What is TikTok and why has it become the hottest short video platform in the world? As of 2024, TikTok has surpassed more than 1 billion monthly active users globally, creating a vibrant and diverse content ecosystem with unlimited reach. For SMEs in Vietnam, understanding how TikTok operates is the key to harnessing the power of digital marketing in the new era.
What sets TikTok apart lies in its intelligent algorithm and creative content model. This algorithm not only relies on likes or shares but also analyzes users“ viewing habits, thereby personalizing the experience and making videos easily go ”viral”. The ability to quickly connect creators and audiences has made TikTok an effective marketing channel, with superior brand awareness compared to traditional platforms.
According to observations from DPS.MEDIA – a digital marketing consulting unit for many SMEs in Vietnam, TikTok is not only a place for entertainment but also a “golden land” to build a community of potential customers, creating differentiation in multi-channel marketing strategies. Understanding how TikTok works will help you seize the opportunity to reach young audiences, develop your brand flexibly and sustainably in the digital future.
Discover the essence of TikTok and why it has become a global phenomenon
Personalization algorithm – The driving force behind its appeal
TikTok not just a simple short video sharing platform but also a sophisticated algorithm system, helping each user receive relevant content almost instantly. According to research from Harvard Business Review and the 2023 digital marketing market report, the key difference lies in the ability to “learn user behavior”, thereby customizing the video feed to be completely personalized.
This helps TikTok easily attract viewers from all walks of life, cultures, and different content consumption habits globally. Not just for entertainment, with this mechanism, TikTok turns every video into an effective marketing “touchpoint” for businesses, especially SMEs wanting to reach target customers accurately and quickly.
The power of community and the trend of viral content
Besides the algorithm, TikTok fully leverages the community aspect through challenges, hashtag trends, and viral music. Marketing campaigns are designed to encourage participation and positive interaction from users, creating a natural viral effect (organic reach) without the need for a huge advertising budget.
For example, the #ĐặcSắcViệtNam campaign by an SME travel brand in collaboration with local influencers attracted millions of views in just a few weeks, contributing to increased brand awareness and a strong boost in local visitors. This is clear evidence of TikTok's multi-dimensional media power in the context of modern marketing competition.
| Factors | Effective for SME businesses |
|---|---|
| Personalization algorithm | Increase engagement, reach specific audiences, reduce advertising costs |
| Challenges & Hashtag trends | Create natural virality, promote rapid recognition |
| Short, easy-to-consume content | Retain viewers, increase the potential for rapid virality |
| Diverse creative features | Encourage users to role-play, interact more deeply |
How TikTok's algorithm optimizes user experience
Overview of user behavior collection and analysis mechanisms
TikTok algorithm operates based on a system that records detailed user interactions, including video views, watch time, likes, comments, shares, and even quick scrolling behaviors. Thereby, the platform uses machine learning to continuously analyze personal habits and preferences, helping to continuously personalize content on the For You page (FYP).
The special point here is the dynamic nature of the algorithm: it not only relies on past data but also takes real-time feedback to adjust content more appropriately. research from Harvard Business Review, the ability to quickly adapt to user trends is one of the key factors helping TikTok maintain its “hotness” and high virality.
Factors optimizing experience and increasing engagement
through algorithm design
- Multidimensional content classification: TikTok evaluates videos based on multiple criteria such as genre, mood, length, and accompanying music to create a rich and engaging feed.
- Creator credibility score: The algorithm prioritizes creators with a history of positive engagement and quality content – this encourages the sustainable growth of the creative ecosystem.
- Ability to discover and experiment with new content: Sometimes, TikTok will show videos that are less related to the user's viewing habits to give users a chance to be exposed to new trends, helping the platform avoid monotony and increase community creativity.
DPS.MEDIA once consulted for a small cosmetics SME in Hanoi, applied advertising via TikTok and found that after 2 months, thanks to understanding how the algorithm works, the channel's engagement increased by more than 120% compared to before. This is vivid proof of the power of the algorithm in accurately targeting the right customers.
Comparing the effectiveness of TikTok's algorithm with other platforms
| Criteria | TikTok | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Real-time behavior analysis | Very sensitive, updated with each view | Slower updates, based on history | Not as optimized as TikTok |
| Personalize content | High, multi-factor and dynamic | Mainly based on relationship networks | Relatively high but limited in new trends |
| Content diversity | Flexible, quick experimentation | Prioritizes content from friends and fanpages | Focuses on personal images & videos |
| User interaction and retention | High, thanks to continuous algorithm improvements | Stable | No strong breakthrough yet |
Marketing potential on TikTok for small and medium businesses in Vietnam
Attraction and methods of reaching customers through TikTok
TikTok is not just a simple entertainment platform,but has become a highly potential marketing tool for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Vietnam. With over 70 million domestic users, TikTok offers a diverse, dynamic community that especially favors creative, concise content. This encourages businesses to effectively leverage viral videos, thereby increasing brand awareness or stimulating purchases in a natural way.
