You may have heard about the TikTok 2019 phenomenon, but you are still wondering why and how to better capitalise on it to improve your marketing campaigns.
TikTok has become a global hit. It’s not too late to get involved with this social media sensation. Here are 10 facts about TikTok – what’s it all about and how it can help deliver on your marketing goals.
1. TIKTOK IS THE NO.1 VIDEO-SHARING SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM
TikTok is the most popular video-sharing platform that consists mainly of short music and lip-sync videos as well as short looping videos. Most TikTok videos are 15-seconds long. You can also create and share 60-second Stories-type videos. Users simply share videos by filming, adding music and then posting to their followers.
Most videos are comedic or visually appealing, showcasing different kinds of content to capture viewers’ attention. With real-time options available, users and brands can now engage in ways never explored before.
2. TIKTOK HAS BEEN DOWNLOADED OVER 1.5 BILLION TIMES, GROWING 70% YEAR ON YEAR
To date, TikTok has been installed by more than 1.5 billion users across 154 countries and obtained a gross margin of over $80 million from in-app purchases.
TikTok was the most downloaded app globally on Apple’s App Store 3Q19 with close to 37 million installs, followed by YouTube, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Google Maps.
3. DOUYIN AND TIKTOK ARE THE SAME
You’ve probably heard of ‘Douyin’ and ‘TikTok’ being interchangeably used but are they exactly the same?
‘TikTok’ was initially launched as ‘Douyin (Chinese: 抖音)’ by parent company ByteDance for the China market in 2016. It was pushed out to markets outside of China as ‘TikTok’ since 2017 and experienced phenomenal growth. ByteDance is still operating Douyin as a separate entity in China. So technically speaking, they’re the same app but are running on different servers.
4. 69% OF TIKTOK USERS ARE AGED 16-24 BUT OLDER DEMOGRAPHICS ARE JUMPING ON BOARD
TikTok is overwhelmingly favoured by the younger generations. 69% of its users are Gen Zers and younger Millennials aged between 16 and 24. Over 60% of TikTok users are female.
TikTok is starting to age up. Hashtags such as #momslife and #workingmom which is collecting content for older Millennials. Others include the fitness industry who are focusing on the 50+ age bracket. There is a variety of audiences that TikTok can reach and should not be considered or limited to just the Gen Zers.
5. TIKTOK CONTENT IS HIGHLY CUSTOMISED AND ENGAGING
With a powerful AI-based algorithm, TikTok is able to precisely target specific people who might have expressed interest through searching or viewing related topics or videos.
There are two sides by side screens which appear when you log into your account. One displays content from accounts you follow. The other is tailored to you and accounts you choose to follow. Once you start to follow certain accounts, the “for you” screen will start to populate accounts based on those that you follow and interact with.
More than 90% of users enjoy TikTok multiple times a day, whenever and wherever they have a break. As attention spans decrease, TikTok’s content form of visually appealing short videos better engages with target audience more than traditional text or image ads.
6. INFLUENCER MARKETING CAN BE HUGE ON TIKTOK
KOLs (Key Opinion Leaders), KOCs (Key Opinion Customers) and Influencer marketing have become buzzwords across social media platforms. TikTok is no exception. It is a type of influencer when it comes to social media apps. With millions of followers, TikTok influencers are posting creative and engaging content sharing their daily lives. From product, travel, recipes and pets – just to name a few.
The number of marketers planning to work with influencers has grown dramatically by 68.43% in 2019. Influencer marketing via TikTok can help promote your products or brands through influencers related to your business.
Partner with influencers or grow your own influencer account to release a powerful marketing campaign. Influencers can also have a TikTok verified account – based on how popular they are and how many followers they gain. This will enhance people’s confidence and the authenticity of the content they’ve produced.
7. ADVERTISING ON TIKTOK IS STILL AT THE EARLIEST STAGES
Advertising on the TikTok app is still at the early stages since its self-serve ad platform is still in the testing phase.
Ads presented as full screen video clips can be a more vivid and immersive experience for a target audience. TikTok is developing different formats for advertising such as full-screen ads, in-feed ads, 3D/AR lenses, stickers and more.
With advertising on TikTok in its infancy, brands are yet to engage and tap into its full potential. This leaves valuable opportunities to engage with the huge number of users worldwide.
8. ‘HASHTAG CHALLENGES’ COULD TRANSFORM VIRAL MARKETING
You can use hashtags of up to 140 characters for each video. They must include a description as well as all other hashtags you want to rank for. The more people that engage with your videos, the higher it will rank within the hashtags you’ve mentioned.
Brands can use hashtag challenges to reach their target audience by creating engaging organic content. Ranking within the hashtag category or purchasing ‘sponsored’ Hashtag Challenges. This allows viewers to shop for products without leaving TikTok.
9. MAKE LIVE-STREAMING PART OF YOUR TIKTOK MARKETING PLAN
TikTok has added some amazing features which make it even more stunning.
Live-streaming is one of these new appealing functions.
10. TIKTOK, SHOW ME THE MONEY
Live-streaming is now featured on TikTok. Once you’ve reached 1,000 followers, you are able to live-stream on TikTok. Creators can earn money by people purchasing coins and awarding great content.
Users and your potential customers are spending $80 million on in-app purchases and over $50 million on virtual gifting which can be cashed out by content owners. Create your own TikTok account and post engaging content for your brand or products and earn rewards.
Need a hand with TikTok or your Chinese digital activities? Get in touch.
