You may have heard of TikTok, the video app that is taking the social media world by storm. We’re always being asked about the new platform, so we thought we’d tell you everything we know so you can learn a bit more about the app and its users to and discover whether it’s fitting for your business and your social media strategy!
First things first, what is TikTok? Hootsuite defines it as ‘real short videos’, which we reckon is pretty accurate! The videos can be up to 15 seconds long, but you can connect multiple clips together for up to 60 seconds. It’s currently the fastest growing social media platform out there, with over 1.5 billion users in multiple countries. It has had an 85% year-on-year increase, which is huge compared to Facebook’s year-on-year growth of 8%. TikTok is often mistaken for a lip-syncing app, which is what its predecessor Musical.ly used to be. In 2017, its parent company, Bytedance, bought Muscial.ly for $800 million. Bytedance had already launched a similar app called Douyin in China, and now that it has merged the two apps to form TikTok, it’s passed Uber as the world’s most valuable start-up and is priced at a crazy $75 billion.
TikTok is all about creating and watching short videos. There are in-app tools to create videos with stop and start recording, timers, a massive library of songs, split screens, transitions, stickers, visual filters and other effects. The music library is integrated with Apple Music, and as a result, TikTok plays a big part in helping tracks to climb up the charts. Users of TikTok can follow accounts, give hearts to videos they appreciate and comment on and share videos they enjoy. There is also an option to purchase in-app coins, which users can buy to give to creators. Creators are users who have a large following, similar to an Instagram ‘Influencer’.
So how does the algorithm work? It’s the same as other social media platforms in that it’s focused on user-generated content, but it’s all about introducing users to new content rather than showing the content posted by people you follow. The “for you page”, which acts as the app’s landing screen, is full of viral content TikTok thinks you will enjoy and will adjust based on your behaviour and reactions to the videos shown.
With nearly 1.5 billion users, you’re probably wondering who are and where they come from. It is particularly popular with teenagers and Generation Z. 41% of users are between 16 and 24 years old. China is the top country to use the app, however it is also used in 154 other countries worldwide, with 40% of users based outside China. It seems to have far more traction with female audiences, with 1.9 million female users and 1.5 million male users the UK. Similar to Snapchat and Instagram, the penetration rate by age group shows a massive majority of as younger, and a penetration among older age groups that quickly drops off.
TikTok is another platform that as a business, you can use to connect with an audience and increase your brand awareness. If your target audience is Generation Z, you should definitely consider posting content and taking part in the many popular challenges. Brands on the platform already include Nike, Fenty Beauty and Apple Music. TikTok has been testing in-app ads since January 2019, so they will probably start rolling out more frequently soon. Influencer marketing on TikTok is also emerging, with some businesses scouting popular creators to share branded content. If joining TikTok is something your business is thinking about, here is some advice from us:
We hope you’ve found our introduction to TikTok useful. The best way to get your head around any new app in practice, it is to download the app and explore it! Set up a personal profile and get to understand how others are using it, then let your creative juices flow!
Every month we send out an e-newsletter with loads more handy social media tips and tricks. Our latest blog post included one of our favourite work hacks, so make sure you give that a read!
Put your feet up, we’ve got this. We’ve been living and breathing social-first communications since the phrase “social media strategy” was first heard on business-leader lips. Get the newsletter to stay in the loop. We respect your privacy and would never sell your details on to a third party. You can unsubscribe at any time – see our Privacy Policy for more details.
01225 809990