With so many social media networks to keep track of, it’s not a surprise that the TikTok app leaves you scratching your head. So what is this all about?
The ultimate fun video-sharing platform
TikTok is a social network to share videos. It was launched in 2017 and is mainly used to post short lip-sync, comedy and talent videos. Sounds familiar? Indeed, TikTok used to be known as the Musical.ly. It now incorporates the most popular elements of its predecessor and also threw in a few new features for good measure.
And also good to know: it’s one of the most downloaded social media apps at the moment!
Most people know this platform for its funny and weird videos produced by young people. No less than 41% of TikTok users are between 16 and 21 years old. When Gen-Z began to use this platform to show off their creative side, some brands also began to experiment.
We can hear you think: “that’s not the place to be for my business!?” WRONG! Remember that you used to think exactly the same thing of Instagram? Exactly. This platform holds a lot of potential for anyone willing to give it a go. It’s a great way to generate brand awareness (rather than traffic or leads).
A few courageous examples
Not so long ago, Basic Fit took the plunge and created a TikTok profile. As you can see, they’re doing it right. Fitness brands don’t always have to talk about the perfect squat, the best post-workout snack and so on. Basic Fit decided to show the lighter side of themselves through funny videos!
Another example is Clarins, a French luxury skincare, cosmetics and perfume company. The skin expert brand entered TikTok with a new range of products aimed at a younger audience. Result? A great engagement rate (that leads to better bonding with the young ones)!
A major American daily newspaper on TikTok? The Washington Post joined in too. The average reader of this newspaper is well over 40. So it was time to win over the cool (younger) kinds and get in touch with them. How? By treating TikTok as a seemingly lighthearted side project to reinforce the paper’s journalistic mission and (hopefully) to draw in some new young readers. Jorgenson, the face of The Washington Post’s account, exactly knows how to do that!
No Tik without a Tok?
So the big question is: if your target audience has found its way to TikTok, will you be there to greet them? And if they’re not on TikTok today, they might be there tomorrow.