As this video-sharing, lip-syncing website gets more and more popular, it seems that everyone is asking this question.
For those of you that don't know, TikTok is a website meant to share videos, kind of like the now-defunct Vine and Musical.ly. People share videos of themselves singing, cooking, drawing, lip-syncing, making home videos, creating mini comedy skits and much more! These videos can be edited to contain filters and other special effects.
Why use TikTok?
TikTok is, despite not being as talked about as Facebook, Twitter or Instagram, gaining a lot of popularity. CNN reports that TikTok has over one billion users, with many users in the US as well as eastern countries such as China (TikTok's home country) and India. BrandSynario also reports high numbers of TikTok users in western countries like Germany, France, Mexico and the U.K.
In total, the app is available in over 140 countries and in more than 70 languages, according to Oberlo and Apptrace.
Oberlo's article also goes on to say that the average TikTok user is between 16 and 24 years old, and that the use between males and females is close to 50/50. Users also spend nearly an hour on the app daily, and consume content as well as create their own.
This kind of international reach to today's youth means that TikTok is not an app to be ignored! An active, diverse community like this means huge brand exposure and a high chance of reaching your target audience - whether it's middle schoolers, high school students, college kids or young adults.
Who should be using TikTok?
Companies who want to put a "fun" face to their business are ideal TikTok users. Restaurants, salons, local boutiques and other business can make fun videos. "Meet the staff" videos, or videos showing how your dishes are made are just some ways you can make cool content and grow your audience.
These videos not only will help you manage your brand, but it will allow you to connect with your audience on a deeper level. Videos showing company culture or who your staff members are as people will allow your audience to feel like they know who you are as a company. That personal connection will push audiences to learn more about your company.
Companies that host or organize events, like event halls or event planning businesses are also great TikTok candidates. By posting videos of hosted events,
These are just a few suggestions - your creativity with TikTok is limited only by your imagination!
How to advertise on TikTok
According to BusinessNewsDaily, TikTok supports several different kinds of advertisement efforts: brand takeovers, hashtag challenges, branded lenses and infeed native content.
Hashtag challenges - these are exactly what they sound like. A hashtag is used to promote a product or business. User participation is encouraged, with user submitting their entries for the challenge using the challenge' hashtag.
Branded lenses - this is a straightforward tool. A brand puts out a new filter that allows users to use them in their video.
Infeed native content - these are videos meant to promote your business. BusinessNewsDaily's article compares them to story ads found on Instagram and SnapChat.
Brand takeovers - perhaps the most aggressive marketing option, this lets a company quite literally take over the app for a day. Brands can then put out images, videos or GIFs as well as link to webpages or hashtag challenges.
How to use TikTok
TikTok is like any social media site. An email is required to make an account, unless you opt to sign up with Facebook, Twitter or a Google account. You'll need to enter in your birthday, as well as a phone number to confirm. Last step is to set a password, and you're good to go!
The app is only available on mobile, meaning that you'll need a smartphone to sign up and use the app.
Once you're all set with an account, all that's left is making and posting content!
Posting is pretty similar to uploading to Instagram. All you need to do is hit that plus sign at the bottom of your screen.
Hopefully you have a pretty good idea now of what TikTok is and how it can help your business. If you need help figuring out a solid TikTok campaign for your business, feel free to schedule a consultation here!
