‍Tik Tok / What Tok?

At its core, TikTok is a social media platform which encourages users to create, share and interact with entertaining short-form video content. Last year, TikTok upped the anted increasing the video upload length to a whopping Hollywood blockbusting 10 minutes! 

It’s brought about a new flock of social media superstars, empowering the very best creators to branch out into modelling, advertising, branding and music.

‍Why Bother?

Reportedly, the platform hosts over 1 billion monthly active users and has boasted the top spot on the App store’s most downloaded App charts for yonks.

So why bother? In a sentence: be there or be square.

There are a number of other reasons that TikTok is THE app to join in 2023:‍

1. Ease of content

Tik Tok gives its users simple editing tools to build entertaining short-form content, allowing budding creators to cut and splice together content, add filters, music, stickers and effects.

2. New Markets

TikTok is available in more than 150 markets in 75 languages. No video app is on more mobile devices worldwide. Importantly, of TikTok’s user base, 1 in 4 can’t be found on any other platform.‍

3. Plenty of time to capture attentions

UK TikTok users spend a whopping of 70 minutes a day on the app, giving you plenty of time to hook potential customers or followers invested in your content.

Engaging New Audiences

Engagement is a pivotal part of the TikTok experience, with likes and comments displayed on each and every video and follower counts featuring prominently on profiles. To TikTok’s user base, achieving visible interactions is very important. One Global Web Index study found that around a quarter (24%) of this generation noted that ‘lots of likes or good comments' on social media would increase their likelihood of purchasing a particular product the most.

It's Humanising

A Deloitte study found that 70% of respondents expect companies to treat them like friends. Gone are the days when the ‘consumer’ is a transactional cog. TikTok’s style of content allows brands to entertain and inspire in a more personal way, giving businesses an opportunity to resonate with their target audience on a more personal level.

Video Creation and Editing

One of TikTok’s biggest strengths is its simplicity. You don’t need to be a production grad to master content here.

When creating a video, you can edit pre-recorded videos or record natively within the app. Clips can be edited in length, speed and you can even change the sound of your voice. From here, you can introduce different elements, such as ‘stickers,’ including customisable text, emojis and images to overlay. ‍

Interactions and Collabs

Users can interact with a TikTok video by ‘liking’, commenting and sharing it to another channel – typical social media fare here folks.

But engagement is taken a step further. Users can also ‘duet’ with video content.

This allows Creators to repurpose/remix/re-imagine any video and repost it (with credits) on their profile. This is great for brands looking to expand their reach.

#Hashtags

A key element of TikTok is their use of ‘hashtags’. They’re utilised to organise relevant content, helping users to locate the content subjects that they're most interested in.

We'll bet that you've already seen at least on ‘viral’ (popular) hashtag trend originating from TikTok; most noticeably in the form of ‘challenges,' such as a dance routine.

Branded hashtag campaigns can be created to raise brand awareness, drive an action, or gain more followers.

This boasts great potential for business looking to generate UGC (user generated content) to repurpose across your other social media platforms.

‍Influencer Marketing

Opportunity if rife within TikTok to leverage influencer marketing.

According to an Influencer Marketing Hub study, TikTok influencers held the top spot in engagement rates compared to Instagram and Twitter – influencers with between 1,000 – 100,000+ had engagement rates of 9.38% - 5.3% respectively, compared to 7.2% - 1.1% on Instagram.

This shows exactly how invested TikTok influencers followers are in their content.

If your business can leverage this popularity, then you could see more and more people people coming to your page and become advocates of what you do.

Gymshark Case Study

Before you get started, take note from TikTok aficionados Gymshark.‍

Gymshark had humble beginnings – it was founded in 2012 by two ambitious 19 year olds before ranking #1 in the UK’s Profit Track 100.

Their TikTok channel has over 4.5 million followers, and for good reason. The brand has curated their content to appeal to their target markets; gym bunnies and health nuts. They regularly participate in fitness related challenges, while posting tutorials and celebrating athletes and regular folk wearing their active wear.

During the height of the pandemic, they addressed their target markets struggles, providing workouts made for home whilst addressing the sadness about gyms closures.

They identified the pain points of their market and delivered a content marketing strategy around it.

To Sum It All Up...

What are you waiting for? Get on your dancing shoes, download the App and explore!

Who knows, the key to unlocking your next big customer could be just a pop, lock and shuffle away.