If you still religiously watch the Amazing Race (like I do), you probably know the Holderness Family. They’re also on TikTok. Or how about Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson? He’s there too and has 50.6 million followers. Every video he posts receives millions of views.
Let’s face it: TikTok isn’t just a fad your middle school kids talk about anymore. It’s mainstream.
Cloudflare shows TikTok was the most visited site in 2021, beating Google and Amazon. And 55% of 18 to 24-year-olds use TikTok according to Pew Research Center.
The question is, should your credit union or community bank be on TikTok? The answer: yes!
But you shouldn’t throw video ideas at the wall and see what sticks. You must hone a TikTok strategy. Here are four
ways to make effective TikTok content.
1. Produce Bite-Sized Content
TikTok currently allows up to three-minute long videos, a change from their original 15 to 60 seconds format. But should you take advantage of all three minutes? Probably not.
Research reveals the average human attention span is close to eight seconds. That length doesn’t bode well for a three-minute long information dump.
Play to your audience’s attention span.
Produce bite-sized videos your viewers will easily consume. Deploy concise, fun messaging to hold their attention for all 30 or 60 seconds. Longer content risks a swipe to the next video.
2. Entertain Viewers and Drive Engagement
Yes, it’s possible to make dull TikTok content. A talking head dryly discussing industry trends will bore viewers whether it’s 30 seconds or 30 minutes long.
Viewers want entertainment. They want humor. They want to laugh after a long day at work.
Give them what they want. Entertain viewers first and increased brand engagement will follow.
And don’t fret! Entertainment and education can harmoniously inhabit the same video. Popular audio trends and financial information can creatively mesh.
Michigan-based Honor Credit Union’s TikTok provides great examples of both entertaining and educating viewers. Click here to see how they used a popular trend to provide mortgage lending education.
3. Make Authentic Videos
TikTok content follows trends and may have scripts. But it shouldn’t be insincere.
Don’t you hate insincerity? Can’t you smell it from a mile away? Your audience can too.
Your TikTok videos need passion and sincerity behind them. In other words, authenticity. Find video savvy employees or staff who love the limelight. Whoever you assign to TikTok production should love what they are doing.
Happy people make authentic content. Authentic content hooks viewers.
4. Focus on Your People
“People helping people” is at the heart of credit union culture. People are also the most interesting part of TikTok content.
How many times have you heard people refer to bad companies as “machines”?
That’s because people aren’t robots and can’t identify with a cold, emotionless machine. People identify with other living, breathing human beings.
Build a human connection with your audience. Showcase your employees, your members and their personalities. For example, Wisconsin-based Kohler Credit Union made a TikTok about employees’ favorite type of peanut butter. Over 1,500 people watched it!
Make the audience care about your people and they’ll care about your content. And most importantly, they’ll care about your credit union.
Is TikTok still giving you trouble? Contact On The Mark Strategies for personalized marketing coaching. We'll show you how to build a social media strategy with TikTok.
