In this blog, we're going to be looking at Patagonia's social media accounts, and we will be giving some ideas that we feel would work well for their TikTok. Patagonia is an outdoor clothing and gear company known for its high-quality products and strong commitment to environmental and social responsibility.    

Firstly, they have a hugely successful Instagram account with over 5 million followers. They often collaborate with outdoor sports personalities, like famous surfers and hikers. Also, they post a lot about sustainability and the environment. They post professional photographs of their gear in action and also some clips from documentaries, for instance about cleaning up waste in Chile. This high quality content works great on Instagram, it is educational and portrays the brand values perfectly, and the beautiful photographs make their feed look immaculate. They clearly understand well how Instagram functions.    

When posting on TikTok, they follow the same format as Instagram. Most of their posts are the same clips on their Instagram, or slideshows of the same photographs. Despite their large following, they usually only get a few thousand views on their videos. Although getting views is often difficult for even bigger accounts on TikTok, we believe the reason for this is partly because their posts aren't geared towards TikTok specifically.    

The polished and curated images that work so well on Instagram simply don't perform the same on TikTok.   

Instagram is a platform that values high quality images and the aesthetic of one's feed. TikTok however, puts more emphasis on coming across more authentic and 'real', because of Gen Z's fatigue with the perfect and curated social media posts. As we know, Gen Z uses TikTok more than other generations, so it is important to listen to what they like on this platform.    

For example, we think that Patagonia could collaborate with outdoor influencers that are large on TikTok. They could send them their clothes and have them film vlogs on their phones of them hiking and camping with their equipment. This would come across more personal and authentic compared to the high quality productions they usually post. The vlogs would encapsulate the brand values of being adventurous and showcase the good-quality products in action, without feeling like an ad as the vlog itself is about the influencer's daily life.    

Furthermore, what we believe is important is to give Patagonia's TikTok presence a personality. How we think they could do this is by featuring some employees on their account. This could be vlogs of their offices, or challenges and comedy videos with their workers, like ones I have featured in the last few articles. Additionally, if they would prefer to stay more 'serious',  they could have their employees film videos with tips on hiking and camping, which is definitely something their target audience would appreciate. To emphasize their commitments to sustainability, they could film their employees or brand ambassadors talking about how to be more environmentally friendly or highlighting global issues surrounding this topic. What is crucial here is to feature the same group of people consistently, as this helps the viewer build a more personal relationship with the brand and Gen Z loves to have someone to fangirl over, even if they are just everyday people. It also makes them more memorable to their audience.    

Patagonia could also post vlogs about their equipment design and production process. This would give a behind the scenes look for the viewer, which would make them feel more intimate with the brand. Furthermore, this series could be hosted by the aforementioned employees who feature in their videos a lot, or by influencers they collaborate with. These videos could be another great way to highlight the ethical way that the clothes are made and the quality materials, while also being a fun and lighthearted vlog.    

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Key Takeaways    

- What works great on some platforms doesn't always work on others

- Authenticity is key on TikTok

- Collaborating with influencers who fit your niche are a great way of growing your reach while promoting brand values

- Feature the same people in your TikToks to make them more memorable and build a relationship with your viewers

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