We know that more and more people are using TikTok to fulfil a variety of search demands. But what does this mean for brand discovery, and how can you make the most of this?

New research shows how many users are regularly discovering new brands and products through TikTok. Therefore, it’s clear how important it is for brands to consider as part of their marketing efforts. According to a new study which the platform conducted with Material, 61% of TikTok users discover new brands and products on the platform, which is 1.5x more than users of other platforms.

This is due to how user behaviour on TikTok has evolved, with consumers showing both passive and active discovery behaviours. The For You Feed is key for passive product and brand discovery, while the swipe and tap features encourage users to continue on their discovery journey. 45% of users continued searching for more information on TikTok after discovering a brand/product on the platform.

Meanwhile, TikTok’s growing usage for search offers users the chance for much more active brand discovery, whether starting their purchase journey with an initial search, or using it to continue a journey they started elsewhere. The fact that TikTok is a search destination is demonstrated by the fact that 29% of users came to TikTok specifically to search for a brand or retail account on the platform.

The search experience itself is popular among users, who rank it as more entertaining, authentic and concise than both traditional search platforms and other social media video platforms.

This more positive user experience gives TikTok a distinct advantage over other search platforms. Combining the shift towards entertainment from social media with the results that AI such as Google SGE bring to search engines.

How can you make the most of TikTok’s potential for brand discovery?

The majority of searches on TikTok come from users looking for inspiration, research, and general learning. Taking advantage of these search behaviours has clear benefits, with 2 in 3 brand/product discoveries on the platform coming via search.

This means that TikTok both creates and captures demand for brands, driving consumers from awareness to purchase. The results at the end of the consumer journey also show the impact TikTok can have for brands, as TikTok users are 1.5x more likely to immediately go out and buy something they’ve discovered on the platform than users of other social platforms.

The influence that TikTok’s search function has on product discovery means that it’s essential for brands to optimise content so it appears where it will best serve users along their purchase journey.

Given the range of search behaviours and intents on TikTok, brands need to optimise for both passive and active searches.

Entertaining content which appeals to a wider audience gives brands a greater chance of finding customers through passive searches. Meanwhile, more informational, insightful content that offers more detail to help consumers make an informed purchase decision is essential to convert consumers who are making more active, product-focused searches.

The quality of the content is the most important aspect of whether videos will perform well to engage users, build affinity as a brand and ultimately encourage people through the purchase journey. However, there are some ways that brands can optimise their TikTok content to improve search performance.

The main ways to do this are through the use of relevant hashtags, especially for content related to a specific purchase intent, as well as keywords in both the description and in the videos themselves through voiceover and captions. Optimising thumbnails, using popular sounds and encouraging engagement from viewers will also help videos to appear in search results from the people you want to reach.

For an in depth look at optimising your content for TikTok search, check out this guide from Search Engine Land.

Experimenting is crucial to find out what works, as well as maintaining character and authenticity in your content. Falling into the trap of optimising for reach at the expense of providing value and quality for viewers will only damage how effective your TikTok strategy is in the long run.