Opening Word
Since the dawn of social media, every few years there seems to be a new platform for which people go crazy for. Back in 2007 and 2008, it was Facebook and Myspace. Then came Twitter and took the world by storm, remaining relevant to this day. In the meantime, for the better part of the 2010s, and to this day, Instagram is one of the top platforms for people to share all sorts of content with each other. Finally, there is Snapchat, and the late Vine video sharing platform, which was sadly discontinued. Combine these half a dozen platforms that everyone knows and loves with YouTube as the leading video content option, and you have all the information, connections, and potential customers you need.
The Newest Trend
However, from 2017, one more such app started climbing through the ranks and onto the devices of more and more people. That social media platform is TikTok, the newest craze among the age groups starting from the millennials and up. In a way, the platform combines Instagram, Snapchat, and the late Vine, as it is a video sharing app you can use to simply keep up with what your loved ones are doing, be creative, or promote something in an effort to reach an audience. Furthermore, similar to other platforms there are numerous popular stars, TikTokers, with tens of millions of followers, some of which transitioned from one of the older apps.
No matter what people are using it for, there is no doubt that it is the place to be in 2023, and it has been for the last few years. All the kids are using it, as well as teenagers, adolescents, and some adults. This gives potential retailers the chance to promote their products and services to everyone. In the article before you, you will learn exactly why TikTok is the king of social media when it comes to marketing. In case you want or need a boost with your followers, likes, and/or views, make sure to check out tikfuel.com to expand your online presence.
What is TikTok Exactly?
Before we can move on and explore the marketing potential, there should be a few words about what this amazingly famous platform actually is. As mentioned already, it is a place where users share video content. At first, the longest a video could be was 15 seconds, but you can now string four of them together and make one 60-minute video. This is more than enough to advertise what you want or to share something with your friends and family. If you wish to upload or share a video from somewhere else, it can be even longer.
From its earliest days, it has been mostly populated by GenZ users, people born in 2000 at the earliest. What made TikTok famous were viral dance trends, lip-sync content, and challenges, dozens of challenges. Celebrities took part as well to remain relevant in the ever-changing world of the internet. Unlike Vine that came to a close in 2017, TikTok is enjoying continuous success nonstop. As of right now, it has more than 800 million active users who log on every day. An average user spends about 52 minutes of their day on TikTok, an unreal amount of time overflowing with opportunities.
Who Made TikTok?
The parent company of the app is ByteDance, and they launched it in China first under the name Douyin. The platform went international during 2017, slowly reaching all corners of the world. Today, both versions of the app use the same software but they have separate networks due to the different censorship laws in China. The big thing that allowed TikTok to grow so big and so quickly was the acquisition of Music.ly. This platform allows the users to create and share lip-sync videos of popular songs, and it was the reason why the teens in the USA went crazy for it. In 2023, all age groups use it but the main fan base is still comprised of those aged 13 to 25. This year, TikTok managed to become the most downloaded app in the world.
Marketing on TikTok
Let us now determine why marketers and businesses should use the social media app to promote their products and services. If you want to reach all social classes and age groups through the internet, you are already using the best marketing medium. However, that is not enough, as you have to be in the right place, which in this case is the most popular place.
Since young people are crazy for it, all you have to do in order to promote yourself is to associate the brand and your name to a challenge. You have probably seen or heard of the popular internet challenges out there that ask the users to record themselves doing something mildly difficult or demanding and post it with the appropriate hashtag. If as a brand you manage to get involved with something like this, you will reach an incredible amount of potential customers.
What is more, you can get in touch with one of the TikTok stars in your country and make a collaboration. Their audience is probably vast and they will be informed about your product on a daily basis. Some of the biggest names in the business like Chipotle, EA Sports, Coca-Cola, and Walmart are actively using these strategies, despite being at the top of their respective industries. Moreover, all major companies and businesses you know and love have their official TikTok accounts. That should also be your first move. Open an account, follow the right people and hashtags, spread out the message you want, and then get in touch with those who can help you.
The best part about marketing on a platform like this is the fact that it is relatable and familiar to the users whom you want to be your customers. It is difficult to convey the right kind of message through the usual means of advertising like TV and magazines, where world-famous celebrities like athletes, singers, and actors promote things. You know they are only the face of the company. With TikTok, it is much more on-hands and interactive, and the internet stars usually believe and support the brands they endorse as well.
