Are you diving into TikTok Marketing but not getting the results you expect? 901 out of 1000 SMEs in Vietnam fail when implementing TikTok because they make basic mistakes they don't realize. Identifying these common mistakes early is the key to increasing your success rate, optimizing your budget, and making breakthroughs on the fastest-growing short video platform today.

Mistake #1: Chasing trends without understanding customer insights. TikTok is a “goldmine of trends”, but if you only use trends as the foundation for content development and forget to define your core message and target customer profile, your brand will become bland and easily drowned out in the “sea” of content.Campaigns DPS.MEDIA implemented show that organic reach increases by up to 150% when the right customer profile and behavior are identified from the start.

Mistake #2: Overt, emotionless advertising content. TikTok users are “allergic” to traditional ads; they prefer authentic, relatable videos. If you only focus on selling, you’re missing the chance to build long-term relationships with customers. In reality, videos sharing experiences, inspiration, or subtle entertainment content always achieve 3–4 times higher engagement rates compared to “hard sell” content.

Mistake #3: Lack of strategy, only posting based on inspiration. This is a mistake that many small and medium businesses encounter when first entering the TikTok “game”. Not scheduling regular posts, not conducting A/B testing, not analyzing campaign effectiveness leads to wasted budget and missed opportunities to reach potential customers.

Mistake #4: Not optimizing the channel and video format. Many businesses overlook optimizing profiles, hashtags, music, or use inconsistent vertical and horizontal videos, disrupting or negatively impacting the viewer experience. According to statistics from DPS.MEDIA, fully optimized channels achieve a follow rate 180% higher than non-optimized channels.

Advice from DPS.MEDIA: Always start by researching customers, building creative content based on insights, planning specific strategies, and continuously measuring performance metrics. By avoiding these common mistakes, you will not only “survive” but also achieve sustainable growth on TikTok – the fertile ground for modern businesses.

Choosing the wrong target audience and the consequences for campaign effectiveness

Incorrectly identifying customer groups: Budget-draining loophole

We once met a young fashion business – a startup using TikTok ads targeting the 30-45 age group just because “this group shops a lot”. However, according to research by Nielsen (2023), over 65% of active TikTok users in Vietnam are aged 18-29. The result? A large ad budget but almost no conversions. This clearly demonstrates the lesson: Choosing the wrong target audience not only wastes resources, but also affects brand recognition as irrelevant content is “ignored” or annoys recipients.

DPS.MEDIA emphasizes that even when using TikTok's advanced Targeting feature, small businesses are still prone to mistakes such as:

• Choosing the wrong behaviors or interests based on personal feelings.
• Not re-surveying actual customer needs before the campaign.
• Setting too many or too few targeting criteria, leading to a narrowed or diluted audience.

According to DPS.MEDIA summary: The Double-Check method of audience verification through short quantitative surveys and AB Testing is a lifesaver for all SMEs when implementing TikTok Marketing. Real cases show that only after adjusting to the right potential segment, sales steadily increased without raising costs.

Content lacks creativity and does not keep up with TikTok trends

3 reasons why uncreative content reduces campaign effectiveness

Recent studies published on Think with Google cho thấy,‌ trên‌ 70%‍ người dùng TikTok tại Việt Nam có xu hướng bỏ qua quảng cáo‌ mang tính​ lặp lại hoặc thiếu điểm nhấn sáng tạo. ⁤DPS.MEDIA từng ‍gặp những brand SME chỉ đơn thuần đăng lại nội dung từ ⁤Facebook lên ⁢TikTok⁢ và “đốt ngân sách” vào các video không khai thác⁢ trend,kết‍ quả là ⁢lượt​ view ​lẹt đẹt,tỷ lệ giữ chân ‍thấp.

• No research on reversed insights: TikTok users like surprises. If your content is simply a “product review” or a call to visit the website, the reach and organic spread will noticeably decrease.
• Lack of creative application of the “dupe” trend: DPS.MEDIA once successfully exploited a version of “content series transformation” on TikTok using the “TikTok Made Me Buy It” trend, simplifying the approach but tripling the conversion rate for a fashion SME brand.
• Ignoring new formats: According to Harvard Business Review, Brands that leverage TikTok Effect House, duet, or interactive polls often receive 60% more high-interaction feedback compared to old-style clips.

