Many brands are still undecided on when or even whether they should join the TikTok bandwagon, and how the jump could potentially affect their business.
For some of you reading this, TikTok is still a buzzword that you've heard thrown around by the younger members of staff at your organisation for a couple of years now, however, with the app’s popularity growing across all age groups, now is the time to decided when to take an interest and see how it could work for your business.
Much like the development of Facebook in the early 2010’s, TikTok has become the must use app in the social media marketing sector. Nevertheless, just like those early Facebook days, your company is now in a dilemma, do you jump across to TikTok now or do you hold off a little while longer while you evaluate the worthwhile for your business.
So, what exactly is TikTok?
TikTok is a social media platform, that was started in late 2016 by a Chinese tech company that allows users to watch and post short-form videos. Similar to Vine (RIP), the videos can cover a range of topics from comedy skits and dance to a range of informative short-form videos. Similar to the worlds most popular video social platform, YouTube but with some very important differences.
Key differences between TikTok and YouTube:
TikTok:
- Content 15 minutes or less (usually less than a minute)
- Algorithm based timeline
- Videos are shot and posted in a portrait (vertical) format
- Easy templates to join in on latest trends etc…
YouTube:
- Ideal for longer format video content
- Algorithm inspired but not in control
- Better for more informative work
- Videos posted in traditional landscape (horizontal) format.
What advantages does TikTok offer your business?
It’s not just for younger audiences, 60% of users do sit between the 16 to 24 (Gen Z age bracket) but with over one billion users every month and growing, TikTok is quickly becoming just as popular with millennials, Gen X and Baby Boomers.
Recent surveys suggest that 56% of users feel closer to brands they see on TikTok.
Regular posting on the platform could help your brand build trust and recognition with existing customers and open the door to new local and global opportunities.
These opportunies are amplified by the fact that due to the nature of the platform, with hundreds of interactive trends taking place every day – it’s never been easier for your team to create a quick video, and upload it with hopes that hundreds, thousands and even millions of people might view it.
Here are just some of the brands that have taken to using TikTok regularly as part of their marketing strategy:
- Adidas
- Marmite
- McVities
- Gymshark
- And many many more.
Rather than consistently pushing products and services on views, most brands choose to tell interesting stories or show off their brand’s personality by sharing useful tips relating to their industry.
As it’s still a ‘new’ platform in the social space, it’s a great time to give any idea a go – sometimes it’ll work, sometimes it won’t but regular content is key.
One such example came from a humble Fish and Chip shop in Coventry, ‘Binley Mega Chippy’. The independent store experienced TikTok fame after a video of theirs went viral, causing summer sales to rocket to an all-time high, with customers travelling from around the world to try the now famous fish and chips.
If you’re looking for a unique platform to help, make your brand stand out – then TikTok really is the obvious choice.
What are the disadvantages to TikTok:
The constant need for posting… Like all the time… Everyday! For a TikTok profile to really take off and appear in front of audiences, you need to be posting at least 3 to 5 times a week. New content can be time consuming and when the marketing team are asking your staff to take 5 minutes away from their work to join in on a dance or trend – you need to ask yourself if this is the best use of time, or if the constant interruptions are counter-productive.
Another thing to consider is as a business – how you want your brand to be portrayed. When big organisations get involved, using almost countless resources, it’s much easier for them to have new, fresh, and exciting content on a regular basis. For others, who maybe haven’t got the time, budget, or manpower – it becomes a much more difficult task. To keep churning out fresh ideas isn’t easy, especially when you’re going through a busy period of orders/work – the last thing you’ll want on your mind is ‘let’s take time out to do a dance’.
So, should we think about becoming a TikTok using business or not?
We understand that by this point you may have some mixed messages about whether your brand should start a TikTok or not? Unfortunately, there is no one answer. Due to the nature and algorithm of TikTok, if you feel that your business can devote the time to getting involved, with support from staff to get involved, even during peak times – then we say GO FOR IT! It’s a great opportunity to reach out and engage with your audiences. TikTok is comfortably established and has huge untapped marketing potential for those that want to put the effort in.
On the other hand, if you aren’t confident that you can give your all to the marketing time and creativity that TikTok demands from its users to stay engaging and give people that fresh and fun content that is required – then maybe it’s not the platform for you yet.
As per most social media platforms, TikTok is constantly evolving, algorithms are changing, and audiences determine what they like and don’t like. This could mean that just because your business isn’t TikTok ready yet – there is still plenty of time to jump onto the bandwagon.
If you are interested in starting TikTok for your business and would like expert help when it comes to posting/content strategy, content planning, content creation and editing or would just like to understand about more of the benefits – please contact our team via: info@dupreeinternational.com