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When the first lockdown hit us at the beginning of this year, people from all over the world were keeping themselves entertained with TikTok. TikTok is a social media platform, created by a Chinese tech firm and it was launched back in 2016. Since then, it has exploded with fans, becoming one of the most downloaded app’s in 2020, reaching over two billion downloads globally earlier this year.
An 88-year-old grandmother has become a viral sensation on TikTok – with one video of her dancing getting over 25m views.
Users can record, edit and share 7- 60 second videos. Many create comedic videos and add in background music and sounds and others may use sound to lip sync. Some of the app’s features include voiceovers, filters and split-screen duets with another user’s video.
As soon as you open the app you see a constant video feed by TikTokers you follow or videos that may be of interest to you. There are two views you can flip to:
For You Page – content that you might like and ‘Following’ – content you can see from those you follow. To view more videos, continue swiping in an upward motion (you can only imagine how addicting that is).
It was predicted last year, TikTok would take the lead in 2020, though we didn’t see a lockdown coming, it really did take the world by storm in social media. And I myself, can confirm that the obsession has been real. From completing hashtag challenges to finessing lip-syncing scenes, I was doing it all!
TikTok’s global audience falls under the age of 34, with 41% of users aged between 16-24. Great news for marketers!
With the hype around a new and trendy platform, does this mean all marketers should jump on the bandwagon? No. Not necessarily. The most important questions you need to ask yourself as marketers and business owners are: does the platform meet your marketing needs? If so, how would you be creative with your content and engage your audience? How will your content help to boost your brand? Could you collaborate with TikTok influencers to support you? Think about how the platform could fit into your overall digital strategy!
With TikTok, challenges are a great way to increase engagement. For example, you can make up your own exciting hashtag challenge if you want to increase your brand awareness, interaction… and followers.
You can also participate in existing hashtag challenges and add your own spin on it – make it authentic, make it relevant and relatable to your audience.
Why not create a dance challenge. Take inspiration from other TikTokers to make it fun, collaborate with partners, promote it strategically.
Depending on your business, use the opportunity to share educational content or tips that trigger value to your audience
With any social media platform, it can sometimes be a little bit of a trial and error. Take your time to watch what others are doing and do some research, find out what works for your brand and go with it. Remember, social media is always changing!
But don’t stop there, it’s worth assessing the features of TikTok properly. Instagram launched ‘Instagram Reels’ where you can also shoot content up to 30 seconds. You could say they’re responding to TikTok’s success, so you may not want to put all your eggs in one basket. However, there are some key differences between the two. For example, TikTok allows you to shoot content up to 60 seconds and it’s a platform that stands completely on its own, whereas Reels does not yet allow advertising, it is also feature that is integrated into Instagram.
TikTok are actively trying to help businesses with their marketing with their very own ‘TikTok for Business’ hub providing businesses with relevant tools to boost their marketing. TikTok Business Help Center might just be the place you need to visit to make a start.
More recently, TikTok launched an ‘SMB’ Hub to support small to medium sized businesses across Europe. One of the perks being a spend match with UK businesses who begin their journey on ‘TikTok ads manager’ before 15 December, 2020 of up to £1600. There are many opportunities to expand reach using Tiktok advertising, you just need to find out what works for you. This includes your digital strategy, your target audience and your brand image before anything else.
