The consumer’s needs and preferences are always changing. Businesses or brands to position themselves better and adapt their offerings from emerging trends. In TikTok’s What’s Next 2024: In Action report, they conduct studies and put a focus on long-term trends that shape the year 2024.
What do the consumers want from the brands?
1. Vulnerability and transparency
In influencing buyer’s purchasing decisions, trust is important, especially on online platforms. This is because online shopping lacks the experience of using our senses to touch, see and feel the product. Therefore, to create trust, brands must find ways to tell their stories through bold and honest content.
For instance, when influencers collaborate with brands, they create User-Generated Content (UGC) that highlights the brand’s product or service. This kind of content, free from direct brand input, feels fresher and more genuine. By sharing their real experiences, influencers are more likely to attract today’s consumers, who are drawn to authentic reviews.
When businesses leverage the TikTok platform, they will be able to get their audience to be more engaged. This means, businesses will gain even more insights through honest feedback from the audience. Also, there is a 41% increase, showing that audiences trust brands that consistently advertise themselves on TikTok based on the TikTok Drives Brand Trust Study 2022.
2. Relevance, uniqueness and authentic stories
Storytelling has been shown to boost audience engagements. It has the ability to create emotional connections, retain attention and make complex things more simple and entertaining. Through storytelling, brands are able to connect with audiences with real stories that are relevant to their life experience.
TikTok says 33% of their audience that sees ads on TikTok say it fits them as a person than other ads they see aside from TikTok. This means, TikTok has contents that match with their needs and preferences. Since TikTok is an entertainment platform, the audience mostly comes there to find fun. Businesses that create stories with a mix of fun and unexpected surprises will be expected to spark curiosity and gain attention.
3. Fresh contents
The audience is no longer interested in engaging in one type of contents. Instead, the audience is more drawn to unique way the brands showcase themselves to the public. While companies need to create contents to be present online, they need to be able to gauge audience attention to be able to stand out. Engaging storytelling, creative visuals, and interactive experiences are key to captivating modern consumers.
4. A sense of community
This year, audience are increasingly having a desire to be included in a community, especially online. Community enhances more engagement by creating meaningful connections and helping cultivate a sense of belonging. It has been proven that communities create bonds. According to the report, 72% of TikTok users are also more likely to find it easy to connect over shared life experiences. Therefore, businesses or brands that are able to create their own communities will enhance engagement and loyalty from their audience.
Conclusions
To conclude, TikTok wants businesses to get out of their comfort zone and be bold enough to show their vulnerable sides. Through this, consumers are able to feel more connection through the life experience that brands have shared through diverse contents. As brands navigate these trends, leveraging platforms like TikTok will not only enhance engagement but also build lasting trust and loyalty among their consumers.
