3 ways marketers can build connections on TikTok in 2024

Brands that want to build deeper community connections on video-sharing platform TikTok, will have to demonstrate "Creative Bravery" in their daily behaviour and strategies, a term coined to describe a transformative mindset that blends curiosity, imagination, vulnerability and courage.

In 2024, brands also have to be able to successfully pique global curiosities, flip traditional story arcs and deepen trust with their audiences, according to TikTok's "What's Next Report 2024".

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"In an era where storytelling has become predictable, TikTok showcases creativity without a typical beginning, middle or end," said Shant Oknayan, head of global business solutions, APAC, Middle East, Africa and Central Asia. 

"In 2024 we're going to see the TikTok community build on this in ways we've never seen before. Fueled by a blend of curiosity, imagination, vulnerability and courage - creative bravery will be infused into our daily lives," he added. 

That said, here are three ways brands and marketers can build connections on TikTok in 2024 using "creative bravery". 

1. Pique the curiosity of viewers 

TikTok users are 1.8x more likely to agree that TikTok introduces them to new topics that they didn't even know they liked, said the report. Every curiosity and interest leads to relevant perspectives, uncharted discovery, and IRL action thanks to discovery and an active mindset, it continued.

For brands, this means creating hyper-relevant, delightful and useful content that piques every curiosity, even the ones communities didn't know they had. 

2. Use unhinged storytelling 

Ads that intend to make users curious and keep them watching, are ads that flip traditional storytelling on its head. Now, the endings of stories are starting first, multiple story arcs can happen at once and communities are making up fictional celebrities and narratives.

TikTok users have embraced a shared community of what's been dubbed delusional comfort, or #delulu. Rooted in fandom culture, #delulu is a blend of fantasy and manifestation where audiences adopt a fake-it-till-you-make-it persona and tap into fantasies, hopes, dreams or self-defined realities.

This shift allows everyone - including brands - to have a voice and unleash creativity for all where diverse voices, collaborative formats and subject matters are means to tell a story. 

3. Bridge the trust gap

There continues to be a growing trust gap between consumers and brands igniting audiences to seek engagement beyond a one-time sale, said the report. 

In tandem, consumers are also looking for brands to lead positive societal change and transparency. Hence, establishing clear brand trust and values are non-negotiables.

On TikTok, brands have an open line of communication with their consumers and community, so it is key to consider each campaign and organic piece of content as an opportunity to share, listen and learn. This in turn helps to build brand trust and values which may generate deeper loyalty on and off-platform. 

After seeing an ad on TikTok, viewers trust the brand 41% more and are 31% more likely to be loyal to the brand, said the report. It added that viewers are 33% more likely to say the brand is a good fit for who they are as a person (vs. before seeing ads on TikTok too, driving action in real life, as well as on the platform. 

Aside from TikTok, marketers can also consider ways to build connections on Meta's Instagram. This is especially after Instagram was dubbed the world's favourite social media platform.

According to a report titled "Digital 2024" by media intelligence firm Meltwater and creative social agency We Are Social, Instagram has become the most used platform by social media users. WhatsApp takes second place. 

However, out of the social media platforms, TikTok has the highest average time per Android user of any social platform globally, clocking in at 34 hours per month. This is equal to more than an hour on TikTok per day.  YouTube takes second place with just over 28 hours per month on its Android app. 

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