It’s been atop the list of most noted and discussed topics in social media platforms for some time, and it doesn’t appear as though it is going to be toppled from the discussion list any time soon. TikTok, the social platform that first debuted in the U.S. in late 2016, has captured more than one billion global users every month. While the hip and quirky social media platform continues to lag in size behind veterans like Facebook, Instagram and YouTube, it has experienced a 45 percent rate of growth rate in just the past two years.
With more than 80 million users located in the United States saying that they feel a deeper connection to companies they interact with on the platform, the decision to make it a part of a brand’s marketing strategy comes down to determining if the TikTok shoe fits; is the style compatible to the brand’s established image and if wearing it is likely to find a targeted consumer. Forty seven percent of TikTok users are between the ages of 10 and 29, but in the past year alone fans of the platform are beginning to age upward with 42 percent being between the ages of 30 and 49. With more than half of its users reporting incomes above $100 thousand dollars a year, could it be time for your brand to try the shoe on to see if it’s an appropriate fit?
If the demographics are relative to your product and brand, obviously marketing through TikTok’s platform can help increase brand awareness, build highly engaged conversations with targeted audiences and increase sales revenues. TikTok requires advertisers to use influencer marketing tactics and create organic viral content. For brands not yet comfortable dealing with influencers, paying TikTok directly for marketing services to initiate a conversation with an audience may be the way to engage with the platform for the first time. TikTok is different than other social media platforms with its own unique trends, features, behaviors and algorithms. Understanding the unique differences requires newcomers to the TikTok marketing experience to research and learn how to optimize the platform’s marketing play.
For those who remain concerned about how to approach the effort, the platform released its first “how to” content series called “Made for TikTok” last year. The production featured creator David Ma sharing suggestions and tips on how marketers could optimize performance on TikTok. The second installment of the series was recently released with an updated vibe. “For the second installment of Made for TikTok, we built a late-night talk show complete with interviews and comedy sketches, featuring a unique group of creators who all happen to work with brands professionally. Hosted by copywriter and TikTok creator Shannon Fiedler, our goal for this series was to help advertisers create TikTok-first strategies, with guidance from experts who speak the language of the creative ad industry.”
For advertisers still in the “toe in water” stage, tuning into the most recent sequel, and spending the five minutes it takes to view each episode, to learn from those who have previously successfully journeyed into the space, is time well invested.
This year TikTok will surpass 1.5 billion users making it a marketing opportunity brands cannot afford to pass up. Focus on identifying a finely tuned target market, produce video content that resonates with the platform users, set goals that align with the brand’s reputation, and establish measurements to determine the campaign’s success and take the plunge.