Luxury travel brands are starting to take notice of TikTok and its potential to reach a new, younger audience. TikTok users are generally considered to be Gen Zers – a generation known for its love of interactive content and social media platforms. In fact, TikTok has quickly become one of the most popular social media platforms, having almost 1 billion monthly active users. This makes it an ideal platform for luxury travel brands looking to reach a new audience and increase brand awareness.
What is TikTok?
TikTok is a popular social media platform based on video-sharing and short-form content. With TikTok, users can upload videos on any topic and personalize them with special effects, snippets of popular songs, filters, sound effects, and more.
In 2021, TikTok was the most popular app download in the US and globally. Millions of social media users may now create compelling, immersive content from the comfort of their smartphones. They can look for, find, and share material that they relate to.
This is where TikTok comes in as a powerful marketing tool for luxury travel brands.
TikTok offers a unique way to reach potential customers and create engaging content. TikTok users are typically young, social media-savvy, and love to consume short-form content that is creative and interactive.
TikTok offers a unique opportunity for luxury travel brands to reach a new audience through solid digital marketing strategies. TikTok is known for its short-form, in-feed videos that are highly engaging and interactive.
TikTok users are also more likely to follow brands on other social media channels, such as Instagram. This makes TikTok an ideal platform for luxury travel brands looking to increase brand awareness and reach new audiences.
Who Uses TikTok?
TikTok, the popular viral video app, launched in 2016 with little fanfare. However, as the pandemic raged on, TikTok saw an increase in users, reaching over 1 billion active users per month as of 2022. TikTok's had a 1157.76% increase in its global user base between Jan 2018 and July 2020, much of that growth coming from US-based users. So, who uses TikTok?
Millennials
Millennials, or those born between 1981 and 1996, are TikTok's 2nd largest user group. In fact, 26% of TikTok's US users are millennials. This is not surprising given that TikTok offers a unique form of entertainment that appeals to this demographic. Millennials paved the way for younger generations to harness the power of social media. Coming of age with the internet, millennials have continued to dominate the digital marketing landscape.
Gen Z
Generation Z, or those born between 1997 and 2012, make up TikTok's largest user group. In the US, 41% of TikTok users are Gen Zers. This generation is known for being digital natives – they are the first generation to grow up with social media and smartphones. They are also known for their love of user-generated content and their willingness to engage with brands on social media. Gen Zers are an essential target market for luxury travel brands, as they are the future of the travel industry, with an estimated $140 billion in spending dollars. Your marketing efforts will go a long way with gen z.
How Luxury Travel Brands Can Use TikTok
TikTok offers several features that make it an ideal platform for luxury travel brands. There are a number of ways that luxury travel brands can use TikTok to reach a new audience. Everyone wants to see the perfect getaway in their travel content, and here are a few ways to use the algorithm to your advantage.
Hashtag Challenges
One way to get your TikTok channel noticed is to participate in hashtag challenges. Hashtag challenges are a great way to increase brand awareness and reach new TikTok users. TikTok users are constantly searching for new and interesting content, and hashtag challenges provide an easy way for them to find your brand. Consider partnering with TikTok influencers to promote your hashtag challenge, like luxury brand, Moncler, did in 2021.
In-Feed Videos
TikTok offers several features that make it an ideal platform for luxury travel brands. In-feed videos are short, engaging videos that appear in TikTok users' feeds. TikTok users are likelier to watch an in-feed video than a traditional ad. In-feed videos are also a great way to increase brand awareness and reach new TikTok users.
Influencer Marketing
TikTok influencers are a great way to reach a new audience. TikTok influencers are content creators with a large following on TikTok. TikTok influencers often have a niche audience, which makes them an ideal way to reach a target market; there are even travel influencers. TikTok influencers can also help increase brand awareness and reach a new TikTok audience.
After launching your first TikTok campaign in real-time, paying attention to your metrics is important. TikTok provides valuable insights that can help you optimize your future TikTok efforts.
Examples of Luxury Brands Using TikTok
Some ways luxury brands can take advantage of TikTok are by working with popular influencers, running paid promotional campaigns, and creating content ranging from behind-the-scenes videos to live events. Companies such as Burberry, Louis Vuitton, and Fenty Beauty are already leading the way for other luxury labels on TikTok.
Gucci
Gucci is one of the first luxury brands to start using TikTok videos. Gucci has been using TikTok to reach a new audience and increase brand awareness. Gucci has used TikTok to launch many marketing campaigns, including a hashtag challenge and an influencer marketing campaign.
Marriott
Marriott is another luxury brand that has started to use TikTok to promote their luxury hotels. Marriott has utilized TikTok not only to reach a new audience but increase brand awareness overall. To do this, they've launched various marketing campaigns, such as a hashtag challenge and a UGC (user-generated content) challenge.
LinkedIn is another brand that has realized the power of TikTok. The brand has been targeting a younger base, as the new workforce includes a large portion of gen z. LinkedIn has used TikTok to appeal to a broader audience while also increasing brand recognition.
Moncler
This lesser-known brand harnessed the power of influencer marketing in a big way. They collaborated with TikTok's number one followed influencer, Charli D'Amelio, to create a TikTok trend and viral challenge. D'Amelio's video now has over 6 million views and launched Moncler's winter coat TikTok campaign with a bang.