Case Study: How BDG grew its TikTok channel as one of the first ‘serious’ publishers on the app

The world looks different than it did a year ago.

As brands work through their identities in this “new normal,” BDG (formerly Bustle Digital Group) shared findings of its success in using TikTok, a channel that saw a swath of committed, loyal users as lockdown orders persisted amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

The publisher used that popularity to its advantage, working with brands on dozens of content deals to reach its nearly 17 million followers across its main brand pages.

“I do see us as the publisher who took the platform the most seriously and invested the most time and energy in building audiences there and now we’re reaping the benefits,” said Wesley Bonner, vp marketing and business development, BDG.

Near its one-year anniversary of launching its brand channels across TikTok, Bonner shared more about the company’s strategy at a Digiday U event on May 12 that explored how brands found enough success in experimental channels to make it part of their permanent strategies.

BDG’s Mission: Learn TikTok and communicate findings to brands

Why now?

Brands approached BDG with a slew of questions about TikTok. It served as a light bulb moment for BDG, which prides itself on being on top of publishing trends. BDG leaders realized they weren’t “quite comfortable answering their questions,” Bonner said.

It started a new partnership between BDG and TikTok. “Publishers are usually a resource for brands for platforms and we want[ed] to be a resource for brands on TikTok,” Bonner said.

Why TIkTok?

“TikTok was always on our radar,” Bonner said, pointing to the success creators and other brands had on the platform. The trouble came down to finding the right way to communicate (and reach) audiences there — both from a publisher perspective and as a way for its advertisers to reach audiences.

It did take “bravery” for BDG to take an initial interest in the platform, noted Robbie Levin, manager media partnerships, TikTok, who appeared at the event in conversation with Bonner. Levin said publishers should give it a few months to a year to find their audiences on the platform and credited over 1,000 publisher accounts with seeing the opportunity.

“When we talk to publishers about the platform, we try to make sure that they know first and foremost that there’s a place for them and their communities on TikTok. Bustle’s success is indicative of this,” Levin said.

Levin pointed to BDG finding niche fans within specific communities on TikTok, from its science-focused channel with its brand Inverse to parent-focused channel with its brand Romper.

“We encourage publishers to seek out their fans on TIkTok as well as their future fans and they can do that by really understanding the platform,” Levin said. “We like to think our platform provides them the creative tools to do that.”

TikTok’s team of “growth strategists” will work with publishers when they first join the platform to provide support, from technical to troubleshooting, to help assist in that publisher’s foray into TikTok.

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Source:: Digiday