#1) What are the constraints and limits for promotional campaigns that originate from the bottom up, like on TikTok?

Marie-Nathalie: On TikTok, content is consumed in much the same way as on Netflix. In fact, the average time spent on the platform is nearly an hour a day. We should therefore look at it as a streaming platform where entertainment is king but, unlike Netflix, the algorithms make all the difference when it comes to content visibility. You need to optimize your content by using sound and popular hashtags, foster engagement through comments and interactions with other accounts, post at times when the audience is watching, speak directly to the camera, include captions, etc. Above all, if you want to be entertaining, you need interesting content that's not corporate. Content that isn't created specifically for TikTok is sure to fail.

Michelle: The beauty of TikTok is that any user can go viral with their videos because, compared to other platforms, the app promotes raw, authentic material, breaking down the distance between creators and users. Your video has to have an editorial focus that fits the app's conventions. You need to start by creating engaging on-trend content within 24 hours, use audio tracks favoured by the algorithm and optimize the description. It's important to begin videos with an emotion because the algorithm prefers content like that.

You also need to develop a strategy for creating audio tracks with strong viral potential. Creating viral audio was actually how everything got started for me on TikTok. I created my own sound by singing a parody of an existing song and then did a dance using my sound. That video brought me thousands of new followers, and nearly 5,000 people reused my sound. I continued to make that kind of video, building a niche and anchor for myself. Even though it's important to vary your content, the common thread has to remain clear and specific.

#2) How can you make sure that a concept becomes an enduring anchor on TikTok and its execution generates positive impacts for the advertiser?

Marie-Nathalie: Always think about entertainment value, and pay attention to what generates a reaction in connection with your topic! At Mordu, we created a TikTok integration for Hydro‑Québec, who wanted to promote their Énergie en commun program. As part of that program, they provided dehumidifiers to a fig producer in the Eastern Townships. Not a very sexy subject. The detail about figs that got the most reaction on TikTok was that when you eat a fig, you're eating a wasp because European figs are fertilized by wasps and they die inside them. We highlighted the fact that Quebec figs are self-fertilizing (so no wasps are needed) and made it our main angle, while still mentioning Hydro‑Québec and its program and optimizing our content based on the platform's own conventions. We also came up with a recipe using figs, which is always a winner on TikTok! With over 400,000 views and 6,000 likes, our strategy “bore fruit!”

Michelle: In addition to creating original content that resonates with the audience you want to target, you have to be as organic as possible by drawing on your strengths and the app's features in an original way to produce niche content so you can create your community.

More and more businesses are realizing that TikTok is the perfect platform for influencer marketing and they're paying popular creators to talk about their products. The most successful campaigns are when creators don't stray from their editorial focus. Since social platform followers generally don't like traditional advertising, organic content is what tends to do best. Our campaign with Hydro‑Québec is a great example; they decided to work with Mordu knowing that I would talk about their project in a creative, approachable way that could generate engagement.

#3) How will engaging communication strategies evolve on TikTok in the years ahead?

Marie-Nathalie: The big trend I see coming is, “I Don't Google Anymore, I TikTok.” TikTok is now competing with Google as a search engine. Users trust content creators for recommendations that are ultimately quite a bit more relevant than Google's first results for travel and restaurants, for example. Google has even started to list TikTok results for some search requests. It will be important for businesses to include TikTok in their SEO strategy.

Michelle: When TikTok and Musical.ly merged in 2018, the average user age was between 13 and 20. The pandemic changed all that, and TikTok exceeded 2 billion uploads worldwide, attracting a wider range of ages to the app. If your business isn't on TikTok yet, it's time to sign up!

Not only is TikTok a source of entertainment, education and search results, the app has turned into a social commerce (s-commerce) platform. The collaboration between TikTok and Ticketmaster is a good example. You can now buy concert tickets directly through a link in the artists' videos without even having to leave TikTok. With this initiative, they've opened a path to another level of online shopping.