TikTok in Tourism Marketing

TikTok as a marketing tool

In the fast-developing world of social media, TikTok has become one of the most powerful platforms for tourism businesses. TikTok allows businesses to show their destinations, services, and experiences in creative ways. In this blog post, I will introduce you to Tiktok and explore how it can be perfect marketing tool for tourism companies.

Introduction to TikTok

TikTok is a free social media application, where users can share short videos. It has been downloaded more than 1,5 billion times and it’s very popular, especially among teenagers and young adults. The app encourages its users to interact. The hashtags are a big part of making the videos; with their help, the users can find interesting videos. (Herman, 2019.)

Relevant to the content is that it’s entertaining. This way Tiktok is different for example from Twitter or Facebook, which focus on sharing information and news. (Barta, ym. 2024.) TikTok has been one of the most popular social media apps during the last few years. It has affected the tourism industry a lot. The users use in average 52 minutes on TikTok, and that’s more than for instance in Facebook. (Geyser 2024.)

TikTok is planned in a way that the algorithm makes the users want to watch more and more. The algorithm considers different factors in determining which videos it shows to the user. It takes in consideration for example the video’s hashtags, sounds, and captions. The user’s interaction in the app also affects, for example, the liked videos, comments, and favorite videos. (Geyser 2024.) The good thing is that the amount of followers and the success of previous videos doesn’t affect the algorithm. So even if someone doesn’t have a lot of followers, their videos can still go viral. Its algorithm tailors content for each user, making it a powerful tool for tourism businesses looking to reach specific markets (Worb 2023.)

How to start using TikTok?

1. Download the App: You can download Tiktok on the App Store for both Android and iOS.
2. Create an Account: Sign up to TikTok using an email, phone number, or by linking an existing social media account. Make sure to choose a username that reflects your business.
3. Create a profile: Write your tourism business’ details to your bio, including your website, contact information and a short description of what your business offers.
4. Start creating content: You can either record directly on the app or upload pre-recorded videos. You can also edit the videos on TikTok with effects, filters and sounds.

TikTok marketing in a Tourism business

TikTok is perfect for tourism businesses because it can visually and emotionally show experiences. Businesses can create short videos of the destination’s most beautiful sights. TikTok has a lot of tourism content. For example #travel has more than 94 billion views, and #tiktoktravel has 32,7 billion views. So it is very efficient tool for tourism marketing.

TikTok is being used to plan vacations, so people trust TikTok as a source of inspiration. Even if the app is known for entertainment, it has a big influence on the tourism industry. The users actively try to find new and interesting content, which makes it a perfect channel for advertising tourism products and services. Nowadays, tourists use TikTok more and more before, during, and after the vacation. This changes their expectations, feelings, and images of the destinations.

Consistency is the key on TikTok. You should post 2-3 times per week, especially when building your presence. Post content during times when your target audience is most active, typically in the evenings and weekends.

Here are some examples of the content:

1. Behind the scenes
   • Share what happens behind the scenes for example of a hotel or a tour.
   • The users want to see exclusive content, so something what they can’t experience themselves. This can be for example showing suites in a hotel or first class in planes.
2. Informative Videos
   • These videos are used to share information with the users. Their primary use isn’t entertainment but telling facts. These kinds of videos can teach the users new things efficiently (Tjoe, 2023.)
   • For example, Visit Rovaniemi has shared a video teaching tourists what clothes should be worn in Lapland.
3. User-Generated Content
   • encourage your visitors to tag your tourism business in their TikTok posts. Feature their videos on your page to build a community and create trust among potential travelers.
4. Collaborations with influencers
   • Partner with influencers to show your destination, services or experiences.
5. Trending Challenges and hashtags
   • Use popular TikTok challenges or star your own.
6. Competitions
   • The companies can also create competitions, where the price is for instance a product or trip. The goal of the competition is to get views and visibility for the company. The competitions are also a good way to build customer relationships.

Target Group for TikTok marketing

TikTok’s primary audience is younger generations, particularly Gen Z and Millennials. However, its user base is expanding, with people of all ages. For tourism businesses, TikTok is ideal for attracting adventurous travelers who are seeking unique and trendy destinations or experiences.

Compared to other social media channels, the users are younger on TikTok. According to research, more than 50% of the users are 34 years old or younger. Also about 60% of Gen Z have used social media’s help when planning vacations.

Communication​ with the followers

Engagement is crucial on TikTok. Respond to comments on your videos, engage with users who mention your business, and create content that encourages interaction. Ask questions, invite viewers to participate in challenges, and prompt them to share their own travel experiences.

Metrics on TikTok

TikTok provides insights with the help of its Pro Account. Some of the key metrics are:

• Profile Views: How many people visited your profile.
• Video Views: Total views of your posted videos.
• Follower Growth: Track how your follower count changes over time.
• Engagement Rates: See how users are interacting with your content (likes, comments, shares).
• Demographics: Information about the age, gender, and location of your audience.

These metrics are essential for understanding what works and what you will want focu on.

Some tips for TikTok marketing

• Use Trending Sounds
  • Incorporating popular sounds or songs can increase your visibility on the platform.
• Keep it Authentic
  • TikTok users appreciate genuine and fun content. Avoid overly polished marketing and focus on real experiences.
• Hashtags
  • Use a mix of general and specific hashtags.

Examples of best practices

There are a lot of great examples of tourism industries, which have succeeded in their TikTok marketing. One of these examples is Ryanair, which is one of the most popular tourism brands in TikTok. One of the most important reasons why Ryanair has gained a lot popularity on the channel is the company’s skill to bring humor in their content.

Ryanair has millions of followers and likes on their videos. The humor in their content is what differentiates them from other tourism companies. Their content reflects their core messages, which is the cheap prices and the easiness of traveling.  (Gilliland, 2022.)

TikTok is an amazing platform that tourism businesses can use to reach new audiences, especially younger travelers. Its interactive and entertaining format makes it an excellent tool for building brand awareness and engaging users. The app does require creativity and consistency, the visibility and engagement you get from it, are worth the effort.

References:

Barta, S., Belanche, D., Fernandez, A. & Flavián, M. (2022). Influencer marketing on Tiktok: The effectiveness of humor and followers’ hedonic experience. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Service. 70. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2022.103149

Geyser, W. (2024). How does the Tiktok algorithm work? Influencer Marketing Hub. Accessed
23.9.2024 https://influencermarketinghub.com/tiktok-algorithm/

Gilliland, N. (2022). Six travel and tourism brands using Tiktok to connect with young consumers.
Econsultancy. Accessed 23.9.2024 https://econsultancy.com/travel-tiktok-brands-

Herman, J. (2019). How TikTok is Rewriting the World. The New York Times. Accessed 24.9.2024
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/10/style/what-is-tik-tok.html

Worb, J. (2023). How does the Tiktok algorithm work? (+10 hacks to go viral). Later. Accessed
24.9.2024 https://later.com/blog/tiktok-algorithm/