You could say our team at Obviously has a collective obsession with TikTok. We’ve been on the app from the beginning, working with creators since they started and keeping up with the evolution of the platform.
Even with our love for the app, we couldn’t have predicted how much it would grow and change in the last month as video, social media, and live streaming became essential in daily life.
Right now, everyone is rushing to Tiktok. Here are four reasons why your brand needs to test it out too in order to stay relevant.
1. Everyone is on TikTok
With families doing dance challenges together and celebrities joining en mass, TikTok is becoming less like Gen Z’s best inside joke and more like a fun platform for everyone. While users ages 13-30 still dominate, people of all ages are joining it, and we’ve seen a 24% increase in the number of Instagram influencers launching their TikTok accounts during quarantine. For brands, this means that TikTok is a better place than ever to connect with audiences of all ages.
“I think the family videos have been really cool. I’ve seen so many families that are stuck at home together and parents making TikToks with their teenagers. This is encouraging to see and definitely one of the most positive trends.”
2. TikTok doesn’t take itself too seriously
Nationwide quarantines have put us all in uncharted territory with serious challenges ahead. Given the gravity of the situation, marketers who miss on tone and message risk blowback and alienating customers. TikTok is lighthearted and fun - it doesn’t take itself too seriously - and there’s a lot of levity to the platform. Not only are audiences turning to TikTok as a reprieve from the news, but also the nature of the content makes it a lot safer for brands and more appealing for consumers. The focus is on feel-good entertainment.
3. Engagement is through the roof
People are consuming and creating more content than ever, and TikTok is a hot spot for that heightened engagement. From February to March 2020, we saw a 27% increase in the average engagement on TikTok. There’s a lot happening on TikTok that’s bound to keep bumping that number up as we head into the summer - a huge pick-up in live streams, hot new made-for-TikTok songs (we see, you, Drake), and fresh quarantine challenges.
4. Bang for the buck
With the economic uncertainty surrounding the end of Q1, brands are going to be hard-pressed to ensure their marketing dollars are spent wisely going into the remainder of 2020. TikTok’s influencer pricing remains more advantageous than older social media platforms, and the algorithm sets up great content to go viral far more quickly, which can result in exponential impressions and reams of UGC.
There’s never been a better time than now to reach new audiences online, and everyone is catching on to TikTok. Social media is keeping communities connected despite social distancing, and people are looking for ways to stay entertained, busy, and optimistic. Though the landscape changed a lot recently, with the right strategy and message, a test campaign on TikTok right now could be the best step to setting yourself up for success well into 2020.
Interested in starting a TikTok campaign?