DPS.MEDIA has tracked many successful case studies in the Vietnamese market where SMEs have applied TikTok to their digital marketing strategies. For example, a young fashion brand grew its revenue by 150% in just 3 months thanks to a creative “challenge” campaign, attracting hundreds of thousands of interactions and shares, helping them quickly expand their customer base at low cost.
Distinctive factors helping SMEs grow via TikTok
- Personalized algorithm feature – Delivers relevant content to the right target audience without needing a large advertising budget.
- High interactivity – With tools like duet, stitch, and direct comments, businesses can build a loyal fan community.
- Low access cost – Compared to traditional advertising, TikTok allows SMEs to start with a small budget and flexibly scale up.
| Benefits of TikTok for SMEs | Practical impact |
|---|---|
| Increase brand recognition | Quickly goes viral, builds a youthful, approachable brand |
| Reach target customers | Personalized algorithm increases effective conversion rates |
| Optimizing advertising costs | Flexible budget, suitable for SME scale |
| Interact and build community | Encourages creativity, develops loyal customers |
Strategies for creating engaging content and increasing interaction on TikTok
Understanding user behavior to optimize content on TikTok
DPS.MEDIA It is noted that success on TikTok is not only based on creative ideas but also depends on scientifically analyzing user behavior. TikTok operates on a smart content recommendation algorithm, based on video view rates, user responses (like, comment, share), and interaction time. Therefore, content creation needs to be personalized, targeting a clear audience group and leveraging trending or highly entertaining topics. For example: a food brand for young people can apply a fun content strategy, combining 15-30 second challenges that easily spread and create rapid viral effects.
Core elements that make videos engaging and boost interaction
Short, creative content with clear storytelling is considered the “golden key” to increasing engagement. From academic studies by Harvard Business Review published, viewers retain information more effectively when videos have a fast pace, eye-catching visuals, and strong emotions. In addition, DPS.MEDIA suggests some points to note:
- Investment in film production techniques: effects, smooth transitions, suitable sound to retain viewers.
- Optimize Captions and Hashtags: support the algorithm to easily reach the right target audience.
- Posting discipline: maintain a regular posting frequency to increase visibility on FYP (For You Page).
Case study: Vietnamese brands breaking through thanks to TikTok
| Brand | Content strategy | Outstanding results |
|---|---|---|
| Phuong 20 Bread | Take advantage of music trends, combine viral “day in life” format + attach local hashtags | Sales increased by 351%, account gained 150k followers in just 2 months |
| Moc Mac Coffee Chain | Video introducing the preparation process, combined with interactive mini games | Average interaction increased by 200% compared to before, expanding customers in Ho Chi Minh City |
Analysis of user behavior and current content consumption trends on TikTok
Habits and diverse content trends on TikTok
From DPS.MEDIA's perspective, TikTok is not just a place for entertainment but also a “gold mine” for extracting information about user behavior. Viewers are increasingly inclined towards short videos, highly interactive and easy to consume on mobile phones. According to research by GlobalWebIndex (2023), on average, each TikTok user spends from 52 minutes to 75 minutes per day on this platform, showing stable attraction and continuous growth. Diverse content from entertainment, education to e-commerce all find their “living space”.
We can divide content consumption behavior on TikTok into main groups:
- Fast-engaged audience: prefer videos that are curious, quick entertainment, and easy to understand.
- Knowledge seekers: spend time watching instructional videos, tips, and in-depth knowledge in a concise format.
- Potential buyers: access creative, highly personalized advertising videos that are easy to interact with.
Case study: Creative content strategies helping Vietnamese SMEs break through on TikTok
A small cosmetics business in Ho Chi Minh City applied user behavior analysis on TikTok to develop an effective customer outreach strategy. Instead of focusing solely on traditional advertising, they created quick makeup tutorial videos – suitable for the “Knowledge Seekers” group. Result:
| Indicators | Before applying TikTok | after 3 months on TikTok |
|---|---|---|
| Follower growth | 500 | 15,000 |
| Average interaction rate | 1.2% | 8.5% |
| Direct revenue through TikTok | Negligible | Increased by 40% |
Through this example, it can be seen that:
- Personalization and relevant content are key factors in attracting and retaining viewers.
