Since it’s rise to fame, TikTok has started to infiltrate the social media market.
Their milestone of 800 million users is no small feat, and more importantly it shows that their growth is increasing exponentially. To put this into perspective, only 8 years ago they didn’t exist at all!
For those of you who don’t know, TikTok is an application that allows users to create short 15 second videos. At first glance, many people may think this isn’t the most impressive feature, but their unique capabilities have made TikTok a powerful tool for marketing, and reaching millennials.
Not to mention TikTok has become extremely popular among Chinese and American markets in the span of only a few years. So what does this mean for your business(es) and why should you be interested in TikTok as a marketing channel?
Here’s why your business can’t afford to ignore TikTok.
1. It's Growing Quickly
The amount of active users on TikTok is rising at an alarming rate. We can see this by comparing their number of active users (MAU) over time:
If you compare this with another social media platform, like Facebook, we can see that even though TikTok only has 50 million MAU- they are adding over 100 million users every year. This is due to an enormous emphasis on growth which means more and more people will be visiting the platform in the future.
2. It's changing how users interact with social media
One of TikTok’s biggest appeals is how easy it makes creating videos. The major downside to platforms, like Instagram for example, was the amount of effort required to post an aesthetically pleasing video (not to mention the Glitches In Reels make me want to throw my phone into the ocean). TikTok has changed this by making video creation more accessible, with just a few taps needed on your phone’s screen.
3. It's not overly saturated yet
As Instagram has grown, it has also become more saturated with content. The amount of good content is always outnumbered by the bad and annoying uploads. The longer users spend scrolling through their Instagram feed, the less appealing it becomes. TikTok’s advantage in this situation is that there isn’t a lot of overused hashtags or well-known influencers. This means there is a novelty to TikTok right now, which makes it much more appealing for new users.
4. It's shifting how companies use social media
The amount of creativity that goes into each video is incredible. In the past 10 years, we have seen an enormous shift from written content being used by businesses to visual content. TikTok is only adding to this shift, which will make it even more important to have a social media presence.
5. TikTok videos are shareable
One of the most appealing things about using TikTok is how easy it is to watch and share videos. Videos on Instagram take up too much time, especially if you’re having trouble finding something interesting to watch. This makes TikTok more appealing for businesses who want their content to be shared with the masses.
6. It's a place where influencers are born
One of the most important things about TikTok is how many influential social media users have started on TikTok first. The platform provides a fresh start for these famous users to share their creativity with the world, and even a simple post could go viral.
7. It reaches a new demographic
One of the biggest reasons why businesses should be looking at TikTok is because it has managed to attract a younger crowd. This means that there isn’t much competition from other brands- which makes it an excellent way for your business to reach your target audience.
It is clear that TikTok has started to infiltrate the social sphere by storm, and it’s likely only going to get bigger in the future. If you are still not sure about having a TikTok account for your business, just remember- if you’re ignoring TikTok, you’re already behind!
