TikTok – True Romance or a Lockdown Fling?

Since the Survey, the world has been hit by COVID-19 and a lot has changed.

While people are spending more time than ever on their phones – the question is whether the public’s love affair with TikTok is a true romance or just a lockdown fling?

Here are some interesting TikTok updates since the start of 2020.

• Surpassed 2 billion all-time global downloads across iOS and Android devices
• Record-setting Q1 saw it installed 315 million times
• 2 million mobile visitors in January 2020 alone. In April, the number rocketed to 39.2 million. This is thought to be the largest number of downloads for a social media app in a single quarter, ever.
• It’s now available in 154 countries (and in 75 different languages).
• The percentage of US-based users aged 18–24 fell from 41.1% in January to 35.3% in April; the share of 25–34-year-olds rose from 22.4% to 27.4%; the 35–44 demographic grew from 13.9% to 17.1%.

You should definitely use TikTok if your target market is Gen Z or Gen Y. 66% of its users are under the age of 35. The platform is growing in other demographics, too.

It’s not completely straightforward, of course. Launching any platform and developing any new digital strategy is never an easy decision or a simple task.

IS TIKTOK THE RIGHT SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM FOR YOU?

As with every platform, consider the pros and cons of TikTok before creating an account. Here are some key insights to help in you make your decision.

TIKTOK: PROS

• Content can be created in real time or pre-recorded
  This allows you to capture behind-the-scenes/ad-hoc moments AND pre-planned content.
• Cheap, quick, easy
  You don’t have to spend money for your content to be seen (although it’s an option). With a clear idea of what you want to create, the process is pretty quick and painless.
• Limitless creativity
  There is an endless choice of creative content, all with a multitude of filters and effects available.
• Ever-evolving trends
  The ‘For You’ feed constantly supplies new ideas. Gen Z and now Gen Y make up the main demographic on the app: these young hipsters create trends you can jump on.
• Campaign hashtags
  The ‘Discover’ page enables you to search for specific hashtags and/or content relating to them
• Cross-platform connectivity
  Your content does not have to live only on TikTok. You can connect and share it on other channels such as Instagram or Facebook.

TIKTOK: CONS

• Initially time-consuming
  TikTok is a unique platform. It takes a bit of time to get your head around all the content choices and how to record the content.
• All content is UGC
  Thought and time must be put into every post: a simple re-post is not an option.
• Trends rule TikTok
  Unless you create a viral trend of your own, or a hashtag for users to follow, your content may get lost.
• Constant athlete access required
  Your content is your athletes. Rights holders who only connect with them a few times a year during competition time might struggle.
• Privacy issues
  There have been issues regarding sensitive footage and privacy settings – take this into consideration when creating content and working with influencers.
• Too much choice?
  If you don’t have a clear idea of what you want to create, the numerous filter/effect options might be overwhelming.
• Need for a dedicated person/ team

ARE BRANDS USING TIKTOK?

In a word, yes!

TikTok proved the perfect tool for brands to engage with new and highly engaged audiences during lockdown.

A great example is Team GB and the #IsolationGames campaign that challenges British athletes and the public to recreate (as creatively as possible!) a summer of sport in their own homes. It has also been an opportunity to support Team GB’s official charity partner, the British Red Cross.

To date, #IsolationGames there have been 1.2 billion video views on TikTok!

FINAL THOUGHTS

TikTok continues to grow and evolve, giving the likes of YouTube, Instagram and Snapchat a run for their money.

Three main takeaways:

1. Do you and your team have the time and resources to take full advantage of what TikTok has to offer?
2. Remember that, despite its growing demographic, Gen Z and Ys still make up 60% of TikTok users (for some context, that’s 74 million people in the US).
3. If your target audience is Gen Z or Gen Y and/or you’re looking to launch a UGC/ hashtag campaign, TikTok is a no-brainer.

As the world slowly comes out of lockdown, it’ll be interesting to see whether the public’s love affair with TikTok is a true romance, or just a lockdown fling.

Call me old fashioned, but as an unashamed romantic I hope it’s a true romance and TikTok is here to stay.