Should you be using TikTok for your business?
TikTok has been building momentum over the past year and has quickly become an established social media platform. The platform started as a place to share short videos, but has now become known as one the newest social media platforms. Self-proclaimed as the leading destination for short-form mobile video, TikTok had 800 million active users as of October 2019 (HootSuite – https://blog.hootsuite.com/what-is-tiktok/) and it has continued to explode since then with a crazy 1.65 billion downloads to date!
There is a debate at the moment, in regards to marketers and businesses using TikTok as an advertising tool – some believe it is just aimed at kids, and others are shifting budgets to test the waters. We have put together this blog post to help you decide if TikTok is right for your business and give you all the information you need to get started.
What is TikTok?
TikTok is a social media platform where you can watch and share short-form mobile videos, almost like a bite-size version of YouTube. Videos range between 5 and 60 seconds and creators have access to lots of different filters, effects and music to use in their videos. TikTok uses artificial intelligence to personalise recommendations for users, and you don’t have to be following someone for their content to show up in your feed.
Who’s using it?
The largest user demographic on TikTok in the UK is 18-24 year olds (26%), but there are also older groups using the platform, with 9.3% being 25-34 years old and 7.2% aged 45 or over.
Why use it for business?
- Generates brand awareness and engagement.
- Ability to create both entertaining and informative content.
- Not as saturated as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
- Cheaper to advertise on due to fewer users competing for sponsorship and ad placements.
- Market to Gen Z who are notoriously difficult to market to.
Ways to use TikTok..
- Create Your Own Content – Show more behind the scenes of your business, building trust with your audience. If you are worried about thinking up unique content, you could join in with some of the challenges and trends.
- Share User-Generated Content – Use hashtags to collate content.
- Advertise – TikTok is currently moving towards a monetised future where brands will be able to pay to have their ads shown to users. There are many ways you can advertise your brand; brand takeovers, native ads, sponsored hashtag challenges and brand lenses.
- Work with Influencers – Influencers on TikTok have varying degrees of influence and the ROI has the potential to be amazing! You could approach relevant TikTok influencers and propose a working relationship, but make sure it is strategic to your brand.
Should your business be using TikTok?
Like with any social media platform, you need to decide if it is suitable for your business/brand. TikTok is a fast growing platform and some users have experienced viral reach, however, you need to make sure your target audience are using TikTok and that it sits in with your brand persona.
If you do decide to use TikTok for your business, you need to have a plan to produce meaningful and consistent content for your audience.