TikTok has been the most downloaded app in the last two years, with over 800 million active users, making it the fastest growing social media platform. TikTok is simply a platform made up of videos up to 15 seconds long made and shared by its users. Users can create and upload videos, add filters, music, effects, and more. While it is widely popular for dancing challenges, lip-sync, and other trends on social media, it is also used by people as a platform to voice thoughts on anything from dating advice to politics. Its quickly growing popularity has made TikTok a target for businesses looking to expand beyond Facebook and Instagram in their social media marketing strategies. Below we will discuss who the TikTok audience is and some tips to utilize when incorporating its platform into your overall strategy. 

Who uses TikTok?

TikTok definitely resonates strongest with a younger audience but has proven to keep their interest as they age (thus far). Millennials and even baby boomers have started to join the platform, most introduced by teenage and younger family members. The audience is vast and quickly growing, but at this time, 66% of users are under 30, so if your audience is an older crowd, this may not be the right platform for you just yet. 

Why You Should Be Marketing on TikTok

Being a video-driven social platform, TikTok exceeds all other platforms in engagement levels. Customer engagement is a quick way to spread your message across multiple platforms and will even boost your organic listings on search engines when done properly. The size of the audience and engagement levels makes this platform very appealing for marketing purposes. Whether with a hired social media agency or in-house, once you decide to dive into their marketing platform, below are some tips to make your efforts more successful. 

Tips to Successful TikTok Marketing

  1. #HashTags – Hashtags are used to categorize your content and help your content reach your desired audience. They help users join conversations, create communities, and find certain types of content. Always use hashtags and keep an eye out for hashtags that are trending on the platform. If your content fits within a popular hashtag, it can open the door to a broader audience. Note that just because a hashtag is popular and trending does not mean you should use it; if the content doesn’t fit or the hashtag is not in line with your brand values, avoid it! 
  2. Utilize the ads platform – Like other social media advertising platforms, TikTok has an ad feature that allows you to reach a larger targeted audience at an inexpensive cost. You can target based on interest, behavior, and other features. There are several ad options, including in-feed ads, branded hashtags, branded effects, brand takeovers, and top view ads. 
  3. Target the right audience – As with any other social platform, your content must capture the attention of your desired audience. Learn who your audience is and create content that solves a problem or answers questions they may have. If you can do this, it will boost engagement, resulting in TikTok’s algorithms pushing your content in front of a larger audience. 
  4. Take advantage of trends – TikTok is famous for different trends and viral challenges. Look for appropriate opportunities within those trends and challenges. If you can create content promoting your brand, product, or services, you open your business up to a much broader audience while utilizing those trending hashtags. 
  5. Influencers – An influencer is exactly what it sounds like; having someone of influence on the TikTok platform pushes your brand, product, and services. These influences have a huge following, and their opinions hold weight, so even a brand mention could positively impact your business. We strongly recommend you research influencers and not base your pick solely on the number of followers. Look at the quality of their content, engagement levels, interests, values, etc. A successful influencer campaign allows the influencer room to express their style and creativity, so finding a good fit that matches well with your business is important. 

In summary, if your market is within the TikTok user realm, it is a great place to explore your digital marketing strategy. Create your channel of relevant creative content, explore different hashtags, paid ads, and influencer campaigns. If you are unsure where to start, Klout 9 has a state-of-the-art video production team that would be happy to brainstorm with you and build an effective strategy for your TikTok marketing launch.