Exclusive: How Telstra reinvented itself for TikTok and expanded its reach by millions

If your business has been failing to get traction through Facebook and Instagram, it might be worth considering TikTok instead.

There’s a much lower barrier to entry on hitting virality, as the videos you post will inherently be seen by more people due to the TikTok algorithm serving up content based on interests.

It’s also a chance to position your brand differently, or try out a unique voice that can appeal to an alternative set of customers.

Given TikTok is the only non-Facebook owned app to pass 3 billion downloads — excluding gaming apps — it’s not likely to go away anytime soon. When SmartCompany Plus last wrote on TikTok, it had 690 million active daily users in April, 2021. By August, that had grown to 730 million.

In the near future, TikTok accounts may be used as a way to log in to other websites, as Facebook is now.

As Chris Stokel-Walker, author of TikTok Boom: China’s Dynamite App and the Superpower Race for Social Media argues: “TikTok is set to become a portal to the rest of the internet”.

But how can businesses build their brand by growing an audience on the app?

SmartCompany Plus has previously profiled how digital bank Up and artisanal lolly brand Sticky used TikTok to grow revenue.

In this article, we take a look behind the scenes at how one of Australia’s biggest brands, Telstra, has found success on the platform by working with influencers and setting a different tone to its other social media accounts.

To break it down, we interviewed Telstra’s head of communications, Nicole McKechnie; Brett Armstrong, TikTok’s general manager of global business solutions in Australia and New Zealand; and TikTok influencer Nathan Lyons, known as kookingwithakoori on the app.

But first, here are some basics about TikTok.

What makes TikTok different

TikTok is a video-sharing platform that allows users to post videos up to three-minutes long. When it first rose to prominence, the videos were limited to a maximum of 15 seconds, then increased to 60, and now the three-minute mark.

TikTok users navigate the app through the ‘For You Page’, which is the equivalent of the Facebook feed, or Twitter timeline. This is often abbreviated to ‘FYP’.

Unlike Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, which are mostly user-guided through the pages you choose to follow or interact with, new TikTok users will download the app, and immediately start scrolling. Then, based on what they like, watch, and linger on, TikTok will serve up similar content it thinks they will watch.

This means TikTok users are already used to seeing content they have not signed up to, and new users or trends every single day; so, advertisements on TikTok fit in much more seamlessly. You can follow the same trends and use the same sounds or video effects, making ads almost indistinguishable from other videos when done well.

Most videos on TikTok will have an element of dancing, music or distinct audio, person-to-camera talking, captions, and transitions. The best videos usually creatively combine elements of them all, and remix or build on existing videos.

Telstra and TikTok

Telstra’s April–May 2021 TikTok campaign had a simple message: the telco’s 5G coverage is the best in the country.

Titled ‘Coverage Matters’, the campaign included content directly published through Testra’s TikTok page, and content from TikTok influencers featuring the phrase ‘coverage matters’.

First, take a look at this video Telstra made for its TikTok page, which taps into the same idea.

@telstra

Switching to 5G be like… #telstra

♬ Heavenly Sheeeeesh by veryveryvinny – VINNY

 

It uses a popular audio track on TikTok, first created by user Vinny Marchi, which has now been used over 79,000 times on the app. Many of the videos feature the same motif of heavenly levitation.

To make it original, all Telstra had to do was add a five second shot of a phone screen changing between a 4G and 5G connection.

It’s simple marketing, and allows Telstra to reach users that have watched any videos that have used the same sound. To date, 1.6 million people have seen the video on TikTok, while Telstra has only 45,000 followers in total. Telstra’s stated goal of its TikTok account was to reach millennials.

“On TikTok, brands have the opportunity to create TikToks, not ads, that speak to the community and invite them in to join a conversation,” says TikTok’s Brett Armstrong.

And Telstra does this well — its TikTok content is a world away from its usual television ads.

Telstra’s head of communications, Nicole McKechnie, says spending time on the app and understanding the TikTok community was the crucial first step.

“Our strategy for TikTok has been single-minded from the start: build engagement and affinity with younger audiences,” says McKechnie.

“You can’t hope to achieve that as a brand unless you truly invest the time as a member of the community first, building your understanding of the nuances and how your audience engages.”

Telstra’s personality on TikTok is defined as ‘a bit sassy and sarcastic, but still sharp’, according to McKechnie.

“A key principle behind our TikTok strategy is showing the audience that we’re ‘fans like you’. We don’t want to look or sound like the big, out of touch brand in the room — we want the audience to experience us just like another creator in the community.”

