3 Ways to Level Up your Tech & Telco Ads on TikTok

Tech & telco brands thrive on innovation and creativity, and the opportunity to express this on TikTok is huge. But this opportunity can also invite questions: what's the most effective type of creative for my audience? What type of content will really get my brand results?

We know that branded content and TikTok go hand-in-hand: 64% of users agree that branded content is immersive and entertaining on TikTok and 3 in 5 agree that branded content feels more authentic on TikTok vs other platforms [1]. So, to arm tech & telco brands with the knowledge and recommendations they need to create branded content on TikTok that really resonates, we undertook a multi-market study to unearth the best creative practices that are proven to drive key brand and campaign metrics.

We analysed 200 best-in-class TikTok videos and surveyed 7500 TikTok users across 5 markets to discover the three main principles tech & telco brands can use to produce creative that drives cutting-edge results*. Read on to find out what they are.

1. Embrace the human side

Tech & telco products are at the heart of people's everyday lives, which is why 56% of users want tech & telco content to be set in the home and 65% want it to feature everyday people [1]. We also found that 65% of TikTok users love tech & telco content that has a friendly and welcoming tone [1]. With this in mind, tech & telco brands can humanise technicalities and build trust with audiences through finessing tone, content and setting.

Activation suggestions:

• Here to help: Help your consumers make educated decisions by giving them the facts they need, delivered in a way they can easily understand.

• Technology for all: Show the technology as being part of people's daily routines.

• Show and tell: Tech brands should show users how to get the best out of new product features, with a focus on ease and hacks.

• Price wise: Telco videos should focus on price, deals and flexible contracts.

• Utilise public spaces: Go outside the normal tech 'settings' and meet users in the wild. Public settings are more likely to drive purchases than other metrics, perhaps because users can easily put themselves in each setting, making the content more relatable.

2. Be a calming expert voice

Competition is high in the tech & telco category, and consumers often face choice paralysis when considering these products. Portraying a calming, authoritative voice is a way of cutting through to consumers and assuaging difficulties in consideration – 57% of TikTok users prefer tech & telco content to have a calm and relaxed mood [1].

We also found that a third of users want to see experts featured in tech & telco content on TikTok and 60% prefer this content to contain only vital information about the product or brand [1]. So, don’t be afraid to bring in expert voices to your videos, but make sure information is presented in an accessible and digestible way.

Activation suggestions:

• Problem-solution arc: Show technology resolving frictions in consumers' lives, with clear explanations, demos or hacks from people in the know.

• Chilled vibes: Shoot in informal settings, everyday clothes, with ambient music to keep things relaxed.

• Show the way: Tech brands should show demos of products in use by experts while Telco brands should utilise influencer comparisons and reviews, especially in-store and on the street.

• Purposeful direction: Tech & telco call-to-actions work best when they're unambiguous and said directly by the familiar person in the video. Make the messaging clear and to the point, with clear direction to the brand website and/or where to try and buy the product itself.

Top tip: Tech & telco brands can depend on creators to build trust and credibility with their audiences across different points on their path to purchase. Leverage the TikTok Creator Marketplace (TTCM) to find the right creators for your brand and generate creative to make your content go further.

Take inspiration from Jazztel:

3. Embody positivity

Successful tech & telco ads build bright visual worlds, full of potential and optimism. For the users we surveyed, the number one most loved creative feature for tech content was a positive and optimistic feel, with the majority loving simple, clean and polished, and light and bright visuals.

Activation suggestions:

• Clean and colourful: Avoid clutter, keep your visuals clean and polished and add colour to brighten things up.

• New beginnings: Create a mood of personal hope and optimism and verbally emphasise new innovative aspects of products to help them stand out.

• Let creativity shine: Tech brands should show how products can be used in the worlds of art, design, music and beauty – use talent and individualism to show off your tech.

Lightyears ahead

Successful tech & telco brands on TikTok highlight ease of use, fair pricing, and broad access in their content. Their ads on TikTok showcase vibrant, optimistic worlds and focus on making daily tasks simpler for real people, especially emphasising affordability and product features.

We have a wealth of tools and solutions to help you level up your TikTok ads. Check out TikTok Symphony, our new suite of creative solutions powered by generative AI, or partner with creative production experts using the TikTok Creative Exchange (TTCX), our one-stop solution that enables fast, scalable high-performing video production for TikTok. And, for an in-depth look at creating for TikTok, check out our creative codebook.

If you want to learn more about the opportunity for tech brands on TikTok, check out this blog post. And to get insights like these straight to your inbox, sign up for our dedicated tech newsletter.

*Not all three principles need to be leveraged within one TikTok creative. They can be dialled up and down depending on brand personality, voice and tone.