Ignoring the power of Influencers and KOLs in reaching potential customers

Lack of strategy to leverage KOL/Influencer credibility

Nhiều doanh nghiệp SME thường bỏ lỡ tiềm năng mạnh mẽ từ KOL và Influencer trong chiến dịch TikTok Marketing. ⁢Theo nghiên‍ cứu đăng trên Harvard Business Review, tỷ lệ ⁣chuyển ⁤đổi khi kết hợp Influencer lên đến 11 lần‍ so với quảng cáo thông thường. Việc chỉ tập⁣ trung vào nội dung do thương ⁢hiệu tự sản xuất mà quên đi mạng lưới micro-KOL⁤ tạo nên “hiệu ứng lan tỏa” (word-of-mouth) sẽ khiến ⁢chiến dịch thiếu⁣ đi sự xác thực ‍tự nhiên và ⁣không đủ chạm ‌đến nhóm khách hàng ⁢tiềm năng thực sự.

• Practical example: A cosmetics industry client that DPS.MEDIA worked with once thought that just booking KOLs from a list of influencers with many followers was enough. The result was a viral video, but the order rate only increased slightly. After switching to collaborate with well-known micro-influencers in the skincare community, the conversion rate increased by more than 2.4 times (DPS.MEDIA, 2023).
• Don’t limit your KOL choices to the top-chart; pay attention to smaller influencers who have a close connection with your niche market.
• According to the latest statistics from InfluencerMarketingHub, 82% of Gen Z users trust reviews from creators they feel close to rather than celebrities.

Unreasonable allocation of advertising budget, wasting resources

Mistake in TikTok budget allocation: Where is the line between “spending big” and “spending wisely”?

DPS.MEDIA has noticed that many Vietnamese SMEs often “throw money” at TikTok ads without data analysis or strategic targeting. Research from Academic research on Digital Strategy (2023) shows that: campaigns focusing only on large budgets are often ineffective if not aligned with customer insights and tested across multiple audience groups.. This leads to wasted resources and low conversion rates.

• Lack of A/B Testing budget planning: Investing everything into one customer group or one creative type without testing, resulting in low effectiveness.
• Spending on “trends” instead of core values: Heavy advertising on trending content but neglecting brand messaging, which can harm long-term brand recognition.
• not optimizing by timing: Ignoring periodic budget reviews every 7-14 days, causing budget leakage into low-quality impressions.

DPS.MEDIA's perspective: To avoid wasting resources on TikTok, SMEs should invest in measuring, testing, and continuously analyzing budget data. Apply a flexible budget allocation method, regularly review to adjust and prioritize creative and audience groups for real effectiveness.

Lack of continuous measurement and optimization during implementation

Incorrect measurement or not optimizing each stage

Nhiều doanh ‍nghiệp SMEs thường⁢ sa vào vòng lặp “đăng rồi để ​đó”, bỏ quên khâu phân tích dữ liệu sâu sát từng giai đoạn chiến dịch TikTok. According to McKinsey research (2023), only 20% of small businesses tiến hành đánh giá hiệu quả nội⁢ dung liên⁣ tục khi triển khai trên nền tảng này. Việc thiếu công cụ đo lường phù hợp hoặc chỉ dựa vào⁣ các chỉ số bề ⁢mặt như​ lượt xem, tim, mà không chú trọng thời gian xem trung bình, tỷ⁢ lệ chuyển đổi, hành động tiếp theo… sẽ khiến toàn bộ chiến dịch dễ “chệch hướng” khỏi mục tiêu kinh⁣ doanh ban đầu.

• Không‍ thiết lập mục tiêu đo⁤ lường cụ thể theo từng ‍giai đoạn (Awareness – Engagement – Conversion).
• Lack of A/B testing for content types, posting times, CTA.
• No extraction of insights from audience to personalize content for the next round.

DPS.MEDIA found that one of the outstanding recent case studies is the campaign of a young fashion startup on TikTok: Initially, the team only focused on posting videos and expected short-term follower growth. However, after being advised to apply a visualized data measurement dashboard, the startup discovered that the outfit-matching tutorial video achieved video save rate doubled video about discounts. Thanks to that, they adjusted the posting rate, focusing on deeply exploiting this insight, helping to increase CTR by 231% in just 2 weeks.

