Should your Business be on TikTok in 2022?
TikTok is currently one of the world’s largest social media platforms. What’s more, it has grown very quickly from its inception in 2016. It is arguably, the third largest social media network currently. Despite popular belief that it is just Gen-Zs and teenagers, it seems that other age groups are enjoying it too.
The number of users on the platform is growing by the day, but what is it about this specific platform that attracts them? With options like Instagram and Facebook, what is it about TikTok that pulls people in?
The platform experienced most of its growth in 2020 during the COVID-19 lockdowns and since then, TikTok has not slowed down. Let’s look at what makes TikTok so unique and whether it could prove to be a valuable avenue for your business.
A Background of TikTok
If you are not familiar with TikTok, let’s go back a bit and catch you up! TikTok is a social network with more than one billion active users worldwide. The platform is made up of Gen-Zs and millennials, mainly attracting teenagers.
Many of these age groups spend hours on the platform, scrolling through their timeline watching short, snappy videos. These video clips are often layered with popular sounds. TikTok videos can be broken up into categories such as fashion, beauty, comedy, dance, gaming, fitness and health, pop culture, and much more.
Users can make videos themselves and share them publicly or simply act as bystanders, viewing other people’s content. Your timeline is not limited to content from the people you follow but rather what interests you. For example, if you watch a lot of animal videos on the platform, soon enough, you will realise your timeline is mainly animal TikTok (at least that’s the case for me!)
What Makes TikTok Unique?
Now that you understand what TikTok is, let’s talk about what makes this social media network unique. There are many reasons people love TikTok, but one of the main ones is that it is short-form video content. The platform is all about sharing short, snappy videos that generally last around 15 seconds.
There is an option to make one-minute-long videos; however, this is the maximum, and many prefer to keep it shorter as the shorter videos generally perform better. The main reason for this is people’s attention spans are relatively short.
Another factor behind TikTok’s success is delivering on variety. The platform has a wide range of different categories, and as a result, many TikTok influencers have been born. For example, Charli D’Amelio, who did dance videos and became the first-ever to gain 100 million followers on the network.
There are also TikTok influencers who focus on fitness, gaming, comedy, fashion, beauty, and more. This is one of TikTok’s biggest advantages: the ability to post absolutely anything. All of the categories are open to new creators, and these videos then go on people’s for you pages (FYP) where they can perform well.
This is where we get into the advantages of the for you page (FYP). People spend hours on this page, which is essentially the app’s content discovery feed. It figures out what people are most interested in and places them here. Unlike other platforms, TikTok focuses on the content you are viewing rather than building connections between people who know each other in real life.
Due to how the FYP works, the app ultimately gets better at understanding what type of content the user wants to see and presents that. This means all users have different experiences, whether that is mostly cooking and food videos or mainly dance or even beauty and makeup hacks.
Should Businesses Use TikTok in 2022?
Your current social media plan (if you have one) includes Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn. You’re probably questioning whether TikTok is important and worth the time and effort? The answer is if you want to reach your ideal customers in a fun and engaging way, you should absolutely start posting content on TikTok. Now that you know TikTok could be a great asset to your business, let’s focus on how you can get started on TikTok.
1. Team Content
Being a platform used mainly by people from Gen Z and millennial age groups, TikTok is a great place to show the human side behind your brand. Given that, it is a great opportunity to introduce your team and have some fun. You can get involved in trends and challenges, have them speak about their field of work, and show their interests and hobbies.
For example, if your receptionist is a big animal fan, why not have them create some cute TikTok content with their pets? If one of your team members is a big foodie and loves to cook, why not have them show their favourite recipe. This sort of content will not only be enjoyed by your team but also show the human side to your brand, which TikTok users will ultimately connect with.
2. Join Forces with Likeminded TikTok Influencers
As mentioned previously, the COVID-19 pandemic was where TikTok experienced a lot of its growth. During this time, people were stuck at home and left with little to do, which led to many of them picking up the phone to make TikTok content. It was no different for influencers, and even some of these individuals ultimately became influencers. The platform is full of these people with big followings and highly engaged communities. This presents a great opportunity to advertise your products or service.
These influencers can make TikTok videos in relation to your offering, whether that be home, lifestyle, health, fitness, beauty, the list goes on. In saying that, you want to ensure you are selecting an influencer who suits your product/service and cares about what you are bringing to the market. For example, if your service is mental health counselling, try to collaborate with someone who acts as a mental health advocate. That way, you are also ensuring you are connecting with the right audience via the influencer.
3. Get Your Audience Involved
Social media is all about creating a strong community, which doesn’t change for businesses. It is a great idea to get your followers involved in your content over time, whether that means ‘dueting’ their videos and reacting to them or sharing their other content about your product or service.
Your customers will like that you are interacting with them, but other customers will also see this and grow to love your brand. You can find videos your audience has created about your product or service by searching hashtags that are relevant to your industry, products, and company.
In Summary
TikTok has experienced incredible growth since it was first launched and the COVID-19 pandemic definitely helped accelerate this. Now businesses are wondering if they should hop on the ‘bandwagon’ or whether joining the primarily Gen Z social media network is a waste of time.
TikTok could be an incredibly valuable asset for your business, but you need to ensure you use it wisely and commit to regular posting. If you want to find out more about how to leverage the power of TikTok to market your business, get in touch with us at Social Directions Agency.
Article written by Bronagh Loughlin | 24/03/2022