Why your business needs to be on TikTok

Social media platforms today are becoming saturated, making it harder to get noticed. Your brand’s message may be watertight, but this is worth nothing if your target audience cannot find you. Whilst businesses could depend on organic reach, the fast-changing algorithms across all primary social media platforms means this is growing less reliable. This left space for a new social media platform to come along and redefine how we approach marketing in online social spaces. Since launching in 2016 and becoming popular primarily over the pandemic, Tik Tok has earned its title as being currently the most popular social media platform in the world, with over 1 billion active users per month. Of course, TikTok may not be the app for your business needs, but if it fits into your personas then it should not be overlooked.

What is Tik Tok? 

Whilst Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram are based on sharing images and text, TikTok is a short video sharing platform where users can make clips from 15 seconds to 3 minutes long. These videos can be set to trending music or audio. Unlike platforms such as Instagram that now require high-quality content (often using separate editing software) to gain attraction, TikTok is suitable for both professionals and amateurs. With editing features all built-in, users can add effects like filters, stickers, text, and background music to their videos. However, unlike Instagram where it would be seen as unprofessional to post a raw photograph, TikTok’s fast and casual interface means that unedited content is acceptable and sometimes even more popular! 

What are the most recent TikTok statistics? 

• TikTok has an estimated 1.1 Billion users worldwide.

• The average user spends 52 minutes per day on the TikTok app.

• Bytedance, who own TikTok, is valued at $140 Billion. This makes it the world’s most valuable startup, worth more than Twitter and Coca Cola.

Why should your business get on TikTok?

1. It’s still new 

We all know that typically the largest profiles on other social media platforms have the upper hand because they have been there since the start and had time to steadily grow. TikTok’s popularity is still fairly new, meaning that as long as you are creating good content for your business, you will get noticed. Even if you are still sceptical after reading this blog, why not get in there early and make an account. Even if it is slow, you will begin to see growth over time. 

2.  Video is simply more popular 

Video has recently proven itself as far more popular at capturing an audience’s attention than photo-based media. One can hypothesise whether this is a direct effect of many of us being in lockdown and having more time to spend alone on our phones (unless you were busy working from home like us). The popularity of video-based content has been made clear by the fact that other social media platforms are moving away from photo content to try and catch up to TikTok. Adam Mosseri, the head of Instagram, announced reels in 2020 as part of the app taking an overall more video-based approach. 

3. There are endless opportunities for creativity 

Just as TikTok is a varied space for both professionals and amateurs, the content that you create can truly be about anything. All types of content are able to gain attention whether it’s artistic, humorous, educational or business-orientated. Therefore, you can mould your content completely to align with your personal brand. Furthermore, there is a constant influx of trends that are easy to follow along, meaning you can never be out of ideas for content. 

4. Marketing that doesn’t look like marketing 

Millennials value authenticity over old marketing techniques. They want to relate to the creators they see online and support honest businesses. Users are aware that on other platforms businesses can pay to boost their reach, therefore it can be hard to find genuine quality services/goods. Users want to be targeted through honest, engaging, and personal content. The casual and nonrigid nature of TikTok allows you to truly tell your brand’s story. Learn more about our story at Optix. 

Have we convinced you to get on TikTok?

We hope you now have a better idea of what TikTok is and why it could be a powerful tool to implement in your digital marketing strategy. Excited to get started but don’t know how? Keep a lookout for our upcoming blog on tips for how to post quality content on TikTok. If you have any questions regarding this blog or want to learn more about digital marketing services then don’t be afraid to reach out! We would love to hear from you.