It’s no secret that TikTok has its users captivated through the platform’s seemingly endless stream of content and has been commanding the attention of viewers for quite some time through their unique business model of showcasing interesting, educational and entertaining content available in the platform’s For You page – but how did it reach such great heights so fast?
Whether you’re a business looking to leverage your brand through another soon-to-be marketing giant, or whether you’re a passive user who finds themselves deep in the depths of ‘clean tok’ at 11 pm, fascinated by satisfying videos of users own home-#hacks, there’s no doubt that this platform has captivated your attention – so how to capitalise on and monetise your business’ presence here?
Today we want to address your burning questions about this platform, which can help you make an informed decision about whether this platform should be incorporated into your overall digital marketing strategy.
So, what is TikTok? Let’s visit the platform’s history and look at how it quickly became a social media giant.
Brief History of TikTok – and how it continues to evolve!
Before TikTok became TikTok, it was called Musical.ly. It was a short-form video app that mostly focused on lip-syncing content and gained significant popularity at the time. When it was acquired by ByteDance in 2018, the name was changed to TikTok and has since grown exponentially in terms of popularity and user count.
According to the latest TikTok stats, the app has been installed 3 billion times. It also boasts 1 billion active users on a monthly basis. This is impressive, considering that the platform only had about 133 million monthly active users when it was first introduced in 2018. The significant user growth speaks volumes about the platform’s popularity and engaging nature.
Moreover, the platform is no longer just for lip-syncing. Creators on the platform are getting extremely creative with their content, putting together funny sketches and informative videos. Entertainment and dance continue to be the most popular types of videos on TikTok. But you can also find plenty of educational content covering topics ranging from health to investing.
The platform also continues to grow in terms of features and capabilities. For instance, TikTok videos could originally be only up to 15 seconds. The platform has since extended this limit to allow up to 10 minutes of videos–up from the original extension of up to 3 minutes.
Considering how it’s evolved over time and especially with the video length extension, TikTok will soon be set to compete with long-form video platforms such as YouTube, and now that TikTok has surpassed 1 billion monthly active users, it’s quickly catching up with Instagram as one of the leading social media platforms.
How TikTok works
Two of the biggest reasons why TikTok became so big so fast is due to;
Celebrity participation
The abundance of features available to enhance videos
Through a combination of celebrity participation (i.e., challenges and vlogging) as well as the platform’s incorporation of multiple features which aid in building high engagement, TikTok provides users more freedom and creativity to express themselves through their video content, as well as provides a social space where interacting with celebrities and keeping up with their everyday lives is both simple to navigate as well as tailored through the algorithm for dedicated followers to be presented with their favourite and most viewed content as soon as you launch the app.
This ingenuity keeps TikTokers interested and on the app, which means more eyes on ads and the more likely businesses are able to monetise their accounts through the app.
How TikTok videos go viral
The best way to try and have your video go viral on TikTok is to utilise the platform’s unique features, which allow users to create original content whilst piggybacking off content that has achieved high engagement and may have already gone viral. A great way to start is to create either a stitch or duet using existing content and include your own creative take on this by adding to the existing video. A great way to do this is by participating in viral challenges or by providing your opinion by coming from a professional/educational standpoint.
So now that you’ve familiarised yourself with the basics of how to kick-start your TikTok journey, you can decide whether this platform might be a great fit for your business’s overall digital marketing strategy.
Sharp Instincts is your complete marketing partner. For more information on how we can help you build your business through strategic and performance-based marketing, be in touch with us today.
FAQS
Will Tiktok be banned in Australia?
Presently, the Victorian State Government has banned TikTok on all government devices due to potential security concerns. The platform is still used otherwise for personal and professional use.
What Tiktok hashtags to use
In order to try and maximise your content and with aim for your video to go viral, you should use a combination of the below listed popular hashtags, depending on the type of video you are creating:
- #foryou
- #foryoupage
- #fyp
- #duet
- #viralvideos
- #trending
- #comedy
- #funnyvideos
- #tiktokchallenge
Tiktok or Instagram for business?
This very much depends on where your audience spends their time. A good rule of thumb is, if your target demographic is young, may fit into the Gen Z subculture, is digitally minded and are likely to pursue your brand and its products or services based on the above, TikTok might be the best platform for you to market your business.
If your target demographic, however, might be a little older such as Millennials, if they appreciate both videos and static-image posts/carousels where information is written as opposed to verbalised, or even if you’re not completely sure where your audience spends their time, Instagram might be the place for you to market your business.
The reason for this is, as Instagram falls under the Meta umbrella, and is owned by Facebook, this existing marketing giant already has a well-established presence. Still, he reigns supreme when it comes to where most digitally-minded individuals spend their time; Instagram and Facebook might be where you should invest your efforts.
Unleashing the Power of TikTok in Your Digital Marketing Strategy