Is Promoting an Event on TikTok Worth It?

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Is promoting your event on TikTok still worth it? Event organizers are increasingly turning to social media platforms to promote their events. Among these platforms, TikTok has been gaining popularity, especially among the young demographic. Today, research indicates that the average user spends 58 minutes and 24 seconds on TikTok each day, which equates to approximately 6% of the average person's waking hours. So, should you be promoting your event on TikTok as well? The short answer is yes. 

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We explain why you should consider adding TikTok as part of your event registration strategy in 2024. 

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Why is TikTok So Popular?

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TikTok has rapidly become the go-to platform for sharing moments, trends, and creativity. With over 1.5 billion active monthly users, its broad reach offers a significant advantage for event promotion, connecting with a large and varied demographic.

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According to TikTok, 38.5% of TikTok users are between 18 and 24 years old. This makes it appealing if you're targeting Gen Z and millennials. Younger audiences engage more with TikTok content, aligning perfectly with their tech-savvy preferences and habits.

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In addition, TikTok's culture of participation and interaction stands out. Users can easily discover and join viral trends that match their interests, hobbies, and lifestyles. They can also create and share original content using TikTok's various features and effects, showcasing their personality and creativity.

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Latest Event Marketing on Social Media Statistics 

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Incorporating social media in event marketing is essential, and statistics show why it matters. 

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Social media is seen as the most effective tool for event marketing by 74% of event planners. Also, over half of marketers (58%) also use social media during and after events. For virtual events, 60% of planners rely on social media to secure valuable attendee registrations.

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TikTok stands out among social media platforms, with 61% of marketers using it for influencer marketing. The platform's algorithm often favors content that can quickly go viral, making it ideal for brand exposure and event promotion.

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On the other hand, Facebook is used by 52% of event marketers to promote virtual events in customers' feeds, and 89% use Instagram to engage people before the event with posts and stories. Also worth considering is that LinkedIn is utilized by 79% for promoting events.

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These statistics show that TikTok's unique features and broad reach among the younger demographic are increasingly favored by marketers for event promotion. Its algorithm, which favors viral content, offers potential for brand exposure. 

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While platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn remain valuable for event marketing, their functionalities may not offer the same level of engagement and virality as TikTok.

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How to Promote Your Event on TikTok

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To promote your event on TikTok, you need to create authentic and engaging content that grabs and holds your target audience's attention. But how do you create such content for your events on TikTok? 

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Here are some strategies and tips for promoting your event on TikTok:

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1. TikTok Paid Advertising

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Paid advertising on TikTok can complement your organic content creation. You will need to create a TikTok Business account to start advertising once approved (usually within 24 hours). 

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TikTok offers 5 ad types, which include:

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I. Top View: This ensures your ad is the first thing users see when they open the app. This can be particularly impactful for driving ticket sales or creating brand awareness at the beginning of your campaign.

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II. Brand Takeover: These are ads that users will see when they open TikTok. This format is ideal for grabbing attention and driving immediate action, such as ticket purchases or website visits.

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III. Branded Hashtag Challenges: These are a powerful way to engage TikTok users. By creating a challenge related to your event and encouraging users to participate, you can increase brand visibility and create a buzz around your event.

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IV. Branded Effects: Allow users to enhance their videos with your brand's creative elements, further promoting your event in a fun and interactive way.

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V. In-Feed Ads: They are more subtle and appear in users' feeds as they scroll through content. These ads can be effective for maintaining visibility and engagement over a longer period of time.

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2. TikTok Trends

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Hoping on the latest TikTok trends can make your content more relevant and engaging. Trend research would include finding viral hashtags, topics, songs, effects, sounds, filters, challenges, and stickers. They reflect the audience's moods, interests, and preferences.

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To effectively leverage TikTok trends for event promotion, it is important to stay up to date on the latest trends relevant to your event. Utilize tools like the Hashtag Generator, Discover Page, Trending Sounds, and TikTok Trending Page to stay updated on the latest trends. You can then customize these trends to align with your event's theme and goals.

