TikTok Organic Ranking Flywheel

TikTok is creating a paradigm shift in how brands grow and how consumers discover products. The platform offers unprecedented marketing opportunities through its unique distribution model.

The TikTok Paradigm Shift

• 30% of Gen Z uses TikTok as their primary news source
• TikTok is replacing Google as a search engine for younger generations
• People want to "visually see" products/experiences rather than read text reviews
• This shift is creating opportunities for new brands, artists, and content creators

The Social to Organic Flywheel Effect

• When products go viral on TikTok, it creates a powerful marketing flywheel:

  • Consumers hear about brands repeatedly on TikTok
  • They search for these brands on Google and Amazon
  • These searches signal popularity to search algorithms
  • Organic rankings improve across platforms
  • This compounds with direct conversions from TikTok

• Example metrics:

  • One brand received 600 million views in a month
  • Cost was just over $100,000 in marketing spend
  • This was before TikTok Shop, which is changing unit economics

Tools for Finding Trending Products

• Kalo Data (kalodata) is directly plugged into TikTok's API
• Shows top products and top videos
• Allows filtering by category and time period
• Enables marketers to study what's working

Successful Product Categories

• Products that tap into fear or insecurity perform well
• Content that makes people feel like they're learning something new
• Holistic wellness products (example: beef tallow for skincare)
• Products positioned against "big pharma" or "toxic" alternatives
• Products with aggressive branding can work well (example: "Evil Goods")

Marketing Strategy Insights

• Aggressive naming can be risky for retail but powerful online (like Liquid Death)
• Opportunity to build new brands for Gen Z in established categories
• Paradigm shifts in marketing channels create opportunities for new market leaders