If you are over 30 and don’t have teenagers at home, there is a chance you have never heard of TikTok. It is now one of the most popular social media apps in the world. And, it is especially popular among young adults.
And that means it is an important frontier for marketers.
Here are the facts, TikTok:
- Has 1.5 billion global downloads. (Business Insider)
- Has 500 million active users. (Marketing Land)
- Is most popular with ages 13-22.
- Allows users to upload, edit and share 15 second videos or 60 second stories.
- Lets users to overlay music and sound effects over the video.
Because the videos are short and Gen Z is in charge, the tone of the app is silly and sarcastic. And trends are short lived. Instead of using social media to connect with other users as Facebook is, this app is less about a social network and more about social entertainment. Content is always very short and most often humorous. So, this is not a place where users (and by extension, marketers) can take themselves seriously.
In order to get an idea of how marketers are using TikTok well, take a look at Chipotle. Here is a link to their account. Watch them with the sound on. They currently have more than 320-thousand followers and 2.6 million likes. Part of their success came from a hashtag challenge, which a popular phenomenon on TikTok. The hashtag was #GuacDance and they challenged users to post videos related to it. That campaign paid off quickly – they sold the most guacamole ever on National Avocado Day.
Do you think TikTok might be a good marketing platform for your company?
Are you interested in how social media can help grow your small to medium business? Contact us at Octane to discuss your digital future.