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Examples of TikTok trends for event promotion include:

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• Lip-Syncing Videos
• Dance Challenges
• Duets and Stitches

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Duet and stiches are videos created alongside another user's video. This can be done by either adding to it or reacting to it. For example, you're promoting a webinar on financial planning. In that case, you could duet or stitch with a video featuring a financial expert sharing a quick money-saving tip or with a clip from speakers or attendees of your webinar.

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3. Create a Unique Event Hashtag

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For your event to stand out on TikTok, creating a unique event hashtag is a must. This hashtag should be specific to your event, making it easy for you and your audience to share and discover related content. A unique event hashtag can help create a brand identity for your event and increase your organic reach and exposure. In addition, it can help encourage user-generated content and social proof. 

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A unique event hashtag should have a catchy name that is relevant to your event. Then, you can promote it on TikTok and other social media platforms to encourage its use. Tools like TikTok Lead Generation and TikTok Link-in-Bio can help direct your audience to the event hashtag and landing page. 

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Also, remember that a unique event hashtag can make your event more discoverable and engaging for your audience.

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Unique event hashtags can be in the following formats:

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• [EventName]Year: Example: #SummerFest2024
• [EventName]Acronym: A marathon called "City Run for Charity" can use #CRFC as an event hashtag.
• [EventName]Celebrity: Example: #SwiftConcertSeries
• [EventName]: Example: #TechSummit

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4. Run a Contest

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Running a contest on TikTok can be a highly effective way to promote your event and spread the word. Contests encourage users to interact with your content, boosting engagement and making your event more visible on the platform. When participants create their videos related to your event, it generates user-generated content (UGC), which spreads the word organically.

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To run a successful TikTok contest, make sure the rules and instructions are clear and easy to follow. In addition, offer prizes that are appealing to your target audience, and use a unique hashtag for the contest to track entries. 

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Finally, promote the contest through other social media channels to maximize participation. Interact with participants by commenting, liking, and sharing their entries to keep the momentum going.

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Examples of TikTok contests for event promotion include

• Challenges
• Quizzes
• Sweepstakes
• Giveaways

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The Bottom Line

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We hope that after reading this, you have a better idea of whether promoting on TikTok is worth it for your event. Considering your target audience, the nature of your event, and your marketing goals, TikTok can be a powerful tool for promoting your event, but it's essential to align these factors to make the most of the platform.

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When it comes to boosting engagement and networking on the day of the event, Connect Space is the best event management app because of our personalized matchmaking for networking features. 

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Our comprehensive suite of app integrations caters to every aspect of event management, from registration to networking and analytics. 

‍Book a demo with Connect Space to find out how to promote attendee networking with our matchmaking app.

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FAQs:

1. Is promoting an event on TikTok worth it?
Yes, promoting your event on TikTok can be highly effective, especially if you're targeting a younger demographic. TikTok's broad reach and engagement potential make it an ideal platform for event promotion, particularly when you want to create viral content.

2. What type of content performs well for event promotion on TikTok?
Content that is authentic, engaging, and in line with TikTok's trends performs best. Examples include dance challenges, duets, lip-sync videos, and branded hashtag challenges.

3. How do TikTok trends help in promoting events?
By aligning your content with popular TikTok trends, you can increase engagement and visibility for your event. Utilizing trending songs, hashtags, and effects can make your event more relatable and appealing to TikTok users.

4. What are TikTok paid advertising options for event promotion?
TikTok offers various paid advertising formats such as Top View, Brand Takeover, In-Feed Ads, and Branded Hashtag Challenges. These formats help increase visibility, drive ticket sales, and create buzz around your event.

5. How can creating a unique event hashtag boost promotion on TikTok?
A unique event hashtag helps consolidate all content related to your event, making it easier for your audience to find and engage with your event's content. It also encourages user-generated content, which can further amplify your event's reach.