TikTok - What's all the fuss about?

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Have you jumped on the TikTok bandwagon? If you haven’t, or don’t even know what it is, TikTok is a video-sharing app that allows users to create short comedy and lip-sync videos. The concept of the app is similar to Vine, but it has additional features such as allowing users to overlay music, which I think makes it more accessible.

As TikTok is relatively new compared to platforms such as Snapchat (it launched in 2016), many marketers will likely question whether it’s worth getting on it. After all, what if it goes the same way as Vine?

But, the latest available statistics show that there are 500 million monthly active users around the world. And, according to Google Play Store, the app was downloaded nine million times in October 2018 alone (Business of Apps).

So, how are brands using TikTok?

Marketing on TikTok

Calvin Klein extended their ‘My Calvins’ campaign to TikTok with the intent to engage younger viewers and to spread the brand through hashtag challenges and user-created videos.

Another brand that has successfully executed a marketing campaign on the app is Guess. In 2018, it launched the ‘In My Denim’ hashtag challenge that asked users to post videos with the hashtag while wearing Guess clothing.

Both campaigns were successful for two reasons: they are established fashion brands targeted at a young adult demographic, and it engages the audience to create content and share it with others (WP Dev Shed).

TikTok might be considered a fledgling app, but there are many benefits of adding it into your digital marketing mix:

• It shows a different side of your company that makes you appear more relatable and trustworthy
• It allows experimentation because there aren’t as many norms and best practices as platforms like Facebook
• You can engage with your audience and easily start competitions and challenges where they produce content
• You can quickly make of-the-moment content that doesn’t require editing
• Provides the opportunity for a different focus to your other social media channels
• The live streaming feature lets you publish ephemeral content that plays on users’ fear of missing out
• You can use popular TikTok influencers to widen your content reach and the app’s demographic enables you to target younger audiences

For me, TikTok and social media in general provides the opportunity for brands to shrug off a corporate feel and build a relationship with customers.

To find out more about using social media in your marketing strategy, email us at [email protected] or speak to a member of our team by calling 01926 422002.