TikTok: Should it be Part of Your Digital Strategy?

I’ll admit it: I love TikTok.

It’s silly, entertaining, educational… it’s an escape.

But it wasn’t always love at first sight. In fact, I was completely put off by the idea of it at first. I only heard horror stories about the video-sharing social media app, and thought it sounded like something that was just for kids.

Cut to quarantine, and I finally caved.

All I have to say is it’s become my daily dose of serotonin for the foreseeable future. Not to mention I’m constantly amazed (and maybe mildly spooked) by how its algorithm never fails to deliver perfectly personalized content.

With 50 million active daily users, TikTok is one of the most downloaded apps worldwide. And like with any massive user base, advertisers are not far behind. So when TikTok launched their business and advertising suites earlier this year, the question on most brands’ minds became: Should we be on TikTok?

The answer isn’t so simple.

In this article, we’ll be taking a look at the platform, who’s on it, and whether or not you should be adding it to your marketing mix.

@charlidamelio

the loml @dunkin remixed my fave – a cold brew with caramel, now topped with sweet cold foam & cinnamon sugar! #charlidunkinremix #ad

♬ charli dunkin remix – charli d’amelio

A brief overview of TikTok

TikTok (called Douyin in China) is a social networking platform for creating and discovering short videos. In 2017, their parent company ByteDance acquired the popular (and problematic) app Musical.ly and rebranded as TikTok.

Videos on TikTok were originally 15 seconds long, then extended to 60 seconds in 2020. Today, they’re currently testing lengths up to three minutes as a result of the increasing interest from high-profile users and brands.

TikTok gives users a complete suite of editing tools and special effects to create engaging content aimed to go viral. Similar to Vine, some creators (aka “TikTokers”) have risen to A-list level fame in what seems like overnight success. Just look at Influencers like the D’Amelio Sisters and Addison Rae who are raking in millions for simple dance content that appeals to children, which has led to top tier brand deals.

TikTokers can add hashtags to their videos to traffic on popular tags like #foryoupage, #fyp, #levelup, and can generally expect higher engagement rates than other platforms like Instagram’s Reels.

Who’s on TikTok?

It should come as no surprise that the majority of users on TikTok are children and young adults. It’s the most popular with Gen Z, especially between the ages of 16 and 24. 60% of TikTok’s user base is in this age group, with 80% of the total user base aged between 16 and 34 (US).

Here are more quick stats:

689 million active monthly users internationally (with ~60% in China)
1 billion daily video views
Anticipated daily user growth of 29% in 2024
The average user spends 52 minutes a day on TikTok
Adult users are on the rise with 5.5 times their growth in 18 months (and even more anticipated growth in 2021)
Device usage is split at 52% iPhone and 48% Android
Back in October 2020, TikTok surpassed Instagram as the second-most popular social app for US teens.

When considering TikTok for your marketing strategy, ask yourself whether these demographics fall in line with your target audience. Take a look at the platform itself—-are you seeing content that relates to your brand? If not, you may want to dig a little deeper or reconsider investing your time and money on TikTok.

Should your brand be on TikTok?

We’ve taken a look at the platform and who’s using it, so now comes the big question: should my brand be producing content for TikTok?

It depends on how you answer these 3 questions:

1. Does your brand align with TikTok’s users?

There’s a very big asterisk to this question though.

For instance, if you’re looking to expand into a younger demographic, or you’re seeing your brand mentions on TikTok increasing, you’d probably want to consider jumping on the bandwagon. Even brands that conventionally wouldn’t make sense on TikTok are growing a following on the app and it’s working exceptionally well.

Take TurboTax for example. You wouldn’t normally put Gen Z and taxes in the same sentence, but TurboTax has found success in appealing to young adults who are new to the challenging (and confusing) world of doing their own taxes. The brand is seeing impressive results simply by running ads made with popular TikTokers, creating the branded hashtag #allpeoplearetaxpeople, and re-using their Super Bowl LIV “All people are tax people song.”

@zachv_pat

We loved this dance! 😍 #W2Step #downsyndrome #dance #lovetodance #taxes #brotherlove #brothers #fyp

♬ All People Are Tax People (Remix) – TurboTax

2. Do you have the capacity to create on a consistent basis?

TikTok thrives on organic, authentic content that proves anybody can create the next viral hit. Yes, even you!

This is not the platform to spend your entire marketing budget on and create high-production value video. This is the platform where you grab your phone, a tripod and some decent lighting to churn out engaging videos a couple times a day. Multiple sources recommend posting at least 3 times a day, as well as consistently monitoring your comments for opportunities to reply to them via video.

Engagement matters on all channels. That said, TikTok requires a little more TLC if you want your content to reach the masses. TikTok’s algorithm specially curates content on each user’s For You Page. But to get there, you need to be able to keep up with the constant wave of new content.

If you’re not equipped to produce video on a regular basis, it may be time to consider acquiring a dedicated resource or taking a step back to analyze whether you should be investing your time in the platform.

3. Will your content provide value/benefits to your users?

It’s not enough to create branded content and hope for the best.

Millennials and Gen Z tend to be more suspicious of branded content on TikTok if it’s not done right. As reported in one of our previous blog posts, social responsibility and transparency are on everyone’s minds. And users on TikTok are no exception.

Because of the strong community on the platform, any user, content or brand that crosses a line or seems disingenuous is likely to be criticized across the platform.

Take BuzzFeed for example. When they joined the platform then saturated their feed with repurposed content from old YouTube videos, which users didn’t appreciate one bit. Negative comments critiquing the brand for sharing stale content quickly turned to callouts and dedicated TikTokers exposing the brand for their unethical practices.

Then there’s Chipotle, who has been killing it on the platform. They’ve collaborated with TikTok veterans like Brittany Broski (Kombucha Girl), create hilarious content that usually has nothing to do with their food, and are constantly responding to comments with clapbacks from their content team. If you’re in the food and beverage industry and are looking to get on TikTok, Chipotle should be your guiding light.

@brittany_broski

only @chipotle delivery can save us from aunt Linda’s cooking #TikTokTimeout #ad

♬ original sound – Brittany

General Rule: think of the type of content you want to share on the platform, and consider whether you’ll be providing any benefit to the user (entertainment, education, inspiration, etc.)

If you answered yes to all of these questions, then great! You’re most likely in a good position to be using TikTok to promote your brand. If not, well… maybe later.

I wouldn’t say you should completely cross TikTok off your list, but rather hold off for now and see how it evolves over time. Features and best practices change every day on TikTok, so there’s a likely chance you’ll have the opportunity to utilize the platform in the future.

How to get started on TikTok

Before jumping into production mode, we recommend that you:

Audit the platform to see if your brand fits (similar content, relevant keywords, influencers, other opportunities)
Determine whether you’ll be focusing on creating content, running ads, or both
Learn how to create videos using TikTok’s tools (or uploading existing content)
Learn how to engage with your audience and build a community

Here are some handy resources to bookmark:

TikTok for Business → Create a business manager account
Creator Marketplace → Discover influencers for collaborations
Ad Inspiration → TikTok’s case study library
TikTok SMB Centre → Resources for small businesses

TikTok isn’t just an app for kids anymore. It’s a place where anyone can turn into an overnight sensation. A place where brands can develop a close-knit community of loyal customers. While the platform offers incredible opportunities for engagement and brand building, it still requires some forethought before making the leap.

TikTok: Should it be Part of Your Digital Strategy?

Marissa Norton

Building a Better User Experience with Thoughtful Information Architecture

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