We need to stop talking and start TikToking. TikTok has exploded in popularity faster than any other social media platform in the 2010s. The global success of the platform dedicated to short videos has given rise to a brand new online marketplace for content producers and viewers. The marketing industry has been on the sidelines, debating the app’s merits. Yet, you should get up and start making things today, or else you risk being left in the dust by more experienced competitors. No justifications will be tolerated. So, now it’s time to start TikToking.
TikTok’s sudden rise to prominence among the youth of today’s most influential generation can be traced back to its 2017 debut. With over 1.5 billion downloads, the app is still going strong. Business Insider has labelled it as “a rising danger to Facebook” because of its consistent success with youthful, high-earning consumers. Estimates show that less than 1.5% of a page’s fans see the page’s organic posts on Facebook and Instagram. According to social media expert Rachel Pederson, TikTok “organically displays videos in the order they’re shared” using a weighted algorithm. As this is the case, any material posted to TikTok stands a good chance of going viral and attracting a large audience.
Stop worrying and start making something!
TikTok makes jokes about itself, is clever, and doesn’t try to hide its youth. “Real short videos,” says Hootsuite to describe what TikTok is all about. Your movies should reflect the goals of TikTok, which are to encourage expression and happiness. Millions of films, each little longer than 60 seconds, play indefinitely on the app, and the creative aspect is instantly apparent.
AdAge claims that there are more than 30 million unique users in the United States. As a result, TikTok is quickly approaching Snapchat’s 83 million user base across North America. That’s the equivalent of 37 billion monthly video views in the US. It takes the average American user 46 minutes per day to utilise the app. So, if you put in the time and effort, you can find an audience for just about anything of high quality you create. The Discovery tab is home to anything from clips of dancing babies to commercials to user-generated stories to educational movies on the history of the United States.
So what is driving TikTok’s meteoric rise in popularity?
TikTok’s meteoric expansion may largely be attributed to its two primary user bases. Right now, a large majority of both producers and consumers belong to Generation Z. Sixty-four percent of users are young adults. A large part of this achievement is attributable to the 2018 merger of Musical.ly and TikTok, which brought together over 200 million users. As a result, producers of short videos now have access to a centralised, international distribution system.
Over a quarter of current TikTok users are millennials, and they may have been attracted to the app for different reasons. When Vine was discontinued in late 2016, a void was left in the market for short-form video. Audiences desired a microblog that repeated entries but had more permanency than Snapchat. Here at TINT, we like to joke that TikTok fills the void created by Vine.
In the end, the site is an open forum for originality. Not constrained by Twitter’s and other older platforms’ long-standing norms, it allows for novel approaches. In addition, the site’s target demographic is nearly entirely comprised of children and teenagers, ensuring that no adults will ever be exposed to any potentially controversial material.
Profitability Analysis of TikTok
According to Google Trends, people all across the world have been looking for details on the service. The popularity of related terms like “TikTok Influencer,” “TikTok Marketing,” and “TikTok Advertising” reflects that of the primary search term. But, brands must take the plunge in order to seize the moment. As TikTok is still in its infancy, there is less data available on the platform’s approach. The most efficient and inexpensive way to use the platform at the moment is through content production and interaction with influencers, which simplifies the business case.
Big names like Guess and Maybelline as well as the World Wildlife Fund and the United Nations have all found success advertising on the video sharing platform TikTok. Yet, content is still king for those who can’t afford extensive investments in on-platform advertising. This is the time to make content or interact with influencers before it’s too late.
The possibilities on TikTok should thrill marketers of all colours. With nothing more than a smartphone and some spare time, you too can create the next viral phenomenon. We don’t start trends; we set them on fire,” reads the tagline on TikTok’s October 2019 pitch deck.