9 Brands That Are Killing It On TikTok (And What You Can Learn From Them)
TiKTok is the newest social media platform that is growing like crazy – it’s estimated that TikTok has over 800 million active users worldwide and the TikTok app has been installed over 1.9 billion times worldwide. Not only is it a popular app but the user base is super loyal with 90% of users using the app multiple times per day, according to official TikTok statistics.
With stats like these, it is becoming impossible for brands to ignore this rapidly growing platform. While some brands have been on TikTok since the start, some are just now joining the platform. We’ve taken a look at tons of companies that are on TikTok and have rounded up 9 brands that are killing it on the platform. Keep reading to see who the top three brands are on TikTok and what you can learn from each of them.
#1: NBA
With 11.2 million followers, the NBA is the clear winner when it comes to brands killing it on TikTok. They joined the platform early on in 2016 and recently with stay at home orders affecting the live basketball season and all of the NBA players, they are ramping up the platform now more than ever.
One of the reasons the NBA is doing so well? They have nearly unlimited content to post, whether they are posting old clips from last season, behind the scenes videos of the players, funny pranks by team mascots or TikTok videos created by their fans. One of their challenges that did well was #HoopsAtHome where they asked basketball fans to show off their own basketball skills at home. The challenge has over 4.2 billions views to date and is still going strong on the platform.
They also currently have a challenge called #DribbleToTheBeat going on right now that’s already at 1.7B views.
What You Can Learn: It The NBA is a great example of how beneficial it can be to be an early adopter on a new social media platform! Since they joined so early, they were able to grow their audience well before most brands had ever heard or or downloaded the app. And while you likely won’t be able to dedicate an entire social media team just to TikTok like the NBA does, you can still take a lot of lessons away from their TikTok videos.
For example, posting videos that show a more light-hearted, behind-the-scenes look at your company does really well and is a great way to provide your TikTok audience with relatable content they can’t find on any of your other social media platforms. Check out our blog here for additional content ideas for your brand.
#2 Chipotle
Next on the list is Chipotle, who won the 12th Annual Shorty Award for TikTok Presence. Chipotle joined TikTok after noticing their customers were already posting plenty of videos about their delicious burrito bowls on the social media platform. With nearly 750k followers already, Chipotle is doing a great job of trying a ton of different things on the platform such as re-sharing their customers’ TikTok videos, hosting challenges and even showing off a secret menu.
One of their best TikTok campaigns was their #GuacDance challenge where they asked fans to show off dance moves about how much they love guacamole to celebrate National Avocado Day. The challenge was one of the top performing branded challenges on TikTok with 1.1 billion views.
What You Can Learn: Since Chipotle’s customers are mostly a younger demographic who were already posting about the brand on TikTok, it makes a lot of sense for Chipotle to be active on the platform. If your customers aren’t mainly Gen Z and Millennials, then TikTok probably shouldn’t be the main social platform for your brand to focus on. However, if your customers are already using TikTok and you aren’t on the platform already, joining in on a challenge like the #GuacDance is a great idea.
Check out our guide How to Use TikTok for Business for more insights on how to get your brand started on the platform.
#3 Burger King
Taking number 3 on our list is Burger King, who just partnered with TikTok to provide their fans with a fun, innovative way to order a Whopper…by dancing on TikTok of course! Their new challenge called the #WhopperDance started mid-June and already has nearly 23 million views. Fans must first be following Burger King on TikTok, then once they post a TikTok video of them dancing to the catchy #WhopperDance song, Burger King will send them a special code to get a Whopper for just $1.
What You Can Learn: By now, we all know that music is key to the TikTok experience and the best videos often have the best trending songs. Burger King created their own custom song just for this challenge but plenty of challenges do well with existing, trending music as well. If your brand is planning on participating in a challenge, or hosting your own, be sure to make a great song selection for your TikTok.
Honorable Mentions
Although the following brands didn’t make it to the top 3, they’re also killing it on the platform with standout videos and challenges. Get inspired by their creative TikTok content below.
Nike
Gucci
Amazon Prime Video
Red Bull
Sephora
Aerie
