The team at Wellington-based ad agency Werk. Photo / Supplied
The team at Wellington-based ad agency Werk. Photo / Supplied
Social media has given rise to a seismic shift in how businesses reach and interact with audiences, where millions of potential viewers could be a post away.
But standing out in a crowded content media environment can be tricky.
One Wellington man and his team are trying to help NewZealand businesses become more social, and says TikTok is the place to be right now.
“It’s been really good for a lot of New Zealand businesses pivoting online, changing the way they sell,” Werk co-founder and marketing director Robbie Lawton says.
He says TikTok is becoming an increasingly valuable tool for New Zealand businesses since the Chinese video-sharing app launched its ad platform into the local market.
“Before then, TikTok was essentially just a content platform in New Zealand, and it still is, but now it’s a great tool for businesses to advertise and reach a new audience on,” he said.
“It’s really great for small businesses looking to get the word out about their product because advertising costs are just getting so expensive on so many other platforms, but TikTok is really great value at the moment.”
TikTok is growing in the digital advertising space since getting in the game in 2019.
The social media app makes up 2.4 per cent of digital ad spending in 2022, compared to just 1 per cent in 2021, according to figures released by eMarketer and Insider Intelligence.
Instagram reportedly leads the way for US ad revenue for 2022 at $29.79 billion (NZ$46.9b), followed by Facebook (US$25.75b) and YouTube at just over US$8b.
TikTok, which launched in 2016, reported in 2021 that it had surpassed one billion users.
“I think people are flocking to the app because of how vibrant the content is, how easy it is to put the algorithm to recommend the right content for you,” he says.
“It’s actually about personality, having fun and engaging with each other.
“TikTok is the perfect encapsulation of that.”
Lawton, a freelance advertiser, started Werk at the beginning of 2019 with business partner Benjamin Johnson, who was a freelance commercial photographer.
“My ads needed photos and his clients needed ads to get those photos out there.
“My clients kept asking for other services that I couldn’t provide and same with my business partner and so we were able to join forces and provide a wider suite of services and ever since then we’ve been spotting that there’s a lot of gaps in businesses’ needs.”
Robbie Lawton, co-founder and marketing director of Werk. Photo / Supplied
The full service creative and marketing agency handles everything from dreaming up campaigns and shooting them to dealing with social media platforms and websites.
“They [clients] don’t want to have to engage five or six different providers, they want a trusted partner that can take care of the whole lot,” Lawton said.
“That’s really how our business has gone off, being this sort of outsource marketing and creative department for businesses.
“We make sure all the right people can see it and engage with it and then we can report back on those results and make sure it’s actually doing what it needs to for your business.”
The team has gone from four in its first year to eight full-time staff, plus contractors.
Werk has worked with the likes of Fix & Fogg, Whittaker’s, Precinct Properties and Six Barrel Soda Company.
Lawton said the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic threw a curveball at the freshly formed team at Werk.
“We had to learn very quickly how to react to this new space and it worked out okay.
“It was just being able to support our clients through a very difficult period and actually came out in a very good spot and helped them with their business.”
Lawton says he encourages Kiwi businesses to give TikTok a try.
“It’s not just for young people,” he says.
“You’ll be surprised by how many different niches are on there.”
