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Let’s Talk About TikTok

Published on December 5, 2019, at 1:15 p.m.
by Ally Denton.

TikTok is the latest internet craze everyone is talking about. But what exactly is a TikTok? And why does it matter?

TikTok 101
TikTok calls itself “the world’s leading destination for short-form mobile videos.” The platform is similar to its predecessor Vine, a platform that helped launch many famous celebrities’ careers.

Courtesy of Dado Ruvic/Reuters

TikTok, which originally launched in 2016 in China, allows users to create, share and interact with videos that are up to 15 seconds long. The app also lets people thread videos together and share longer videos imported into the app. Although the app had already taken off in China, it only began rising in popularity in the U.S. after merging with popular app Musical.ly in 2017.

This merger played a crucial role in TikTok’s rise to fame. Users started posting short lip-synch videos and incorporating unique editing and layering effects. According to MDG Advertising, the platform’s use of music, trending hashtag challenges, humor, and fresh ways of presenting videos are some of the features that attract users to TikTok.

But why should corporations and communications professionals care about this new network? A recent article from The New York Times stated, “TikTok will change the way your social media works — even if you’re avoiding it.”

The TikTok takeover
TikTok has 500 million active users worldwide and is available in 155 countries and 75 languages. According to Oberlo, TikTok is currently the most downloaded app on the Apple App Store, with 33 million downloads in a single quarter (Sensor Tower). The app surpasses YouTube, Instagram, WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger, all of which round out the top five.

Courtesy of Getty Images

TikTok’s reach is vast and extremely popular amongst Gen Z, with 41% of the app’s users falling between the ages of 16 and 24. However, the rise in the U.S. of adult users has been steadily increasing, reaching 14.3 million in March 2019.

With 90% of TikTok’s users accessing the app daily, the app provides brands the opportunity to instantly connect with their target audiences in fresh, innovative ways.

Taking advantage of TikTok
Brands have already begun using the prominent platform to interact with their audiences.

Guess launched the first U.S. branded partnership with TikTok last fall with the #InMyDenim challenge. The brand partnered with popular TikTok influencers, like @ourfire and @madison_willow, to create content and spark interest in the challenge.

Chipotle also partnered with a TikTok influencer and began the #ChipotleLidFlip challenge, consisting of users trying to flip their own Chipotle bowl’s lid to mimic the influencers. The campaign garnered 110,000 video submissions and, eventually, the hashtag had more than 230 million views.

Chipotle Chief Marketing Officer Chris Brandt said, “I think there’s a time for selling and there’s a time for brand engagement. This was definitely … building the brand for the future versus driving sales overnight.”

Courtesy of TechCrunch

If TikTok challenges don’t fit the brand, no need to worry! TikTok just announced it’s letting a small sample of U.S. users add shoppable links to their bios and posts. This feature appears to let users purchase products directly from the videos themselves, meaning in-app shopping could become a regular option on the app (The Verge).

Overall, brands should take notice of TikTok’s potential and its ability to reach a wide demographic. TikTok is shaking up the social media scene, and whether or not the app continues to amass success, brands and communications professionals should pay close attention to the trends it’s creating.

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