You may have heard of TikTok, but do you understand how the social media platform operates? Chances are if you’re anything but Generation Z, the app presumably isn’t one of your most frequently visited platforms. According to Global Web Index, 41% of TikTok users fall between the ages of 16 to 24 years old.
On the app, users can post short 15-second clips of themselves lip-syncing to popular songs or quoting lines from their favorite movie scenes. The quick-fix entertainment app is user-friendly and somewhat addictive, similarly to the now-defunct six-second social media platform, Vine. Today, the app has evolved from clips of dancing teens to include clever comedy skits, viral challenges and pranks. Like many other social media platforms, users can like and comment on posts and follow other accounts. In addition to these traditional features, users can also insert tracks from a giant library of music or audio from previous TikToks. From there, filters, special effects and texts can be applied.
The first page a user sees after creating an account is the “For You” page. Here, the app compiles an endless list of videos that it thinks you’ll enjoy after taking note of your watch and like history. As a creator, being featured on the “For You” page could result in much higher reach, which allows for more likes and followers to interact with your content. Many TikTokers use hashtags such as #ForYou or hashtags with challenge names to increase the post’s visibility.
According to Oberlo, TikTok was the number one downloaded app in the App Store as of Q1 2019 with 33 million downloads and has 500 million active worldwide users. With those numbers, it’s easy to see why businesses are interested in creating their own TikTok account.
TikTok explains its mission, “TikTok is the leading destination for short-form mobile video. Our mission is to inspire creativity and bring joy.”
Is TikTok for your business? The most followed TikTok user is 17-year-old Loren Gray with 34.5 million followers. This means if you’re looking to market your brand to a younger audience, using TikTok as a tool may be worth considering.
Many businesses are taking advantage of inspiring creativity by creating their own challenges. For example, the fashion brand Guess partnered with TikTok to create a viral campaign using the hashtag #InMyDenim. After entering the app, every user was directed to the #InMyDenim page where they could view the latest videos. The challenge encouraged users to post their #OOTD (outfit of the day) wearing their Guess denim. This was TikTok’s first paid partnership with a U.S. brand which drove videos using the hashtag to over 38 million total views.
Keep an eye on TikTok as the platform grows. As you learn more about it, start to consider if the platform is right for yourself personally or your business.