- Leveraging the right user behavior helps increase online conversion effectiveness, bringing practical benefits to small businesses.
Quoted from DPS.MEDIA's digital marketing expert: “To succeed with TikTok, creativity alone is not enough; you must also understand each customer segment on the platform.”
Practical advice for businesses to effectively leverage TikTok in digital marketing campaigns
Understanding formats and user behavior on TikTok
TikTok is not simply a traditional social network but an ecosystem of short videos with extremely fast virality. According to research by eMarketer (2023), the average duration of each TikTok video is only 15-60 seconds, requiring businesses to convey their message in a concise, creative, and highly impressive way right from the first seconds. DPS.MEDIA recommends that SMEs invest in developing content tailored to their target audience according to each trending topic, while also taking advantage of exclusive effects and music to increase engagement.
Typical example: Vietnamese fashion brand ANNI created an extremely effective viral campaign by combining a (#Hashtag Challenge) with a trending dance on TikTok, helping increase website traffic by 35% and boost brand awareness among young customers in just 2 weeks.
Diverse content strategies and optimizing posting times
From the perspective of DPS.MEDIA, the key factor for success on TikTok lies in the combination diverse content formats include:
- Quick tutorial videos
- Behind-the-scenes (production backstage)
- Storytelling to tell the brand story
- Live stream to interact directly with customers
- UGC Content (User Generated Content) – leveraging customers as brand ambassadors
In addition, data analysis and experimenting with posting times cannot be overlooked. Research from Social Media Examiner (2024) shows that the period from 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM on weekday evenings is when TikTok users are most active. Effectively managing the posting schedule combined with quick responses will help businesses retain and build a loyal community on the platform.
| Content Type | Objectives | Advantages |
|---|---|---|
| Tutorials | Increase useful value | Increase engagement, easy to share |
| Behind-the-scenes | Build trust | Create emotional connection |
| Storytelling | Make a deep impression | boost brand awareness |
| Live stream | Increase direct interaction | Stimulate immediate purchases |
| UGC | Expand reach | Increase credibility and brand presence |
Development trends and new opportunities that TikTok brings to the Vietnamese market
TikTok – A technological lever for Vietnam's SME market
TikTok not just a simple entertainment platform but also a tool that opens up business development opportunitiesDataReportal 2024, more than 70% of TikTok users in Vietnam are aged 18-34 – the most potential customer group for creative and dynamic brands.
DPS.MEDIA clearly sees the trend of SMEs leveraging TikTok to build brand image, increase customer engagement through short, lively, and emotionally deep content. For example: A coffee chain in Hanoi increased sales by 40% after just 3 months of running a creative video campaign on TikTok, thanks to utilizing hashtag challenges and influencer marketing that fit youth culture.
Strategic advantages from TikTok for Vietnamese businesses
- Rapid virality: Content on TikTok easily becomes a “trend”, creating a positive community effect.
- Optimized costs: Compared to traditional advertising, TikTok helps SMEs save thanks to automated ad models and flexible format options.
- Multi-dimensional user behavior data: Advertisers can easily analyze and adjust campaigns based on insights into specific habits and preferences.
- Diversification of creative formats: From short videos, challenges to livestream sales, TikTok expands superior interaction methods.
| Business type | Opportunities on TikTok | Typical Case Study |
|---|---|---|
| Young fashion brand | Create viral challenges, connect with KOLs | Local Brand “Luna” increased followers by 50% in 2 months |
| Food & Restaurant | Direct livestream, unique dish reviews | The standout Bun Cha restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City attracts 30k views/video |
| Beauty services | Short inspiration through videos, product usage instructions | “An Nhien” Spa increased bookings by 201% through TikTok |
Key takeaways
TikTok is not just an entertainment platform, but also a gateway to countless opportunities for content creators and SMEs seeking a highly potential communication channel. With its powerful virality, intelligent algorithm, and extremely dynamic user community, TikTok is reshaping how we access and interact with digital content.
Understanding how TikTok works—from its content distribution algorithm, user behavior, to suitable video formats—will help Vietnamese businesses maximize available resources without requiring a large budget. This is no longer a 'playground' just for the youth, but is becoming a powerful tool for brands to connect with customers naturally and effectively.
At DPS.MEDIA, we regularly accompany small and medium enterprises, advising on digital marketing strategies suitable for each segment, including building a brand on TikTok. Starting early and in the right direction can create a clear competitive advantage in the ever-changing digital environment. If you are considering bringing your business to TikTok or want to learn more about content optimization strategies on this platform, please leave a comment below. We look forward to hearing your perspective and expanding this exciting conversation about the colorful digital world together!
