TikTok Ads: Reshaping Visitor Attraction Marketing Strategies

Posted in: Marketing Strategy, Online Advertising, Online Marketing

The digital marketing arena is witnessing a seismic shift, and TikTok Ads are at the forefront of this evolution. In the visitor attraction and leisure industry, understanding the potential of TikTok Ads is paramount to staying ahead in an increasingly competitive landscape.

The Rise of TikTok in Digital Advertising

TikTok has emerged as a powerhouse in the realm of digital advertising, capturing the attention of diverse audiences with its engaging content and innovative features.

According to the January 2024 Meltwater report, TikTok’s user base exhibits a diverse age range, affirming its status as a platform that is now appealing to a broader demographic including the visitor attraction’s main target audiences.

Source: TikTok advertising audience profile, Meltwater Jan 2024

TikTok Ads are driving real change for businesses in the visitor attraction and leisure sector. It’s become a strong tool for businesses to reach out to customers and drive engagement.

Many younger consumers are also starting to use TikTok as a search engine too (reinforced recently in an Adobe article); TikTok is here to stay.

Type of TikTok Ads

TikTok ads provide businesses with a unique opportunity to connect with their target audience through immersive and creative ad formats. There are several ways to advertise your visitor attraction on TikTok like:

Spark Ads: Boost your organic posts! Spark Ads leverage real TikTok content, ensuring authenticity and aligning with the platform’s culture of organic and engaging content.

Collaborating with TikTok influencers: Partner with popular TikTok influencers who align with your brand and target audience. They can create content featuring your attraction, reaching their followers, and potentially driving traffic to your venue.

In-feed ads: Utilise TikTok’s advertising platform to create in-feed ads that appear in users’ feeds as they scroll through the app. These ads can feature captivating visuals and a call-to-action to encourage users to learn more or visit your attraction.

Utilise TikTok’s ad formats: Experiment with different ad formats offered by TikTok, such as branded effects, branded lenses, or branded stickers, to create immersive and interactive experiences for users.

Sponsored hashtag challenges: Similar to regular hashtag challenges, sponsored hashtag challenges involve partnering with TikTok to promote a branded challenge to a wider audience. TikTok will feature the challenge on the Discover page, increasing its visibility and potential reach.

Using TikTok ads, companies can get their name out there to all those users and make more people aware of them.

Geographic Targeting

Geographical Targeting is key for visitor attractions to avoid wastage. TikTok now have a number of cities you can target but still have some improvements to make. You can find out the available geo targeting list in your TikTok Ad account, under the Ad Group’s targeting – Location module.

Getting the Creative Right

Ensure that your ads are tailored to the TikTok platform. Embrace the raw and authentic nature of TikTok. TikTok thrives on content that feels unpolished, and relatable. Ads that mimic this style are more likely to resonate with users and blend seamlessly into their feeds. We’ve discovered that influencer content performs exceptionally well as ads on TikTok.

User-generated content as a whole is a powerful tool for creating authentic ads on TikTok. Leverage content created by real users, such as testimonials, reviews, and user-submitted videos, to showcase the genuine experiences of customers and promote social proof.

TikTok’s format lends itself to short-form, bite-sized content that grabs users’ attention quickly. Keep your ads concise and engaging, with a focus on delivering your message in the first few seconds to hook viewers and encourage them to watch to the end.

TikTok Organic Content Strategies Support Awareness Campaigns

For a TikTok ad campaign to work it is best to run it alongside a strong organic presence. TikTok’s algorithm is made to display users’ content they’re interested in, even if they don’t follow the person who made it. This means visitor attractions can reach further on TikTok than on other apps.

There are several ways to grow your content organically:

1. Authentic Storytelling: Use TikTok’s creative tools to tell authentic stories about your attraction or destination. Highlighting behind-the-scenes moments, user experiences, and special events can resonate deeply with your audience.

2. Engagement Campaigns: Launch interactive engagement campaigns, such as hashtag challenges or interactive polls, to encourage user participation and foster a sense of community around your attraction.

3. Collaboration Campaigns/Influencer: Businesses can collaborate with influencers to reach a wider audience. By working with popular influencers who have lots of followers, businesses can get their message out to more people. This type of marketing, called influencer marketing, is getting more popular because it lets brands use the trust and realness that influencers have with their fans.

The Future of Digital Marketing

TikTok and TikTok Ads are poised to play an increasingly influential role in shaping the future of digital marketing for the visitor attraction and leisure industry. By embracing this innovative platform, industry professionals can elevate their marketing strategies and connect with audiences in meaningful ways.

Are you ready to take your visitor attraction to a new level? Contact Agility Marketing to learn how our proven digital strategies and marketing campaigns can help you reach your goals.

Written by Esther Felix-Awosope, Marketing Manager of Agility Marketing | Posted on 29/02/2024