TikTok marketing for business success in New Zealand

According to a recent Meltwater/We Are Social report, TikTok is the undisputed champion of attention in New Zealand. While there are more Kiwis on Facebook and Instagram, the average TikTok user in New Zealand spends over 21 hours per month on TikTok. That's 8 hours more than users spend on Facebook, which came in second place.¹

TikTok has rapidly evolved from a social media app into a powerful discovery engine, successfully breaking down traditional marketing barriers for SMEs. It’s become the platform where products become trends and businesses forge authentic connections with their customers. This guide provides a roadmap for Kiwi e-commerce businesses, covering content mastery and how to utilize TikTok for Business's built-in tools to measure tangible success.

Why use TikTok marketing to promote your business?

How to promote your business on social media? When it comes to spreading the word on your e-commerce business, people often consider the total reach of their social media advertisements to be the most important metric. Here are some important statistics to mull over.

TikTok social media marketing statistics for New Zealand

• Total Potential Reach: 1.89 million, which is lower than Facebook and Instagram's respective figures at 3.4 million and 2.5 million.
• Adoption Rate for Users Aged 18 Years and Older: 46.1%, which is lower than Facebook's and Instagram's figures at 83.1% and 58.6%, respectively. 
• Audience Profile: TikTok’s users skew young, with the majority of its users in New Zealand aged 34 years old or below. This is in contrast to Facebook, where over 20% of users are 45 years old or above. Meanwhile, Instagram's user base is more evenly distributed, with users aged 44 and above accounting for less than 10% of users.
• Quarter-on-Quarter Growth in Reported Ad Reach: 3.1%, which is only slightly below that of Instagram's value of 4.2% and significantly higher than that of Facebook's (1.5%).¹

The rise of video & TikTok marketing 

Using TikTok for marketing may seem counterintuitive at first glance, especially when looking at TikTok’s share of the social media pie. However, the latest video marketing performance statistics speak for themselves.

• 93% of marketers see strong Return on Investment (ROI) from video marketing.
• When it comes to advertisement spend in the United States, digital video ads have displaced traditional TV ads at US$85 billion to US$59 billion in 2024.
• TikTok ad videos with captions got a 95% boost in brand affinity, a 58% increase in recall and a 25% jump in uniqueness.
• While top-performing TikTok channels often upload videos shorter than 30s, videos between 5-10 minutes garnered the highest average views.²

These figures reveal TikTok's place as an invaluable market for local businesses to reach out to younger audiences with authentic content that drives organic reach. Beyond engagement, TikTok has evolved from a discovery tool to a platform where direct transactions can take place. Features like TikTok Shop, live shopping, and in-app purchases have revolutionized the consumer journey, moving seamlessly from content consumption to immediate purchase.

How to use TikTok to promote your business

How to use social media for business? By all appearances, TikTok seems to have changed the rules of social media marketing for good. Whether it’s videos that poke fun at corporate culture, or a video that playfully nudges audiences to shop during New Zealand’s key sales days, TikTok marketing for business is all about making real connections. 

Here are the essential tips on how to use TikTok for marketing to create content that resonates deeply with Kiwis.

To promote your business, master the content

• Authenticity is Key: Embrace the lo-fi aesthetic. Content that appears raw, unpolished, and real works well. A Neil Patel survey found that lo-fi ads earned 34% more likes, 18.5% more comments and converted 11.4% better in A/B tests. Some of the most popular TikTok accounts among Kiwis, from Air New Zealand (@airnz) to Auckland's first police cat’s account (@auckland.arnold), is full of lo-fi and highly relatable content.
• Video is King: Create engaging, short-form videos aligned with current trends to capture your audience's attention. Remember TikTok is sound-driven; use trending audio and voiceovers to highlight key product benefits and infuse your content with your unique brand voice. 
• Tell Your Brand's Story: Use your videos to showcase your distinct brand identity, values, and the people behind the product. Don't forget to leverage Branded Effects (Stickers, filters, AR elements) to boost audience interaction and engagement.³

Leveraging TikTok shop in New Zealand 

While a full TikTok Shop ecosystem may not be officially available in New Zealand yet, integration with major e-commerce platforms has existed since 2022. This integration allows merchants on Shopify, BigCommerce and Ecwid to link their accounts to TikTok for Business.

• Creator Marketplace: Not all TikTok marketing has to look like ads. Access the Creator Marketplace to find and collaborate with TikTok influencers in New Zealand. Their ability to create highly authentic content is crucial for building trust and directly reaching local audiences who value genuine recommendations.
• Targeted Advertising: Utilise the TikTok Ads Manager to execute hyper-targeted campaigns. You can segment based on specific demographics and interests. You should also pick the right ad type for effective conversions. Whether it's Product Demos, Real User Reviews, Tutorials, or Hacks/Tips, your ads can deliver high-impact results when tailored to the platform’s authentic style.

Measuring your TikTok marketing impact

How to know if your TikTok influencer and social media marketing is striking a chord? The answer is analytics. Use TikTok for Business’s built-in tools to study key Performance Analytics metrics.4 

• Performance Comparison: Compare your ad's performance across different attribution windows. An attribution video is TikTok's term for time periods defined by ad clicks or views tied to a user's subsequent conversion action. 
• Time to Conversion: How much time does it take for the average user to convert after the last ad interaction? This feature will give you the answer to this question and show the number of attributed events recorded after users are shown your ads.
• Touchpoints to Conversion: What happens after a viewer sees your ad? Do they follow you or make a purchase immediately? This feature shows you successful ad interaction paths that lead to conversions. This helps you understand which campaign paths drive value.
• Assisted Conversions: This metric shows you how TikTok advertising contributes to a conversion even when it may not be the last touchpoint. For example, a view may see your TikTok ad but only convert later after a search engine query.

By understanding these metrics, you can strategically optimize your content and advertising spend, ensuring every video contributes meaningfully to your bottom line.

Leverage e-commerce shipping solutions for business success

Now that you know how to promote your business on TikTok, let’s talk about what happens when your TikTok ad goes viral. A trending TikTok video can translate to a sudden, massive surge in orders. Are your logistics solutions ready to scale with that success? Scalability is key to turning opportune moments into sustainable profit.

• Fast and Reliable International Shipping: After an impulsive TikTok purchase, customers expect speed. DHL Express provides fast and reliable delivery overseas from New Zealand, ensuring your products reach customers around the world quickly and securely. With DHL Express, you'll be able to take advantage of our global reach and customer support to keep up with all those clicks. More than just shipping, our shipping solutions encompasses consulting, marketing support and platform integration to help your e-commerce business grow.
• Cross-Border Expertise: Simplify the complexities of global shipping with just a few clicks. Our customs expertise and advanced tools like MyGTS take the hassle out of documentation, allowing your business to focus entirely on mastering TikTok content and core operations. From finding the right HS Codes to compliance with import and export regulations, MyGTS can help you reach new markets with ease.

Partner with DHL Express today

TikTok offers Kiwi businesses a fantastic way to reach a highly engaged audience and powerful tools for targeting and converting viewers. Mastering the art of creating authentic content that connects your brand to viewers and TikTok for Business's tools are the core strategies for success in today's dynamic e-commerce space. Combine your winning TikTok marketing strategy with the international logistics expertise of DHL Express to unlock new business opportunities.

Open a business account with DHL Express today and take your e-commerce business to the global stage.