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Why It’s Time to Get on TikTok Right Now

You’ve been wondering, and we’re here to tell you: it’s time. If you didn’t read the title, we’ll back it up a bit. The video-based social media platform TikTok has become a household name over the past few years. But it’s only recently started to stand out as a true contender for marketers. As much as our mostly-Millennial staff feels comfortable sticking to our tried and true social platforms, we have to admit—it’s time to get on TikTok—and we have some compelling reasons why.

A quick trip through TikTok

TikTok is a video sharing social media network. Distinct from YouTube, TikTok’s videos are limited in length (currently three minutes is the max, up from the original 15 seconds)—making the platform’s content quick and easy to consume. Users can engage with content in the form of likes, shares and comments.

Like Instagram, TikTok features a scrolling feed of content; however, each user’s feed is tailored to their individual interests. It works using a recommendation system that TikTok refers to as its “For You” feed.

The content itself? A mix of amateur and professionally-composed videos. Many are based on trends and challenges that were born in the app itself, while others focus on music, comedy, tutorials and beyond.

Though TikTok’s popularity is rooted among Gen Zers, the app is growing to encompass a more diverse demographic of users—including celebrities, brands and more.

TikTok’s rise to power

Chinese app developer ByteDance is responsible for the emergence of TikTok when, in 2016, the company rebranded the app Douyin so it would appeal to more international users. The next year, ByteDance acquired rival app Musical.ly and merged the two under the one name: TikTok. From there, TikTok shot to popularity, becoming the most downloaded app in Apple’s App Store in 2018.

In December 2019 the app reported 507 million active users. Seeing a surge of new users in the pandemic, TikTok reported 1 billion active global users in September 2021.  As of that month, TikTok was available in 154 countries worldwide.

A few more stats

Here are few more notable stats for TikTok in 2021, courtesy of SproutSocial.

  • More than half—62 percent—of TikTok users are between ages 10 and 29.
  • TikTok users spend an average of 46 minutes a day on the platform.
  • 90 percent of users access TikTok every day.
  • The app generated approximately $1 billion in revenue in 2020.

The power of TikTok for marketers

If you’re still not convinced that it’s time to get on TikTok—consider these points.

Immense user base

TikTok is a space where literal billions of daily users are spending their time, so the brand awareness opportunity for the platform is immense. In fact, according to Hootsuite’s Social Media Trends 2022 Report, TikTok experienced a 700 percent increase over last year in whether marketers perceived it as a successful platform for reaching their business goals.

“For You” feed works to your advantage

TikTok gives marketers a helping hand in the sense that users do not have to be following your account to see your video. The platform serves up videos based on users’ prior expressed interests and engagement, so your content has a better chance of being seen organically than it would on other platforms. For example, as of the date this blog was written, the first (and at that time only) TikTok video posted to our McNutt & Partners account had 492 views, though our page only had two followers!

New space for marketers

In addition, TikTok is still a relatively new space for marketers, so competition is not (yet) as saturated as it is in places like Facebook and Instagram.

Fun content to create and share

Keep in mind—the type of content that TikTok users expect and want to engage with is creative, lighthearted, amusing and useful. In fact, the platform’s tagline for its advertising space is “Don’t make ads. Make TikToks.” This is a call for marketers to create content that fits in seamlessly to the TikTok environment.

Establishing a TikTok presence

Even if you’re not ready to attempt paid advertising on TikTok, simply establishing a presence there could be to your brand’s benefit. And based on the lighthearted nature of the platform, it should be fun! Give it a try and see how it can work for your business.

Summary  

The introduction of anything “new” in the tech space typically comes with a bit of apprehension to adopt it. However, we think it’s time to get on TikTok—and we can help your brand do just that!

McNutt & Partners is a full-service advertising and digital marketing agency. Contact us today for your marketing needs! Call 334-521-1010, or visit our contact page.

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