Navigating the world of TikTok as a millennial social media marketer.
My friend and I have this weird obsession with Diplo, I honestly think he’s probably my soulmate. He recently reposted a video on his Instagram of him doing the “Flip the Switch” challenge with a chicken. It was incredible, I obviously sent it to my friend. I said to her, “I might download TikTok just for his videos,” and she mentioned she had done it the day prior.
We had a discussion about how we are meant to be influencers and produce amazing content for the people, so we just assumed this could be our big break, doing TikTok dances as mid-millennials. My friend said in response, “I still don’t understand what the f*%$ TikTok is.” As a Social Media Expert, I took this as a challenge!
What is TikTok?
TikTok is a social media platform geared toward creative individuals to curate 15-second video content. It can be anything from comedy, singing, lip-syncing, dances, to videos of your parents and grandparents doing funny activities. TikTok’s mission is “to inspire creativity and bring joy.”
The platform is designed to easily create, share and view content. All the user has to do is record anything from their daily routine or a content idea and post it immediately. This ease of use takes little to no effort and is immediately posted into the viewers' content feed.
We may not be surprised, but 37.2% of TikTok’s users are ages 10-19, with a close 26.3% being aged 20-29 (apparently me). As of 2019, there were 37.2 million users.
Statista reported in 2019, TikTok increased it's U.S. user base by 97.5 percent compared to the previous year. Audience growth of the social video platform is projected to remain in double digits until 2021.
TikTok videos are classified by two characteristics, music/audio and text description/hashtags and the user preference and feed are determined by their likes, shares, comments, and percentages of videos watched. The algorithm then analyzes the user flow and characteristics to categorize content tailored to that user’s preference.
Marketing on TikTok
Because the users of TikTok look for trendy, cool, young, and exclusive content, the platform allows marketers to easily collaborate with influencers to create engaging and fun content. It provides a brand with a platform to have engaging and interactive ad formats to creatively and authentically connect with their audience. TikTok has, like most platforms, creating a seamless interface that brands and marketers can use to advertise their product or service – which are then served in the feed.
The TikTok Creator Marketplace is a database where marketers can search for influencers to partner with that are on the platform. Marketers can browse accounts, understand the platforms' user demographics, and search by followers, content topics, and audiences. Brands can also bid against each other for impressions.
The platform boasts that their marketplace allows brands to reach relevant audiences and maximizing ROI by ensuring your most important audiences can see your ads. This feature also allows brands to track their ad performance in real-time.
A case study was done by TikTok for Guess detailed a partnership with guess and 4 influencers to promote the #InMyDenim challenge to encourage their audience to “transform” their look to the sound of Bebe Rexh’s “I’m a Mess.” TikTok boasts the partnership earned a 14.3% engagement rate, 12,000+ new business account followers, and an impressive 16.5% CTR.
People Want to be Entertained
Social media has evolved since I first started using MySpace in High School. It’s more about sharing entertainment and fun content than providing your viewers with an update on your life. You see how Facebook and Instagram adapted with the explore and TV features. But this idea is largely untapped and TikTok capitalized on this insight.
A recent study showed that using social as an entertainment hub was the 3rd most important reason for internet users aged 16-24. I foresee entertainment only rising as social media and this demographic grow and evolve. This is why TikTok works for Gen Z, they are looking for entertainment and fewer updates. TikTok is stripped of information when a video is uploaded it is not time-stamped, which means the videos can live endlessly in feeds.
I reached out to my younger cousins who are in the age demographic that uses TikTok the most to see how they use the platform. The 15-year-old does not post videos, but they watch content filled with makeup and cooking tutorials. The 13-year-old does post videos, mostly of them lip-syncing and doing “dumb sh*t.” My mom then chimed in mentioning that she also uses TikTok mainly to watch angry grandparent videos.
As you can see people are on TikTok, using it a variety of ways which makes it a perfect spot for brands to be, but an even more engaging and inspirational place for the users. TikTok provides users with a creative outlet that allows them to share their story, life and everything in between. Once I figure out how to go viral on TikTok, remember that you saw it here first.