lesson or tutorial 
• Interview with an influential person

Working with creators

Working with influencers and creators can be a fantastic way to get the word out about your events. And, because of the segmented nature of TikTok, there’s no need to work with a celebrity-scale influencer with tens of millions of followers. Partnering with a ‘rising star’ in your niche can also be a really powerful way to boost awareness around your event brand. What’s most important is that they’re credible and genuinely relevant to your brand. 

If one thing’s sure, working with creators can really pay off, with 65% of TikTok users saying they rely on online reviews and creator recommendations when it comes to making purchase decisions online.

To find an appropriate creator to work with, it helps to first define your audience, then take a close look at what kind of TikTok niches they’re interested in, and which creators they’re following.

It’s worth noting that some TikTok influencers work with talent agencies, who act like a middle-person in your partnership. Others don’t, meaning you can approach them directly. 

Paid advertising on TikTok

Like with other social media platforms, utilising paid advertising on TikTok can reap serious rewards for your events brand. So much so, that there’s even a hashtag dedicated to the concept of brand promotion through TikTok: #tiktokmademebuyit has no less than 31.8 billion lifetime views.

It’s pretty easy to get your head around advertising on TikTok, thanks to the fact the platform is packed with tons of great paid promo features designed to allow you to:

• Reach your target audience
• Flexibly budget by running ads through a simple bidding system 
• Use all of TikTok’s creative in-app tools to make ads come alive
• Repurpose existing content for efficiency

To find out more, head to this dedicated TikTok for businesses page >

Check out what other event creators are up to on TikTok

Our platform is full of event creators making a success out of TikTok! Check out the below accounts for some like-minded inspiration:

• Pure Land Farm
• Harrow fireworks
• Taste film
• Venardos Circus
• 180 studios

And to see what we get up to on TikTok here at Ticket Tailor, just head here 😉> 

We hope this intro guide to using TikTok to market your events has been useful! Watch this space for more in-depth guides, where we’ll dig a little deeper into the various aspects of promoting through TikTok.

For more helpful event marketing content, head to our article: How to use Instagram to successfully promote you events >