Marketing with Social Media Channels: Why TikTok Deserves Your Focus (with 3 concrete steps to start today)

TikTok is no longer "just a dance app." In less than a decade it reshaped how people discover products, how music and culture spread, and — critically for startups and SMBs — how small marketing budgets can deliver outsized reach. This post walks through TikTok’s evolution, the platform’s measurable impact on small businesses, and three practical steps any startup or SMB can take today to use TikTok to promote products and services.

The evolution: from short-form fun to commerce and culture

Launched globally in 2018 after ByteDance merged Musical.ly into TikTok, the platform grew rapidly because of an algorithm that privileges discoverability over follower counts. What started as short, creative clips became the place where songs, memes, products and even political ideas go viral — often overnight. TikTok’s product roadmap has steadily added creator tools, advertising formats, and commerce features (TikTok Shop / live shopping) that make it a full-funnel marketing channel today rather than a pure awareness playbook. (Business of Apps)

Impact on small businesses

TikTok has become materially important for SMB economics:

• TikTok’s own economic-impact reporting and related studies estimate that TikTok activity (ads + organic) drove ~$15 billion in revenue for U.S. small businesses in 2023, and the platform reported millions of businesses using it. That demonstrates direct ROI potential for SMB ad and organic investments.

• The platform’s user base is enormous and changing: estimates put global monthly active users in the ~1.0–1.6 billion range in recent years, meaning the potential ad reach and discovery audience are comparable with the largest social platforms.

• Young consumers increasingly use TikTok for product discovery: studies show a majority of Gen Z say they discover products on TikTok and use it for news and shopping inspiration more than other platforms — making it a high-impact place for brands looking for organic discovery and impulse purchases.

Put simply: reach + discovery intent + commerce features = real business outcomes for companies that learn the platform.

One of the earliest, clearest demonstrations of TikTok’s power came from a seemingly random viral moment in 2020. Nathan Apodaca (@420doggface208) posted a short video of himself longboarding while drinking Ocean Spray juice and lip-syncing to Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams.” The clip exploded, led to spikes in streaming for the song, huge organic exposure for Ocean Spray, and a wave of user-created videos — Ocean Spray responded publicly and gifted Apodaca a truck and juice. That moment turned into a tangible, free marketing windfall: widespread media coverage, renewed interest in the brand and product sell-through in many markets. It’s a textbook example of how organic TikTok virality can create value for brands at very low cost.

Three concrete steps a startup or SMB can take today to leverage TikTok

1) Create a lightweight content funnel: test, scale, repeat

Why: TikTok’s algorithm rewards fresh, native content. Small creators frequently outgrow follower expectations when content resonates. How (today):

• Make 5 short videos this week (15–45s) following different simple formats: product demo, “behind the scenes,” a customer use case, a before/after, and a trending-sound spin on your offering.

• Use the platform’s built-in video editor and captions; add relevant hashtags (product + local + trend tag).

• Track which video gets the best engagement (views, shares, saves) and double down on that format next week.

Tip: You don’t need high production values — authenticity and a clear single idea per clip outperform polish on TikTok.

2) Use discovery-first creative + one low-cost ad test

Why: Organic discovery can be huge, but pairing it with a small paid experiment helps amplify learning and reach. TikTok ad options let you promote top-performing content cheaply to an audience segment. How (today):

• Identify the best-performing organic clip from step 1 and run a $50–$150 in-feed traffic or engagement campaign targeting a tight audience (interest or lookalike of your followers/customers).

• Measure cost-per-click, view-through rate, and conversions (tracked via a simple landing page with UTM tags).

• Use the results to determine CAC for TikTok and whether to scale.

Tip: Keep the landing page friction low (single product, clear CTA) so you can attribute conversions quickly.

3) Build social proof loops (UGC + micro-influencer seeding)

Why: User Generated Content (UGC) and micro-influencers drive credibility and expand reach with a more authentic voice than brand posts alone. TikTok’s creator economy makes micro-influencer collaborations accessible even to small budgets. How (today):

• Identify 5–10 micro-creators (1k–50k followers) in your niche or local area. Offer them samples, a small fee, or an affiliate code. Ask for one authentic clip showing product use and tagging your account.

• Incentivize customers to post with a branded hashtag and a small reward (discount, feature on your page). Reshare UGC to your profile and as ad creative if it outperforms your own content.

Tip: Track which creators and content types deliver the best engagement and conversion; iterate on creative brief accordingly.

Measurement & KPIs that matter

For early experiments, track:

• Views / Watch time (how compelling is the hook),

• Engagement rate (likes + shares + comments per view),

• Traffic to site / landing page CTR (via UTM), and

• Conversion rate / CAC (critical before scaling paid spend).

If you’re driving commerce directly through TikTok Shop or live shopping, add average order value (AOV) and sell-through rate to the dashboard. (Why these matter: reach without engagement rarely moves product; conversions without repeatable creative are not scalable.)

Common pitfalls to avoid

• Treating TikTok like Instagram or YouTube — different formats and audience expectations demand different creative.

• Over-polishing content at the expense of authenticity.

• Not testing small paid boosts to learn the platform’s economics before scaling.

TikTok excels at discovery and top-to-mid funnel performance; for many SMBs it’s an efficient place to build awareness, collect social proof, and test product-market fit quickly. Combine it with owned channels (email, website) to capture and nurture the attention you earn on TikTok, then measure revenue outcomes so you can scale responsibly.

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About the author:

Pooja Chitnis is a Chartered Marketer with a proven track record of driving growth across tech/SaaS, tourism, insurance, real estate, fashion, and more. She is the co-author of Modern Marketing Using AI and creator of a zero-cost marketing course that helps businesses scale—even on limited budgets.

Recognized as one of the “20 Amazing Women in Tech in Canada” and among the “5 Inspirational Leaders to Watch in 2025,” Pooja has served as an Expert Advisor for Startup Canada. She currently acts as a fractional CMO for an Ontario-based food bank and consults with startups and SMBs across Canada and the U.S.

She holds an MBA and certifications in AI, digital marketing, and neuromarketing.

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