10 brands that rule TikTok

TikTok is arguably the most important social media marketing channel for brands today. It offers a unique opportunity for brands to move away from the traditional advertising formula, and become more authentic to expand and connect with younger audiences. 

By creating engaging content and partnering with influencers, brands can leverage TikTok to drive sales right on the app using its eCommerce-friendly features, such as the shopping tab. In fact, Social Media Today reports that 37% of users are more likely to purchase directly from TikTok because it’s entertaining. 

If your brand isn’t on TikTok in 2023, it’s never too late. But it's definitely time to join in on all the fun! It's not as simple as just getting on the platform and making videos, though. The most successful brands have mastered the art of creating relatable and personable content that TikTok users yearn for. 

These are the top 10 brands advancing their TikTok channel by fully embracing all the app has to offer.

1. NBA

@nba HISTORY MADE. LeBron James is now the NBA’s all-time leading scorer. #ScoringKing! 👑🔥 #NBA #LeBronJames #LeBron #King #KingJames #NBAHistory #basketball ♬ original sound - NBA

Since joining TikTok, the NBA has grown their account to over 18.5 million followers. Although the NBA is already a reputable brand on its own, they’re never short of providing their audience with relevant memes, highlights, and inspiring content for their fans. 

The league’s TikTok account has allowed the NBA to build a strong presence and give their fans the space to connect with one another.

2. Duolingo

@duolingo I will not be taking further questions at this time. #duolingo #dulapeepforever #dualingo #whoisjackharlow ♬ original sound - Jack Harlow

If you want to win on social media, you have to take risks. Duolingo achieves this by embracing TikTok culture and humoring their audience with whatever popular TikTok sound or song is trending at the moment. This explains their exceptional 5.9 million followers.

Duolingo’s TikTok strategy comes off effortlessly, but there’s no doubt their social team experiments with different content styles to build their brand and stand out from the competition. For example, Duolingo has a series of funny videos where their owl mascot professes its love for music artist Dua Lipa, basically shipping them together. She’s yet to respond, but the videos continue to go viral.

3. Ryanair

@ryanair Watch and learn how to slide into my Dm’s #ryanair #lotus #rizz ♬ Pass or Smash - 💜The Simple Touches💜

Ryanair is another brand that humanizes their brand by using talking planes to make relevant video content by incorporating internet cultural references to connect with their younger audience and relate to #travelTikTok. Their creative and authentic approach to TikTok has made them the leading airline on TikTok, appealing to their 2 million followers. 

4. Zara

@zara Our LOVE collection is travelling around the world! #zaralovecollection ♬ original sound - ZARA

When it comes to the fashion industry, Zara continues to dominate TikTok with 6.4 million followers and nearly 25 million likes. Zara takes a unique approach to promoting their products using high-quality augmented reality videos, creating a fantasy-esque element to their everyday apparel brand. Zara’s TikTok content keeps their audience on their toes with new drops weekly in a digestible haul format. 

5. Crocs

@crocs And we’re only getting warmed up… #Crocs #CrocsCollection #CrocsEra #Era #CrocTok ♬ original sound - Crocs

Good branding is not just selling the product but the lifestyle that comes with it. Crocs has created a fun and lively personality around its comfort-focused shoe. They’ve managed to engage with their audience by initiating challenges like #thousanddollarcrocs, which encouraged their followers to customize Crocs to what they think their shoe would look like if it cost a thousand dollars. Not only entertaining their audience, Crocs successfully turns their followers into customers with their video content. 

6. Elfyeah

@elfyeah I said what I said 🤪💞 We’re dropping five new brushes at midnight! #elfbrushes #drdave #elfcosmetics ♬ Pass or Smash - 💜The Simple Touches💜

Elf is one of the most popular makeup retailers on TikTok, with over 700K followers and 13 million likes. Elf cosmetics has carefully collaborated with beauty influencers to highlight makeup hacks, push TikTok challenges, and promote their affordable products to gain visibility in the beauty world. 

7. Scrubdaddy

Can you believe a sponge account has 3 million TikTok followers? Scrub Daddy's TikTok is living proof that it's what you make with your content to grab the attention of your target audience. Scrub Daddy strategically connects with their audience while simultaneously increasing their brand awareness and bringing in new customers. 

8. Xbox

Over the years, Xbox has established themselves as a top gaming brand with loyal customers. Their TikTok channel creates engaging content for their longtime customers to indulge in and reel in new customers from their competition. 

What makes Xbox’s content stand out? Their ability to tastefully poke fun at their audience with short yet relatable videos to connect with them. 

9. Gymshark

Leading a TikTok community of 4.4 million followers, Gymsharks’ popularity was actually spearheaded by influencers. Not new to social media marketing, Gymshark creates quality videos, offering relatable content for the online fitness community to engage in.

In order to boost TikTok followers, Gymshark uses user-generated content (UGC) to stay away from promotional ads, the latter of which may not necessarily resonate with the younger TikTok audience. Their goal is to entertain their audience and promote their brand organically.

10. Levis

When Levi’s first jumped on TikTok, they saw success very early. They understood the benefit of TikTok as a marketing channel. Levi’s ran multiple campaigns, collaborated with influencers, and pushed TikTok challenges to promote their brands. 

Considering TikTok has a heavy Gen Z and Millennial presence, Levi’s leverages the online digital shopping experience TikTok offers to drive sales.

The takeaway

The beauty of TikTok is that there's an audience for everything. As long as you’re putting out content that’s consistent and creative, your brand will see more success on the app. It's important to note that TikTok requires your brand to be more authentic, so don’t be afraid to bring out that side when creating video content and reaching your target audience.

Through TikTok's algorithm-driven feed, users can discover and connect with like-minded individuals, and find a sense of community. Whether it's through shared interests, humor, or social causes. This sense of belonging has become increasingly important for a generation that has grown up in a rapidly changing and uncertain world. By using TikTok to form connections and build communities, Gen Z is redefining what it means to find a sense of belonging in the digital age.