Ignoring TikTok is no longer an option in 2025. The question is not whether you should be present, but how. The winning strategy is not to bet everything on the platform, but to use it smartly as a magnet: build a community there and anchor that relationship on your own channels. That way, you harness the power of TikTok without making yourself dependent on the whims of the algorithm.
In brief:
The target audience is exploding: 4.3 million Dutch people, with the over-40s as an unexpected growth driver.
Forget traditional ads. Success on TikTok requires authentic content and entertainment.
The platform is transforming. It is rapidly evolving into a search engine and e-commerce giant.
Reputational risks are real. Think of privacy issues and ties to China.
The winning strategy? Build a community and channel it to your own platforms.
Passively watching from the sidelines is a growing risk for most brands; the massive reach and the shift toward a search and shopping platform are simply too influential. However, jumping in blindly is pointless. Without clear goals and KPIs, every step on TikTok is doomed to fail.
The Dutch TikTok user is older than you think
TikTok's teenage image is outdated. With 4.3 million Dutch users, the majority of whom are over 24, the audience has broadened significantly. The fastest-growing segments are 25–34-year-olds and over-40s, making the platform relevant for a wide range of brands, including B2B and financial services.
The secret of a great TikTok: don't be an advertiser
Success on TikTok isn't about advertisements, but about authentic TikToks that tap into the platform's culture. Slick, commercial messaging backfires. Look at Dutch brands that are successful on TikTok:
Bol.com, which builds strong brand preference with humor and entertainment.
HEMA, which embraced a community-coined term for a successful campaign.
KPN, which engaged in a dialogue with Gen Z through a relevant live talk show.
The lesson is clear: be a participant in the culture, not a commercial disruptor.
How to go from content to community
To build a loyal TikTok community, shift the focus from one-way communication to genuine connection. This requires a clearly defined niche and an authentic voice—crucial, because users see right through advertising. Think carefully about what makes your brand unique and translate this genuinely to TikTok, whether through humor or in-depth, valuable explanations.
Step-by-step plan for building your TikTok community:
1. Choose your niche and authentic voice: This is the foundation. Define your unique angle and brand personality. Authenticity dramatically boosts engagement; generic content simply doesn't stand out.
2. Create engaging, relevant videos: Produce short, dynamic videos that grab attention immediately. Give popular trends a clever, brand-relevant twist—whether through humor or education—so your videos not only entertain, but also inform.
3. Encourage User-Generated Content (UGC): Actively encourage your followers to create content related to your brand themselves, for instance through challenges or contests. UGC is a powerful tool for credibility and creates deeper engagement; after all, it shows the genuine appreciation of users.
4. Engage actively: Participation is essential. Reply to comments, ask questions that spark conversations, and truly build a community. Also consider collaborations with authentic TikTok creators who fit your brand to expand your reach and add credibility to your presence.
5. Analyze and optimize: Use TikTok's analytics to understand which content performs best and which interactions are most effective. Continuously adjust your strategy based on these insights. Experiment with formats and posting times to turn passive followers into loyal fans.
The serious risks: privacy, costs, and reputation
TikTok is not a playground without dangers. A strategic presence requires facing the considerable risks head-on.
Privacy and politics: ties to China and concerns over data privacy are a ticking time bomb beneath your brand.
Resource-intensive: a successful channel requires a steady stream of creative content.
Brand safety: your content could appear right next to a controversial video due to the user-generated nature of the platform.
In short: you'll have to roll up your sleeves. You can protect yourself against risks using TikTok's own brand safety tools, such as keyword blocklists. But the ultimate risk management is strategic independence: use TikTok as a starting point, but build your community and data on channels you control yourself.
Alternatives: what if you can't (or aren't allowed to) be on TikTok?
Suppose you've decided not to create an account. Does this mean you're completely missing the boat? Fortunately, no.
Through the web version of TikTok, you can view the 'For You' page without logging in and search for specific accounts and videos. You get a good idea of what's going on. However, the experience is passive: you can't like, comment, or follow, and the algorithm won't learn your preferences.
If you can't or don't want to be present yourself, there are smart ways to reach the target audience anyway:
1. Influencer marketing: This is the most direct route. Collaborate with TikTok creators who already have your target audience and whose values align with your brand. They can create authentic content that fits the platform seamlessly, without you having to manage your own account.
2. TikTok advertising: You can advertise on TikTok without maintaining an active organic profile. Through the ads manager, you can target very specifically by demographics, interests, and behavior to bring your message to light.
3. Cross-media strategy: Use insights from TikTok on your other channels. The content style of short, vertical videos also works great on Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts. Understand the memes, the language, and the trends, and translate them creatively to the channels where you are active.
The future: TikTok as a search engine and webshop
TikTok is also changing into a different medium; the platform is rapidly transforming from an entertainment hub into a full-fledged utility platform.
TikTok as a search engine: Nearly half of Gen Z prefers TikTok over Google for practical searches. Capitalize on this as a brand by providing answers in your videos to frequently asked questions.
TikTok Shop: The full integration of e-commerce, expected in the Benelux in 2025, turns the entire customer journey from discovery to purchase into a single app experience.
The most important strategy: build your community off the platform
Discussions around TikTok expose the risk of platform dependency: if the algorithm changes or your account disappears, you lose your community. It is good to be aware of this as a brand. Use TikTok as a magnet, but build the real relationship on your own channels. The most important KPI is the conversion to your website and email list. This is a valuable, independent asset that makes TikTok a powerful top of the funnel, but never the final destination.
Need advice?
Curious about how we help brands with their channel strategy, or struggling with decisions regarding TikTok? Let us know in the comments or send us a message. We'd love to help you think it through.
