Should TikTok be a part of your digital marketing strategy?

According to HubSpot, 72% of customers would rather learn about a product or service by way of video. If this doesn’t scream “ Video-Centric Social Media Platforms are the future” then I don’t know what else to tell you. This statistic alone tells me that video marketing is the way forward and that all social media channels that can provide a landscape and platform to execute video marketing, should be heavily considered.

So what is TikTok?

TikTok (formerly known as musical.ly) is a social media platform for creating, sharing, and discovering 15 second short videos. TikTok was launched in China in 2016 under the name “Douyin” until eventually rebranding as TikTok a year later for the international market.

TikTok has become one of the fastest-growing apps on the market since it’s launch. It was the number #1 downloaded free app in the market for several months in a row in 2019 and still captures #1 every now and then in 2020. It has taken the internet by storm and it appears to show no signs of slowing up!

Is it really that popular?

According to Sensor Tower, TikTok’s total global Downloads by Quarter looked like this...

TikTok’s biggest engagement and a surge of downloads usually come after influencers, celebrities, and now brands post hashtag challenges. Talk Show host, Jimmy Fallon issued a #tumbleweedchallenge on The Tonight Show in 2019 encouraging users to upload a video and act like tumbleweed...Silly right? But incredibly effective. The challenge generated 8,000 videos with over 9 million views in seven days. It has generated over 50 million views to date and counting.

Reader: Alright...I am buying the engagement. But who is actually watching these videos?

Who is using TikTok?

TikTok’s current success with a younger demographic is quite similar to the likes of Facebook and Snapchat in their earlier stages. With a much different purpose, TikTok’s platform allows its users to be video content creators much younger than ever before.  

Facebook which started off as a college-only platform would later expand and capture new demographic groups as its popularity grew. Similar to Facebook, Snapchat actually captured an even younger audience with its short disappearing video messaging function. Several years later, both platforms now cater to the masses by being present throughout different demographic groups.

Don’t be fooled by TikTok’s younger audience. According to MediaKix, two-thirds of TikTok’s users are under the age of 30. In the U.S alone, 63.5% of the app’s monthly active users are between 16-24 years old. TikTok reported that its users spend an average of 39 min per day in the app and an average of 8x opens a day. With this much activity and online usage, this is an amazing opportunity for brands to take advantage of.

If history repeats itself, TikTok will eventually spread to other demographics and it will become a platform you won’t want to miss out on.

The biggest objection to being on TikTok

“My target audience is not that young”

Are these the same people who said Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat users weren’t their target audience either? Or that these platforms would cease to be relevant a few years later? 

Don’t be stubborn. All brands have a unique opportunity to get some serious real estate in TikTok before it turns from a “Nice-to-have” into a “Must-Have” social media strategy. 

Yes, it may not be your down-to-the-core target audience but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be present in this space. Just as history has shown us, in order for social media channels to evolve and grow, they must spread to different demographic groups. There is the obvious objection that “what if we are specifically targeting 50+ year olds, this really makes no sense for us”.

No one is asking for you to totally change your digital marketing strategy. But by just putting 5-10% of your digital marketing resources into understanding how TikTok works and how the creativity you can acquire from it in the future can work for you, this is a small investment you will not regret. In addition, not only will you be one of the earlier brands in TikTok but you will also become an expert before anyone else in what type of content works and what does not.

Just as Facebook, Snapchat, and Instagram evolved to cater to their new demographics with new features and ad space, so will TikTok. With TikTok’s incredible organic reach at the moment, at little to no cost, you can begin implementing a digital marketing strategy!

How are Brands using TikTok?

As I mentioned earlier about TikTok’s demographic and growth, now is as good of a time as ever to start creating buzz around your brand. TikTok is currently one of the few existing platforms yet to be saturated with marketers and ads. As the weeks and months continue to pass us, this platform will only become more difficult to reach your audience through organic postings. 

Washington Post

A globally recognized newspaper is making jokes, creating silly videos, and attempting to connect with a younger generation. Even their headline “We are a newspaper” gives off a funny and silly vibe to it. Do you still think that your industry has no business being on TikTok?

The Washington Post is showing the world what can happen when you leave your comfort zone. Typically, users aren’t using TikTok to get the latest news, but by Washington Post going the extra mile and trying to connect and appeal to this younger audience, TikTok users will be more inclined to trust them and use them as a news source now or in the future.

Chipotle

Chipotle was one of the earlier brands to leverage TikTok’s influencer platform to generate sales. They have reached out to influencers to help promote and spark interest in specific campaigns they were running. Most recently, Chipotle used Zach King to promote their Halloween special, where he is seen moonwalking with his $4 #Boorito!Ch

By using the right influencers, you will not only strengthen your brand's presence but also generate much more awareness towards your campaigns.

Crocs

Crocs launched the  #ThousandDollarCrocs challenge, where TikTok users were encouraged to stylize their crocs up. They partnered up with a few reputable individuals, but the most notable one was singer Post Malone. 

This campaign generated over 2.9 billion video starts. The hashtag #ThousandDollarCrocs was viewed 95 million times with 45,000 videos created within 36 hours of its launch. 

Currently over 3B views...

Final TikTok Thoughts

TikTok’s growth, incorporation of companies, and influencers have the platform looking like it will go the distance.

Believe it or not, the fact of the matter is that TikTok is extremely relevant now.  

And even though Millennials and Gen Z make up the majority of users on TikTok, the older generation is starting to use it as well. I might even argue that the older generation’s content is producing some extremely impressive engagement.

Last but not least, don’t be afraid to go outside your lane. Be creative, be open, and most importantly have fun with it. The most successful businesses on TikTok are the ones having the most fun. 

I will leave you with this final thought...Tesla recently came out with their own tequila. 

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Do you use TikTok for your business? Share your thoughts in the comments below!