DPS.MEDIA always recommends SMEs to apply data analysis technology and internal dashboards right from the start. According to researcher Brittany Smith (Harvard Business Review, 2022), “Continuous optimization based on data is the key for SMEs to maximize the advantages of TikTok Marketing, maintain growth speed, and control advertising costs.”

Misjudging the role of the TikTok channel in the overall marketing strategy

Misunderstanding the position and objectives of TikTok in the channel mix

Nhiều doanh nghiệp SMEs tại Việt Nam tiếp cận TikTok như một “vị cứu⁢ tinh” tạo viral bất kể ngành hàng hay mục tiêu. Tuy nhiên, DPS.MEDIA‌ nhận thấy điểm cốt lõi là:

• Not clearly distinguishing between the role of brand building and the role of driving conversions on TikTok.
• Misconception TikTok is suitable for every product – but in reality, B2B industries or high-value products mostly struggle to succeed if relying solely on this platform.
• Not clearly defining TikTok's position in each stage of the customer journey, leading to duplicated or missed messages when connecting channels.

Real-life example: Failure when expecting TikTok to “handle everything alone”

DPS.MEDIA once worked with a client who was a local cosmetics brand. Initially, they invested almost their entire media budget in TikTok, expecting explosive sales thanks to going viral. The result? Nhận diện thương hiệu tăng vọt nhưng đơn hàng lại‍ “lẹt đẹt” vì ‍thiếu các hoạt động‍ kết nối qua Facebook, website, email marketing… Như trích‍ dẫn từ báo cáo của eMarketer (2023), users need an average of 3-5 multi-channel touchpoints to make a purchase decision.

• Solution: Investing in TikTok must be accompanied by other conversion-driving channels.
• Coordinating content across platforms creates a synergistic effect and retains customers longer.

Unable to build a brand channel, only focusing on short-term virality

Chasing short-term effects: More harm than good

DPS.MEDIA has noticed that many SMEs in Vietnam heavily invest in short-term viral TikTok campaigns, but forget to build a long-term brand foundation. According to research by Harvard Business Review, when a brand relies solely on viral achievements, viewers are easily swept up by instant content without retaining brand recognition or forming lasting emotional connections.

• A trend video can reach millions of views, but the conversion rate to brand loyalty is usually very low.
• Campaigns that fail to maintain a consistent message will make it difficult for customers to remember you in the “sea” of entertainment content.
• Businesses easily fall into short-term thinking: constantly chasing trends while forgetting to build a unique “voice” for the brand.

Case study: Brand A and long-term consequences

For example, Cosmetics Brand A once invested a large budget in viral TikTok “transformation” videos, which reached the top trending for a week.
However, two months after the campaign, a survey conducted by DPS.MEDIA with over 500 target customers showed: only 12% could remember the brand name, while up to 72% were only impressed by the video effects.

“Root” strategy worth prioritizing

Based on campaign implementation experience and insights from the book “Building Strong Brands” by David Aaker, we recommend SMEs should:

• Invest in parallel: Still create trending content but always integrate brand philosophy and clear product benefits.
• Build a series of connected content to create a “signature” for the brand on TikTok.
• Proactively listen to feedback, continuously reposition to maintain the business’s personality in each video.

Key takeaways

TikTok Marketing is not just a game of creativity, but also requires a clear strategy and deep understanding of user behavior. Mistakes such as blindly following trends, ignoring data analysis or not personalizing content can absolutely be avoided if businesses know how to reflect and adjust in time..

At DPS.MEDIA, we believe that an effective TikTok strategy starts with listening to the audience and continuously optimizing based on reality. With experience working alongside many SME businesses in Vietnam, we clearly see the importance of combining data, content creativity, and long-term thinking.

Don’t be afraid to experiment — but experiment strategically. Start by reviewing what you’re doing, identifying weaknesses, and making changes from small steps. At the same time, don’t forget to broaden your perspective by updating new trends and referencing creative approaches from other markets.

If you’re interested, topics such as “Optimizing content according to the conversion funnel on TikTok” or “Applying behavioral data analysis of viewers in short videos” are also worth exploring further.

We look forward to receiving your sharing, feelings, and unique perspectives on the process of implementing TikTok Marketing. Please leave a comment below or join the discussion with the community to develop the most effective and suitable strategies for Vietnamese businesses together.