You’re interested in TikTok but don’t know how to make the most of it for your advertising and marketing activities. It’s one of the fastest-growing social media networks, with over 3 billion downloaded videos.
This article will give you some ideas on creating a great campaign by looking at TikTok’s popularity, its users, and the people who use it.
How popular is TikTok?
In the last few years, the short-form video platform has experienced rapid growth as users have flocked to connect to their online audiences. The rapid growth of TikTok has seen the platform win the award for the highest-grossing application in 2022. By 2023, the platform is expected to have 1.8 billion users.
TikTok is the world’s sixth most popular social network site, with over 1 billion active users. TikTok is ranked 6th among social networks (excluding Douyin, which has over 700,000,000 users) and ahead of LinkedIn. Twitter, Pinterest, Snapchat, and Pinterest.
To put this in perspective, it took Instagram 6 years after its launch before it reached the same monthly active users as TikTok in less than three years. Facebook took four years to get the same number of monthly active users.
TikTok is a popular app for marketers because it represents a trend in social media that encourages creativity and collaboration between young audiences. According to eMarketer, its fast-paced nature keeps the users interested for a relatively long time. Users spend an average of 56 mins per day using the app.
Sensor Tower reports that TikTokers spend an average of 1,5 hours daily using the app. Search Engine Journal said that 37 percent of users found something they liked on the platform and bought it immediately.
Who owns TikTok?
TikTok was originally an app called Musical.ly, which allowed users to create and share short lip-sync video clips. In 2016, Chinese tech firm Bytedance released a version of Musical.ly called Douyin for the Chinese market before introducing TikTok overseas in 2017.
Bytedance, realizing the platform’s potential, especially to reach young audiences who are digital natives and connect them, bought and incorporated Musical.ly, which became the TikTok version we know today. Bytedance operates Douyin in China separately.
What is TikTok known for?
TikTok describes itself as “the destination for mobile short-form videos.”
Users can upload videos that include music, filters, and editing effects. They can also show the user lip-syncing or dancing along to a song. Videos are usually short, around 15 seconds. TikTok is increasing the time limit to 10 minutes by March 2022.
The rapid video format of TikTok is not only for lip-synching and dance challenges, though that’s what has made it famous. TikTok creators use the platform to educate and discuss complicated subjects. They also campaign for change. Check out our blog to get some great ideas for social media videos if you want inspiration or want to grow your TikTok audience.
TikToker and Taylor Price, for example, offer financial advice to Generation Z followers with over 1.1 million followers.
Who uses TikTok?
TikTok is most popular among young people (39 percent of those aged 18-24), who are usually early adopters of social media platforms. Many adopted the platform quickly to suit their needs and have amassed thousands of followers in the last few years.
The millennials and baby boomers that join the platform can make fun of themselves for their inability to use the app or the content they create. Many say that their teenage relatives have encouraged them to use the app.
Gordon Ramsey, a celebrity chef, has over 37M followers on TikTok as of May 2023 after his Gen-Z daughter, Tilly, taught him how to use it for dance challenges.
Although TikTok is very popular with younger generations, its popularity increases as the audience ages.
TikTok has a presence in more than 150 countries. In Asia, over a third of 16-64-year-olds have an account. The rest of the world is not very different, with a penetration rate of 12 percent in North America and 10 percent in Latin America and Europe.
TikTok is a powerful tool for global brands to reach young audiences and encourage user-generated content. They also partner with influencers who are relevant. Nike, Skittles, Fenty Beauty, Pepsi, Calvin Klein, Sony FIFA, and Skittles have all run influencer and paid campaigns through TikTok. Use a Tracker Tool to find relevant influencers if you are a brand that wants to connect with TikTok Creators.
TikTok users have increased dramatically, including celebrities like Selena Gomez and Lizzo. Will Smith, Kylie Jenner, and Miley Cyrus are frequent TikTok users.
TikTok, unlike other platforms like Instagram, values authentic content. The Rock has over 70M subscribers by posting videos that are authentic, such as his workouts, film sets, and family life.
TikTik’s users are looking for genuine content they can relate to. They also want people they can trust because they look like them.
Who are the TikTokers?
The real stars are the local TikTokers – names less familiar in the media but known to many 14-year-olds.
These stars are mainly from YouTube, Instagram, and other social media platforms. They have quickly adapted to the platform style unique to TikTok.
Since launching on TikTok in 2019, FitWaffle has amassed over 5.2 million followers and 155,000,000 likes. Eloise Head, the creator of this content, is amongst the world’s most popular and fastest-growing foodie creators.
TikTok Community: Meet the TikTok Community
TikTok is home to a large community of creative influencers who use the platform to reach out to new audiences worldwide, connect with other like-minded individuals, and promote brands’ products and services to earn an income.
TikTok’s array of beauty and fashion influencers and dance, fitness, and food content creators allow brands to reach younger audiences without needing a physical presence in the app. These influencers know how TikTok works and can produce reactive content to keep up with the latest trends.
The app has fueled the growth of “content houses” and “collabs,” where young social media influencers live together in mansions to create an impressive background for their branded viral content.
Charli D’Amelio (16-year-old TikTok Influencer) lived in a mansion in LA called Hype House, where she accumulated more than 100 million followers. Sway House is another content house, as are Shluv House or Clubhouse BH.
What can TikTok be used for?
TikTok is a destination for entertaining content, as evidenced by the hashtags #tiktokchallenge or #tiktoktravel. Be aware that hashtags and trends change quickly on TikTok, so watch the Discover page.
The app also has a wide range of categories that are very popular, including pranks and jokes, fitness and home renovations, DIY and beauty, fashion and style, cooking and recipes, life hacks and advice, and pets.
TikTok has a growing number of topics that are discussed on its platform, including personal and severe issues such as:
Healthcare advice. Doctor Lora Shahine, a fertility doctor, and Dr. David Puder, a psychologist and physician, has attracted hundreds of thousands of followers.
Garden Marcus, a Texas-based account with more than 696k subscribers, is an excellent example of the popularity of hobbies at home.
I was sharing information about crimes, such as the murder victim Gabbie Peto who was rescued by an abductor after learning a distress signal via TikTok.
As with any social media platform, harmful activities can occur. For example, the #couchboy trend was used as a rumor about a girl surprising her college boyfriend and his muted response.
Inspiring and authentic content (a trend growing across social media) tends to do well. TikTok users like to see real and raw angles. This differs from Instagram, where videos and photos are more polished and, some may say, less authentic.