Another good example of Telstra making itself relatable to younger audiences is this video:

@telstraBet they’re calling CJ 😂 ##telstra♬ original sound – Telstra

 

Telsta connects the longevity of its pay phone service to the 2004 hit game Grand Theft Auto, San Andreas (set in a 1992 fictionalised Los Angeles), with the video already being viewed 400,000 times on TikTok.

Telstra’s top TikTok tips

1. Get to know the channel intimately first. Only then can your campaign hope to feel authentic and engaging to the audience. If you don’t, you’ll stand out for all the wrong reasons and come off looking like the out-of-touch brand in the room.

2. Partner with creators. This is critical when you’re still finding your voice as a brand. There are thousands of wonderful creators on TikTok who can help you tell your story in a way that will engage your audience.

3. Be active in the community. Keep the comments open and be ready and willing to engage. Like most social channels, TikTok thrives on community engagement — it can make or break your campaign.

Getting results from influencer collaborations

Unlike the glossy, idealised content of Instagram or the corporate veneer of LinkedIn, TikTok videos have a much more DIY-like authenticity.

So to get the best results from influencer collaborations, you’re better off giving them free rein to create content that their audience would find indistinguishable to what they normally post.

Telstra did exactly this, and was rewarded with:

• 2.5 million reach;
• Three times the AU benchmark for advertisements on TikTok, with a six-second view-through rate; and
• A CPM of $2.67 (cost per thousand impressions).

Nathan Lyons, better known as @kookingwithakoori, rose to fame on TikTok by sharing the budget-friendly meals he cooks for his six kids while managing two jobs. Easy on your time and wallet, and keeping his six ‘picky eaters’ happy, his accessible meals and upbeat personality have built an audience of 150,000 followers, with 1.6 million likes.

On average, his videos are watched between 20,000-300,000 times, with a few videos that reach 1-2 million views.

Lyons has made two videos for Telstra’s ‘coverage matters’ campaign, both of which combine his food content with Telstra’s messaging goals.

The first video taps into the broader internet debate of pineapple on pizza, with Lyons dumping a comical amount of the divisive topping on his brother’s pizza, because ‘coverage matters’.

@kookingwithakooriKooking with a koori 🖤💛❤️Pineapple belongs on a pizza @telstra #coveragematters #ad #madfeedz #pizza #pineapple #foodtiktok #fyp #australia♬ original sound – Kooking with a koori

 

The second video makes a similar gag, but replaces pineapple on pizza for a devon sandwich saturated in tomato sauce. Again, ‘coverage matters’.

@kookingwithakooriKooking with a koori🖤💛❤️Tomato sauce cravings, @telstra ##coveragematters ##ad ##madfeedz ##devon ##ketchup ##foodtiktok ##fyp ##australia ##foodie♬ original sound – Kooking with a koori

 

The videos have been watched by 40,000, and 50,000 people respectively.

Lyons tells SmartCompany Plus he’s also worked with other brands including Logitech, Electrolux, Keens, Australian Eggs, and Ho Mai Yum Cha.

“I feel having freedom to create stuff that the audience would like as well is essential, as we generally know what our audience will respond and engage with,” he says.

“It’s great when creators can be authentic and add our own take — like I have done in my content for Telstra. We know what works and what doesn’t for our following, so it’s great when brands trust this.”

What advice does TikTok offer?

TikTok is working hard to win business from established social media sites, vying for brands’ marketing budgets.

So if you’re a smaller business that’s a little intimidated by working on a new platform, the Australian team will support you, according to Armstrong.

“We have a dedicated SMB team that works with businesses across Australia to advise on creative best practices and help them to meaningfully connect with our community,” he says.

“We believe all brands are created equal, so businesses from the big end of town to sole traders have access to the same products and creative tools on TikTok — meaning that it’s easy to jump in and get started.”

Armstrong’s three tips for businesses

1. Keep it simple and fun

   TikTok is real, it’s quirky and it’s fun. The TikTok community is used to having quick and digestible information shared with them regularly. There is a reason #EduTok has over 134 billion views on the platform. People come to TikTok to learn and be entertained, so teach them while keeping your information succinct and interesting.

2. Engage through creators

   TikTok has a talented and diverse creator community that are specialists in developing content for the platform. Tap into them and use their expertise to bring to life your messages in unique and engaging ways.

3. Make use of sound

   TikTok is born from sound, and music is a massive part of the experience. It is a powerful tool in not only driving recognition of a brand but bringing attention to it in the first place. So, when you’re developing content, make sure you think about how you can communicate your brand’s message sonically as well as visually.

Want more advice on where to start?

1. TikTok’s dedicated page for businesses
2. TikTok’s advice for content creators
3. Privacy, security, and mental health tips