Which Businesses Perform Well on TikTok?

TikTok changed everything. The app that started as a teen dance platform transformed into a marketing powerhouse where businesses of all sizes compete for attention. But not every company finds success on TikTok. Some absolutely crush it while others barely make a dent.

So, what separates the winners from the wannabes? 

TikTok’s Unique Appeal

TikTok plays by different rules. Forget everything you know about traditional marketing. This platform rewards raw creativity over polished perfection.

The algorithm doesn’t care about your follower count. It cares about watch time, engagement, and shares. A tiny business can outperform a Fortune 500 company if their content hits right. That’s the beauty of it. Small businesses compete on equal footing with massive corporations. All that matters is whether people stop scrolling to watch your video.

Smart companies get this. They create content that feels natural to the platform. No hard sells. No corporate speak. Just genuine, entertaining videos that happen to feature their products. Many businesses also use tools like the best text to speech software to add engaging narration without hiring voice actors. It keeps costs down while maintaining quality.

Beauty and Skincare Brands Lead the Pack

Beauty brands own TikTok. Makeup transformations are basically made for short-form video. A 30-second glow-up catches eyes and stops thumbs. Brands like Rare Beauty understood this early. They partnered with creators who genuinely loved their products. No scripts. No forced talking points. Just real people sharing real results.

Unknown brands blow up overnight on TikTok. One viral video showcasing an innovative product can create instant sellouts. Remember when everyone suddenly needed that color-changing blush? Or that viral face mask that peeled off in one satisfying sheet?

The secret? Solve problems quickly. Show results immediately. Make it satisfying to watch.

Fashion Retailers Embrace Trend Culture

Fashion thrives on TikTok because fashion IS trends. And TikTok creates trends faster than any platform in history.

Shein figured this out fast. They don’t just sell clothes. They sell the dream of being trendy. Their haul videos tap into something primal. Who doesn’t love watching someone open packages? Princess Polly does something similar but adds personality. Their content feels like advice from a stylish friend rather than a brand pushing products.

Local boutiques found gold too. They film try-on sessions. Style one dress five ways. Show real bodies in real clothes. Authenticity wins every time.

The smartest fashion brands encourage customers to post their own content. User-generated videos build trust. When someone sees a regular person rocking an outfit, it feels achievable. Relatable. That drives sales better than any professional photoshoot.

Food and Beverage Companies Cook Up Success

Chipotle wrote the playbook for restaurants on TikTok. They understood something crucial. People don’t want commercials. They want entertainment that happens to feature burritos.

Their challenges got millions participating. Behind-the-scenes videos humanized employees. They turned food prep into must-watch content. Genius.

Small restaurants often outperform chains though. A charismatic chef explaining their grandmother’s recipe? Gold. A server with comedic timing showcasing daily specials? Viral material. Authenticity beats budget every single time.

Drink brands kill it too. Starbucks benefits from endless user content featuring secret menu hacks. Energy drinks sponsor creators who embody their brand energy. Trendy beverage companies design drinks specifically to photograph well. Pink drinks. Color-changing drinks. Anything Instagram-worthy translates to TikTok success.

Entertainment and Gaming Industries Win Big

Entertainment businesses promoting entertainment on an entertainment platform? It just works.

Netflix turned their shows into meme factories. They understand TikTok culture deeply. Instead of traditional trailers, they create shareable moments. Funny outtakes. Cast chemistry. Anything that sparks conversation.

Gaming companies found their tribe on TikTok. Quick gameplay clips showcase the fun without requiring long explanations. Mobile games especially benefit. Show 15 seconds of addictive gameplay and watch downloads soar. Gaming tips, funny glitches, and epic wins to exciting music all perform incredibly well.

The key? Don’t oversell. Let the content speak for itself.

Educational Businesses Find Their Niche

Who knew education could be entertaining? TikTok proved it possible.

Duolingo became legendary by embracing chaos. Their owl mascot acts unhinged. Threatening. Hilarious. It shouldn’t work for a language app but it absolutely does. They understood TikTok’s absurdist humor and ran with it.

Other educational businesses take different approaches. Quick math tricks. Science experiments. History facts that blow minds. The format forces educators to distill complex ideas into digestible bites. Turns out, people love learning when it doesn’t feel like homework.

Online course creators build massive audiences by giving away valuable tips. It seems counterintuitive. Why buy courses if the content’s free? But these snippets build trust. They showcase expertise. They create desire for deeper learning.

The Common Thread

What connects all these success stories? Several things actually.

First, entertainment value trumps everything. Every successful business on TikTok understands they’re competing with cat videos and dance trends. Their content must be equally engaging or users scroll past.

Second, consistency without being annoying. Regular posting keeps you visible but spam kills engagement. Quality always beats quantity.

Third, humanity wins. Show faces. Share stories. Make mistakes. Laugh at yourself. Corporate polish feels fake on TikTok. Audiences crave connection with real people, even when those people represent brands.

Finally, successful businesses respect the platform. They don’t force traditional advertising into TikTok’s format. They create content specifically designed for vertical video. Short attention spans. Sound-on viewing. They speak TikTok’s language fluently.

The businesses crushing it on TikTok get one fundamental truth. You’re not there to sell. You’re there to entertain, educate, or inspire. Do that well and sales follow naturally. Force it and users flee immediately.

That’s the TikTok difference. That’s why some businesses explode while others implode. Master the platform’s unique culture and amazing things happen. Fight against it and you’re just another skipped ad in an endless scroll.