What is it?

TikTok is a mobile app that encourages its users to post short (1-60 second) videos of a wide variety of different subjects. The clips range from silly skits, lip-syncing videos, and other types of original content. The app was founded in China in 2017 by ByteDance. The app merged with the popular startup “Musical.ly” in 2018 to broaden its video sharing community. Now in late 2019, TikTok is reaping the benefits of its growing user community. This all may sound familiar, however. In 2012 an app with a very similar concept launched called “Vine”, and with Twitter’s ownership, the app grew to immense popularity. Problems for the platform arose when Vine’s owners refused monetization and sponsorships. That led to a lot of the app’s creators/influencers moving their content elsewhere, and ultimately, the app was discontinued in 2016. TikTok seems to have learned from Vine’s shortcomings and is fostering a community that supports its creators and has grown immensely to have 188 million new users in 2019, growing 70% from 2018 (SensorTower, 2019).

What’s the big deal?

66% of TikTok’s users are under 30, in fact, the application focuses a lot on Generation Z (aka kids between the ages of 4 and 24), so a majority of the app’s popularity is owed to kids. Additionally, Instagram has a very large community of influencers/creators on the app, and TikTok has been trying to fit themselves into that model as well. These Influencers create engagement and a fan base that will continually use the app. The app is also incredibly social and inclusive for anyone who wants to make a video. Trends are a big part of TikTok, and those trends can range from lip-syncing some sort of goofy song to the ‘woah’ challenge. Regardless of what it is, TikTok is very inclusive, which is the key feature of the app’s community that draws people in. The app itself is a time-killing machine, too. It enables users to scroll endlessly through the seemingly limitless supply of silly short videos.

How can TikTok be a new social media tool?

• It’s fun, not serious
  • The app is a good way to showcase the humor and DIY attitude of your brand because that’s a lot of what the app’s content focuses on. Use the platform as a way to show off your unformal side.
• Low production values
  • Since the audience is mostly younger kids, they really could care less about shiny pretty looking visuals. Attention spans aren’t getting any longer, so quick, simple content is what matters.
• Influencer sponsorships
  • The app is heavily swayed by the activity of its ‘stars’ or its influencers. So partnering with one of these creators can be very advantageous for a brand looking to get in front of younger age groups.
• Advertising
  • As it goes for any online service, there is always room for ads and monetization. As long as TikTok doesn’t follow in the footsteps of its predecessor, ads will definitely become a much more substantial part of the TikTok experience soon.                
• Interaction with your audience
  • One of the biggest parts of TikTok is its challenges, and these different trends can engage a lot of people. These challenges also inspire tons of user-generated content. If a company has a campaign that they want people to get behind, maybe inspiring a vine challenge could be beneficial.

Is TikTok here to stay? Who knows. We all saw what happened to Vine. Either way, take advantage of its popularity while you can.