How to maximise the TikTok opportunity

The TikTok Wave is here and the Social Climbers agency shares insights on how Beauty brands can maximise the TikTok opportunity.

It seems like everyone in 2025 is on TikTok! 

I know I can't go a day without hearing “I saw this thing on TikTok”. 

For some it’s been a natural progression, easy to to create content, understand the platform and achieve the legendary status of going viral. 

For others, its a minefield. Its awkward. You feel lost with your content and have no idea why you are on the platform in the first place. Let’s change that!

The TikTok wave is here and at my agency Social Climbers, we've been studying how to maximise it! Beauty beats on TikTok, with 1 in 2 purchase on TikTok shop in the UK being from this category and powerhouse brands like Made by Mitchell and P.Louise being made on the platform.

We’ve gone through our most commonly ask questions and put our best advice together from over 20 years in digital and social marketing.

Why Should I Be On TikTok?

The numbers speak for themselves. With up to 2 Billion monthly users and 210 Billion video views, the possibilities are endless for brand growth and exposure. 

I also want to dispel the rumour that it’s only kids, making dancing videos. These times are long gone. With the age of users changing monthly, we are now seeing the user age break down much more evenly spread. 36% are 18-24, 34% are 25-34 and 16% 35-44

We have also seen more searches on TikTok than google for the last 5 years in a row. If you want to find a salon in Bromley or a nail tech in Bath, you can do that on TikTok

What can I do on TikTok?

TikTok can change your business. Key impacts include:

• Drive brand awareness and sales through organic content 

• Generate revenue through TikTok shop

• Expand your reach by working with affiliates

• Run ads for your brand and products 

• Connect with your audience in a whole new way 

• Go viral and change your life

How can I make TikTok work for my business? 

To make anything work for us, we need to understand it’s Functionality, so let’s run through what makes TikTok.

• SEO Integration: 

Recognize that TikTok functions as a search engine. Incorporate relevant keywords into your content to improve discoverability.

• Effective Hooks: 

Capture attention within the first few seconds of your videos to encourage viewers to watch in full. Really think about this. Don’t use “come with me today”, expand it into something like “90% of the UK hate Monday’s, I don’t, let me show you why…”

• Leveraging Trending Audio

Utilize popular sounds and music to align with current trends and increase content visibility. To make the most of trending audio your account needs to be a personal one, as trending audio isn’t allowed for businesses.

• Keyword Optimization

Use pertinent keywords in your hooks and descriptions to enhance search rankings. Just as you do with your website and blogs. This is also becoming key for Meta.

• Expansive Reach

TikTok’s algorithm promotes content to non-followers, offering businesses an opportunity to reach a broader audience. An average of 80% of video views will be non followers. This is why it’s so important to keep sharing your key messages. Because people are always seeing your brand for the first time

• Consistency 

Show up, post, tell TikTok what your account is about. Consistently!

What kind of content should I make?

Trending content types change frequently, so this part does require you to spend some time on the platform. If you want to appeal to a community, you need to know it. 

As this issue goes to press, the best performing content styles are 

EGC: 

Employee generated content. Seen the videos of employees getting up to all sorts? We love to see it! The OG’s of this movement for me are @jazzyhandmade. They starting this strategy a while back and their content blow up, causing their brand and sales to blow up. Win!

Selfless content: 

all content is selfish, it’s put out for you to gain. It’s about you. It’s focused on you. The watcher is also selfish, they will only watch what benefits them. So if you can create content that shares information, educated, adds value, then you can win. @losilva is a pioneer of this 

Street Content: 

Who remembers channel 4’s “Street Mate”? Yes, we mean it! Get out there and film people answering questions, interview style! We love @ove.care and how they are sharing all things period and puberty, with their amazing street interviews 

UGC: 

This will always win. Social proof that your brand is to be trusted! @hudabeauty has some of the best UGC products we know 

Entertainment:

TikTok is an entertainment platform, so making sure your videos are fun, entertaining and attention grabbing. How many people have you see copy the Kendrick Lemar Super Bowl performance? It’s really as simple as copying the a dance move sometimes.

Really deep dive into your niche. What content is trending? What’s performing for your competitors and what questions are their followers asking? Really research and you will have endless content ideas in no time. 

We build content plans weekly as so much changes. We batch create content too and have it all in our drafts, ready to go

Do I need lots of fancy equipment?

Nope! The beauty of TikTok is the content can be low-Fi. We recommend good lighting, good sound and good quality recording. You can grab lights and mics on TikTok shop at amazing prices and just make sure you are loading directly to the platform to maintain the quality of your posts.

How Do I Go Viral?

You actually don’t want every video to go viral. What we want to do is get one or two videos a week that take off! 

How to create a viral video...

• Focused Content Themes: 

Concentrate on one or two key topics to establish your niche and help TikTok’s algorithm categorize your content effectively. Consistently tell TikTok who you are and use the same six hashtags related to the niche of your business or brand  

• Quality Over Quantity: 

Aim to produce one or two high-quality videos per week with the potential to go viral, rather than numerous low-effort posts.

• Continuous Analysis: 

Try, check, test, go again! Really look at what your audience is reacting to and keep creating with a different take

Should I go live?

Yes! Go live. Chat to your community. Host a Live Shopping Event. Just do it! This is the approach that wins TikTok! If they have a feature, they want you to use it! Swipe posts, stories, the thought bubble. Test it out and see what works with your audience

What is TikTok Shop?

If you haven’t bought on TikTok shop yet, you haven’t lived! There is everything and it’s always at the best prices. For brands, this is an incredible way to increase sales. Your content can instantly drive sales, giving a true way to get a return on investment for the time spent creating it. 

Should I go live?

Yes! Go live. Chat to your community. Host a Live Shopping Event. Just do it! This is the approach that wins TikTok! If they have a feature, they want you to use it! Swipe posts, stories, the thought bubble. Test it out and see what works with your audience.

What is TikTok Shop?

If you haven’t bought on TikTok shop yet, you haven’t lived! There is everything and it’s always at the best prices. For brands, this is an incredible way to increase sales. Your content can instantly drive sales, giving a true way to get a return on investment for the time spent creating it. 

Should I use Ads and if so, what should I spend?

Yes! TikTok ads are way less used than Meta so they can have a much higher impact. TikTok recommends a minimum of £30 a day but you can start lower and of course go higher.

Regular Ads

This is like boosting posts but with Ad support. TikTok recommends running a community based campaign consistently. This is to get more page views.

GMV Max Ads 

You should change your ads every 7-12 days and have 3-5 videos in your ads so that pesky algorithm doesn’t get board. Use videos that have performed well or use Ads to test out new types of content and if the audience reacts.

Spark Ads 

These are free if you have a TikTok shop, so get these enabled in the Ads manager and TikTok will drive what viewers are loving from your organic and affiliate content.

How do I know it will work?

You don’t! The beauty of TikTok is its all a test.

Test the content types and see what works. 

Test ads. Test your rebrand. Test your ideas. 

Test is all and fail fast. It didn’t work? Rework it! You tried once? Try it again! Until you get results and you find the formula of what works for you. 

Oooofffff that was a lot. We know but we don’t believe in gate keeping when it comes to TikTok and as a TikTok partner agency, we spill all the tea, directly from their HQ. For more TikTok insights, tips and tricks, follow us @socialclimberscollective or drop us a DM if you want us to help you really make TikTok work for you in 2025!