By now the power of TikTok should be clear. As more brands make their presence known on the app we are taking notice of what works and what doesn’t. One strategy that we have seen work well for brands on the platform is the use of original audio. 

While the concept of original audio isn’t new, and certainly isn’t a secret on TikTok, we wanted to share some unique ways that brands can try their hand at original audio, how influencers can play a pivotal role in this strategy, and how the personality of your brand can shine through.

What audio looks like on the app right now

At its core, TikTok content is all based around the use of sounds and audios. No matter if the content consists of dancing, acting, makeup, fashion or finance, each video has a sound that goes along with it. Over the past year we have seen brands try a few different tactics, from licensing music to having an original song created for their specific brand strategy on the app. 

E.l.f cosmetics was the first brand to do this with their “Eyes Lips Face” song which was commissioned specifically for their initial TikTok campaign. While this strategy was wildly successful on this occasion (even creating a viral trend), commissioning a personalized song or licensing rights to a song can be quite costly and time consuming. This is where original audio comes in and saves the day. 

Why original audio is important 

Original audio isn’t a novel concept but how you approach it will make all the difference in your brand’s success on the app. Every audio that exists on TikTok today started with a creator sourcing or piecing it together and being the first to use it. The important thing to note here is that once you create an audio you own the audio and everytime someone clicks on it or wants to use it they will see your account name and initial video at the top of the screen, bringing more eyes and followers to your account.

Some examples of what original audio on TikTok can look like are; simple talking without music, movie/tv audios, voice overs, reactions, stitches and skits. While some of these are relevant to brand content some of them may not be very useful as a part of your strategy. To truly set yourself apart you want to create original audio that is entertaining and engages your audience.

How to set yourself apart 

Because TikTok is all about audio and sounds it’s easy to blend in to the sea of content, so in order to set yourself apart you need to look at it from a different perspective. Creating genuinely unique and creative audios that entertain AND engage your audience is what is going to set your presence apart. Let’s talk about a few examples of this:

The Washington Post

One of our favorite examples of unique and creative original audio is The Washington Post. The news outlet has almost 1M followers on the platform and share their news updates with one-of-a-kind skits. Using their tech columnist Geoffrey Fowler as the face of their account they produce short sketches which explain current news issues in a light-hearted and entertaining way. Not to mention the audios can be reused by other users on the platform. 

Chipotle

Chipotle’s TikTok strategy can be summed up in one word. Comedy. This account is a prime example of what we mean when we say create unique and engaging original audio. The brand often partners with famous comedians to create their content which is often quite funny. From making fun of how long customers wait for their food, to how many times a week customers can go to Chipotle, to how not to eat a burrito, to hacks from employees, they cover all the bases and do it with their own audios. Not only is their content engaging to their customers but their audios are witty and easy to reuse on any account.

Influencers can help

Now that we’ve talked about some of our favorite TikTok accounts utilizing original audio in a creative and engaging way, let’s talk about how you can do this for your brand in a meaningful way. It’s not always realistic to assume one of your employees has time on their hands to run a whole TikTok account, or that you employ a social media manager. A great way to supplement this work and content creation is to work with influencers who can create original audios for you. 

This strategy can be executed in a few different ways, whether that’s hiring a personality to be the face of your brand on TikTok and create all of your original audios, or working with comedians to create funny audios that represent your brand, there’s so many ways to outsource this work and make your TikTok presence stand out amongst the rest.

Working with influencers, comedians, or any other talent can not only save you time on the content creation process but may also cost you less than having a one-of-a-kind song created for your brand or licensing the rights to use music, movie, or tv audio on your TikTok account. 

So can we 

If you’re looking to partner with influencers to bring your TikTok presence to the next level give us a shout at partner@sostandard.com