When it comes to social media, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are probably the biggest platforms you consider. However new social media applications aren’t far behind. Younger internet users tend to shy away from traditional social media channels and look for the next big thing. TikTok is a potentially explosive social media platform that allows for short video clips to be shared and watched by people with similar interests.

Agencies are already beta testing ad tools built around leveraging the user base from this app. To offer additional insight into what makes TikTok popular, here’s what you should be most excited about.

First a Quick TikTok Primer

TikTok is a Chinese-owned video sharing social network available as an IOS and Android social media app. It is designed to create and share sort lip-sync, talent, and comedy videos. It was launched in 2017 for markets outside of China.

Videos can be anywhere from 3 to 15 seconds long and looping videos can be made anywhere from 3 to 60 seconds long.  it started getting popular with the United States in October 2018. The most recent data indicates that it has been downloaded at least 80 million times in the United States and 800 million times worldwide. Celebrities Tony Hawk and Jimmy Fallon are jumping on the bandwagon.

In September 2019, the NFL and TikTok announced a multi-year partnership including the launch of an NFL account that will bring NFL content to fans across the globe.

TikTok is more popular on Android than iOS devices. Though the user base is largely based in India accounting for 43% of all users, 66% of the network’s users are younger than 30 years old. Users typically spend around 52 minutes per day on the app and in-app purchases have increased 275% year-over-year. 26.5  million monthly active users on Tik Tok are based in the United States.

Built-In Creative Tools

TikTok is incredibly powerful for content marketing and storytelling. There are a number of creativity tools built into the platform to choose from. It can be challenging to advertise on TikTok because it requires highly detailed keywords and serious consideration of where and when you don’t want your ad to appear.

Massive Organic Reach

TikTok offers a similar feed to what we’re familiar with in Instagram Stories. The intimacy of the platform is highly appealing for many Brands. And as the platform continues to grow rapidly, the organic reach is huge for now. There is a lot of potential to go viral like on Instagram back in the early days. It will be interesting to see how this social media platform ages overtime and the users who will adopt it as a marketing channel.

Bringing the Fun Back to Social Media

We all remember the early days of each of the most popular social media platforms. Back before they became so mainstream, people found joy in sharing content and creating connections with their friends and family. Tik Tok is user-friendly and fun. It goes back to what we used to love about social media. Instagram has grown into a well-established platform, but TikTok’s young demographic doesn’t care about getting the perfect shot. Tik-Tok aims to make social media fun again and it is a place where you can really enjoy each other’s company online.

Real-Time Content

Constantly investing in new platforms is a good idea because consumer preferences are always changing. TikTok is built on trends and if a certain song is popular there, it’s possible to focus brands around that content to get the brands into the minds of younger audiences. Agencies can capitalize on real-time content in a way that shows brands actually understand their customers.

Forming Real Connections with Your Audience

Think of TikTok the same way you did with Snapchat when it first became popular a few years ago. It’s a newer platform that engages different audiences but provides brands with the chance to get creative and strategic to form real connections with the audience. The rise of TikTok also goes to show that social media professionals are more important than ever for agencies and investments in those skills should remain a priority.

Quick Results

The content on TikTok is incredibly fast which means there is more of an opportunity to make an impression on the audience. You’ll be able to make more of an impression faster which means you’ll have a greater chance of making money. If the younger generation is part of the target demographic you were trying to reach, skipping out on TikTok could be damaging to your bottom line.

More Powerful Influencer Marketing

Some agencies are using TikTok to power influencer campaigns. Results showed that the campaigns were able to exceed YouTube and Instagram benchmarks because organic reach is rewarded. The ability to connect content together with a soundtrack creates virality in a more powerful way than a hashtag because of the emotional impact of sound.

Do you use TikTok? Are you exploring ways to reach your customers with it? Why or why not? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.