TikTok, the short-form video social media platform, is offering small and medium-sized businesses in New Zealand new ways to reach customers.
The company announced on Thursday its TikTok For Business Ads Manager, a self-service advertising platform, has now been made available to Kiwi businesses.
It offers a range of video templates that can be used while giving businesses control over their budget and intelligent targeting of new audiences.
TikTok Australia and New Zealand's Simon Connolly said the platform allows businesses to "easily tap into the creativity of our diverse community, reach new audiences and optimise marketing campaigns".
TikTok's deal with e-commerce platform Shopify has also been extended to Aotearoa.
"Our collaboration means Kiwi Shopify entrepreneurs can create TikTok ads and track results all without leaving the Shopify dashboard," said Connolly.
The move has been welcomed by some business leaders.
"The self-serve advertising platform is a great tool for Kiwi businesses to promote their products and services in real time," said Michael Barnett, Chief Executive at the Auckland Business Chamber.
"It's low cost, using your own people so you can do it with your own passion and personality. It makes reaching new audiences easy and success more achievable."
Adam Thompson, owner of Kiwi clothing brand Magichollow - which was part of the beta testing - was impressed by the impact.
"Since using TikTok's self-serve advertising platform, it has become one of our highest traffic drivers," he said.
"We are also stoked that the foot traffic into our physical stores has increased too."
The hashtag #smallbusinessnz already has 11.6 million views on the TikTok, the company reported.
Other major social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter already let businesses create, manage and target their advertising.
TikTok, which launched in 2016, has quickly become a popular platform, but has raised security concerns which saw New Zealand MPs and parliamentary staffers directed to delete the app last year.
Businesses interested in using the Ads Manager service can find more information on TikTok's website.
