Is TikTok Marketing Right for You?
Ana Gotter — May 21, 2020 With the rising popularity and entertainment value of the video marketing platform TikTok, many marketers and brands are wondering whether they should jump on the bandwagon.
TikTok is a fairly new–but incredibly popular–platform that has only been on the scene for a few years. But it’s picking up speed quickly, and many brands want to get in on the ground floor.
Before you jump in, though, you need to know some things about how TikTok works, who’s using it, and what the benefits are. Because adding another social media platform to the mix takes time, you want to make sure your time investment is going to be worth it. If your brand is a success on the platform, you stand a chance at growing your online presence exponentially.
So is TikTok marketing right for you? Read on to find out!
What Is TikTok Marketing?
TikTok is a social media platform that hosts short, vine-like videos. The platform’s tone tends to be fun and humorous, with many brands and influencers leveraging it to entertain their audience.
Until recently, videos on TikTok could only be up to 15 seconds long. Now, users can upload videos up to 60 seconds in length, giving them a bit more time to get their message across.
Some brands use TikTok purely for fun and brand awareness. Others use it for a mixture of brand awareness and affiliate marketing, in addition to marketing their own products and services. TikTok also offers targeted, paid advertising.
Who Uses TikTok & How They Use It
TikTok boasts some impressive user and marketing statistics. For example, the platform has 800 million active daily users worldwide. That means marketers, brands, and influencers are getting some serious exposure when they share their videos on TikTok.
The majority of users on the platform are young–mainly Gen Z users between the ages of 16 and 24. For example, TikTok personality Parker James is a Gen Z user with over 5 million followers.
This “digital native” demographic tends to be very engaged on social media, and they spend a lot of time using the platform. For example, one survey found that the average user spends about 52 minutes per day on TikTok.
When you browse videos on TikTok, you’ll quickly notice that a wide range of creators are posting, from major brands to high school-aged teens. Brands and individuals who want a high rate of visibility have a good chance of getting their video content off the ground here–and if they market to a younger audience, they stand an even better chance.
The Benefits of TikTok Marketing
There are many benefits to TikTok marketing, and a number of brands and influencers have tapped into the platform over the past year. It’s an excellent opportunity for brands to reach a demographic that’s highly engaged.
You can use TikTok to showcase a new side of your brand or amplify your existing brand voice. Additionally, you can use the platform to drive traffic to your website, app, or product.
TikTok videos average over 1 million views per day. Regarding brand visibility and engagement rates, statistics show that TikTok videos actually have the highest rate of engagement per post across all social media platforms.
If you’re looking to amp up your brand’s international reach, this is a great platform to do that. TikTok is currently available in 155 countries, with a strong presence in Asia.
Although TikTok ads aren’t yet widely available to all brands, in-app spending rates appear promising as the platform continues to grow. For example, between 2018 and 2019, in-app spending on TikTok increased by 500%.
Who TikTok May Not Be Right For
There are several things to take into consideration before your brand launches a TikTok marketing channel. The platform may not be right for certain brands, particularly if your brand has a serious tone.
You might also need to pass on TikTok if you’re:
- Not interested in short-form content
- Trying to reach older audiences–because right now, it doesn’t make sense to invest in TikTok if that’s the case
- Not interested in making humorous content part of your social media strategy (particularly if it could hurt your brand voice or credibility)
It’s also important to note that TikTok is much better for brand awareness than for monetization. Because it’s a video platform, it can be time-consuming to create, edit, and post video content. If you’re stretched for time and want to prioritize platforms that have high sales potential, TikTok is probably not a fit for you. (But, if you’re stretched for time and TikTok still seems right for your brand, Shakr’s scalable video tool can help you out.)
Additionally, brands with small advertising budgets that need to run ads on social media may want to steer clear of TikTok ads for now. Minimum daily ad spend is currently at $ 50 per day, so it’s currently a pricey platform to run your ads on. (However, if you’ve got the budget and want to run TikTok ads, here’s a step-by-step guide to help you get started.)
Conclusion
If you’re ready to add another social media platform to the mix, you have a knack for video, and your target audience is primarily Gen Z, then TikTok might be a fantastic platform to help you raise brand awareness, engage your audience, and grow your brand in the process. The sheer scope of worldwide, active users means your brand stands the chance of getting widely noticed on an international level.
Most brands that can benefit from using TikTok for marketing and are targeting the core user demographics should at least give it a try. Right now, competition from other brands is still relatively low and engagement is high. If you jump in now, your brand could really benefit from the platform.
If your brand is primarily geared toward an older audience, you might want to closely assess the brand voice, the tone of the content often shared on TikTok, and weigh that against your audience before you dive in. Does TikTok’s entertainment factor fit in with your brand voice and your users’ needs? If the answer is no, it might be better to stick with other platforms.
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