[PRESS OFFICE] TikTok is currently the most rapidly growing short-form mobile video platform, and familiarising yourself with it now can benefit your digital strategy.
Here’s everything you need to know about it.
Meet the platform
In 2017, the popular video app Musical.ly was acquired by Chinese company ByteDance. One year later, the app rebranded as TikTok- and has surged in popularity ever since.
While over 60% of the app’s monthly active users in the U.S. are 16 to 24-year-olds, TikTok offers a wide variety of content, such as lifestyle and comedy, which appeals to older demographics as well.
As of Q3 2019, TikTok has surpassed Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and Snapchat in App Store and Google Play installs. Here are a few of the reasons for the app’s rapid growth.
User=Creator
Unlike most other platforms offering video content, TikTok empowers users to explore their own creativity in video-making with fun and easy-to-use filters and effects. Whether it’s effects such as the FaceTracker for comedic effect, slow-motion to emphasise a skateboard flip or Duet to easily reference another video, these effects offer something to turn any kind of user into a creator.
As platforms grow in popularity, they tend to somewhat lose the feel of real people sharing relatable, informative or innovative content. What sets TikTok apart from other established platforms, is its ability to provide precisely this type of communal space for its users.
Simply addictive
Many TikTok users note the app’s addictiveness, and one look at its layout makes it clear why it’s so easy to go down a viewing rabbit-hole. TikTok’s simple design places users at the forefront of their viewing and creating experience. Ads do appear every so often, but they blend in with the experience and aren’t invasive.
Another feature which sets TikTok apart from the rest is the ease of sharing. Not only can videos be shared via other apps with a simple tap, they can also be easily downloaded to the user’s device, complete with a small “TikTok” watermark in the lower right-hand of the video. This makes sharing TikToks a breeze, and also makes it easy to track down their original uploader.
Great, how do I market on it though?
TikTok recently launched its own ad units, which boast interactive and engaging formats such as Biddable Ads, Brand Takeover, Hashtag Challenge and more. It’s good to familiarise yourself with these units by reading guides such as this one by Tara Johnson of Tinuiti.
Another great way to reach your audience on TikTok is to make use of sponsored posts by collaborating with influential creators within a specific niche (eg. make-up, hair care, lifestyle and fitness, etc.). Disclosure legalities will vary depending on your country of origin, as well as the country or countries in which your audience resides. For more insights on TikTok’s influencer marketing, give this article a read.
The simplest and best way to familiarise yourself with any app as a marketer, is to check it out for yourself. Download the app and browse through it for a while, taking note of any trends and other noteworthy content you see.
TikTok offers opportunities to get creative and reach your audience in new and exciting ways. Expect even more growth and innovation from this platform in the months to come, and don’t be afraid to experiment with its interesting interface- after all, your audience already is.
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