Short-form video has become one of the most important content formats in modern digital marketing. TikTok pushed that shift into the mainstream by rewarding entertainment, immediacy, relatability, and platform-native storytelling far more than polished ad-style production.
That creates a useful challenge for brands: if you want attention on TikTok, you need to behave more like a relevant creator and less like a conventional advertiser. The best-performing examples are rarely just promotional. They are recognisable, entertaining, and easy to share.
Below are examples of brands that adapted to the platform well and lessons businesses can take from them when planning their own TikTok content.
Quick summary
- TikTok brand marketing works best when content feels native to the platform rather than overly polished or corporate.
- The strongest brand examples usually combine entertainment, relevance, and repeatable creative formats.
- TikTok campaigns are more useful when linked to brand awareness, social strategy, and wider content planning.
Here are seven brands on TikTok that are killing it with their content strategies
1. Semrush
Anyone still doubting that businesses can find success on TikTok is missing out. Semrush, a keyword research tool, is one company doing a great job with marketing on the platform. What they do is quite miraculous; they provide search marketers with precious data in an engaging and enjoyable format.
Posts from this company often sound like they come from something other than a business-to-business outfit. They provide a primer on the subject of the search, followed by a satirical take on it. Not to mention the fact that the search terms themselves are comical.
2. Netflix
In addition to its 26 million TikTok followers, Netflix has legions of devoted admirers who actively share and promote the service's videos. The videos are always lighthearted and amusing, and many are taken directly from the video streaming to advertise releases, and behind-the-scenes content, including exclusive personal interviews with the actors.
Because of this, users of the platform feel that they are a part of something exclusive. Further, Netflix's TikTok profile wagers on brief games with the audience and amusing cuts from the shows to boost interaction and organic promotion of its material.
3. WANNA
Influencers in marketing have exploded on the video-sharing platform TikTok. You may connect with your target demographic and start a brand-specific community according to the platform's founders. Marketing for the new augmented app "Wanna Kicks" from the fashion tech business WANNA was geared toward the millennial and Gen Z demographic.
WANNA sought to boost app downloads and interest in their brand and products by collaborating with TikTok's content creators, and this felt like a promising approach. Ultimately, it's the creator's responsibility to stay abreast of whatever influences the buyer.
4. NBA
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a fantastic example that has figured out how to reach out to TikTok users uniquely and establish a distinct identity on the site. The National Basketball Association (NBA) uses its official TikTok channel to show the organization's more relaxed, humorous side by sharing behind-the-scenes clips and player entertainment with its followers.
5. Shopify
Another business-to-business (B2B) brand that has figured out how to reach the TikTok demographic effectively. They have been using the site for over two years, so they have much knowledge and expertise to share.
Shopify's approach differs slightly from Semrush's because it emphasizes various video formats. However, the overarching themes are consistent to better connect with business owners and entrepreneurs.
They experimented with various video formats before settling on the ones that brought them the massive audience and steady traction they enjoy today. In other words, if your company is getting into TikTok marketing, hitting this perfect spot is crucial.
6. GoPro
GoPro is a famous brand on TikTok, and the company has built much of its marketing strategy around user-created videos. Activating your community by giving them a platform to share their opinions and inspiring them to produce high-quality content is a winning tactic.
The results of the company's use of its TikTok account, which it utilizes to share fan-created videos, speak for themselves. They've already got over 2.2 million dedicated fans, which keeps rising.
7. Chipotle
If it comes to TikTok content, marketers frequently think of Chipotle. Using a well-thought-out campaign that included videos, memes, and humorous material, the brand successfully became the first large restaurant chain to launch an authorized TikTok account in 2019.
More than 250,000 videos were submitted to the #GuacDance challenge in only six days since the brand encouraged its fans to get involved. That's why Chipotle sold over 800,000 bowls of the dip on National Guacamole Day.
Conclusion
Businesses are utilizing TikTok to communicate with their audiences and provide them with valuable content. Thus, it is becoming increasingly important for marketers to allocate resources to this channel and modify their content strategy accordingly. Many of the strategies employed by the featured brands to generate viral content and an engaged following on TikTok are shared by other brands in this article.
Investment in memes, unique and funny material, company secrets, lessons, challenges, and hashtags are just a few methods to set yourself apart from the competition and build rapport with your target audience.
