Looking back over the past few decades a fast-moving, galloping digital revolution swept the world and became crucial to the functioning of society. Nothing in the history of humanity has ever reached more people in such a short period of time as the Internet and its fastest spreading tool – social media; and every few years a new app emerges and redefines the way we use them. And yes, 2020 was the year TikTok rose to fame and changed the game completely. Like it or not, the „ripple effect“ was made and it created a new order in the social media world.
We all know by now that the most valued possession nowadays is information. Every user is bombarded with an avalanche of content daily which makes it harder to stand out as a product, business or brand. That’s why every successful marketing strategy needs to go with the current social media flow and get trending! The statistics don’t lie either – in just two years, TikTok was placed next to rival companies such as Facebook, Netflix, YouTube and Snapchat. And yes, we always seem to be reluctant to try new trends, but eventually the popularity of a platform persuades us all to join. So, why does your business need TikTok? Ben Givon has the answers.
These newer and more unique ways to interact make every new platform more appealing to users. The short form video entertainment app greets you with a whirlwind of amateur videos. Most of its content is juvenile and even silly, but in the age demographic it can gather millions of views and followers. Over 60% of US TikTok users are aged 18-34, but what’s interesting is that a quarter of them are aged 45-64, therefore making this app very accessible to all ages and not just limited to kids.
By now, we’ve all seen a watermarked vibrating logo on a video, even though some of us are not app users. TikTok made sure we all know it exists by a staggering number of ads placed all over the internet. It even flooded other social media platforms to a point where you couldn’t scroll through your feed without seeing numerous TikTok videos everywhere. This is where an interesting psychological phenomenon kicks in – the fear of missing out. It’s a common way to describe how social media makes its users feel by catching glimpses of other people’s lives through different types of posts. In this case, what makes them feel excluded is an entire social media platform – TikTok. So naturally, all of these people want to know what it is and how it works and they might not like it or agree with its purpose but its popularity makes it undeniably necessary.
One of the slogans used by TikTok for Business is “Don’t make Ads – make a connection”. That being said, the key word for using TikTok in your business strategy is personalization. Such a simple, magic ingredient that opens up creative possibilities and gives every user a chance to feel included, to identify and even contribute to content creation. Unlike Instagram, who promotes extremely polished, high-quality content, TikTok is largely based on amateur videos and for that it is perceived as a casual social media platform that fosters self-expression – a virtual creative space with accessibility as its main appeal. If you are looking to avoid or dilute heavy commercial-style content production, TikTok is the way to go, Ben Givon advises. It also allows you to explore fun sides of your business or brand and attract younger crowds with ease. Engagement should be the main guide after you’ve pinpointed your brand culture, identity and values. TikTok seems to be the best digital space for ad placements and sponsorships because it’s new and not overly saturated as Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. Furthermore, it takes you one step closer into marketing to Gen Z; the infamous difficult-to-market-to generation group, as they gain buying power.
In conclusion, this new, creative social media phenomenon is taking over the world by storm and might be the mark of a new era of digital marketing. That being said, the perfect mixture of Instagram, YouTube and Facebook, powered by AI should guide your business into this new migration on the social media scene that TikTok has created.
