TikTok anyone? No, not the biscuit, the social media platform, duh!
You could argue there’s only a few major players in the social game in Australia and the marketplace has been pretty stable for a few years now. Largely owned by Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Pinterest, WhatsApp and Snapchat. Enter, TikTok!
TikTok is a video sharing app for short clips set to music. Teens see TikTok as a home for pure, unfiltered entertainment. It’s meme culture at its best.
Side Note: If you haven’t checked out ‘bored in the house’ or ‘flip the switch’ challenge, do yourself a favour and do it, stop reading and do it now.
So, what is TikTok exactly?
Well it’s home to over 500 million active users worldwide and it’s been around since 2018. Users (mainly 13-22 females) create and share, looping videos set to music. Sound familiar?
I thought so too but it differs to Snapchat, which focuses more on real-life formats and photo and video messaging.
TikTok videos typically include dances, lip-syncing, reaction videos and some form of imitation challenge, resulting in cringe-worthy content you can’t stop watching.
So, should your brand be on it?
It depends on what you’re trying to achieve. As of today, it’s advertising platform is still in development and it only offers CPM (cost-per-thousand impressions). In beta is the testing of in app purchases – so at this stage if you’re looking to pay to play, it might not work for you.
You should consider your audience. If they’re typically on the younger side of things then tick, it’s for you. But the set of challenges that ensue are slightly more difficult. What content should you share?
Gen Z are looking for fun, entertaining, all-in challenges and if they’ve got by-in, your content is likely to go viral! Now’s the time if you haven’t watched the ‘bored in the house’ clip to see an example of exactly what I’m talking about.
In short if your producing image-based ads and Instagram-style product endorsements when marketing your brand, TikTok wont work for you.
BUT if you’re ready to strap on your thinking cap and create a raw unedited experience that resonates – you might’ve just struck gold.
