Put a finger down if you’ve ever been scrolling through TikTok and were tricked into watching an in-feed sponsored ad that appeared to be a “regular” TikTok. If you put a finger down or know the reference to that trend, then you are likely an avid TikTok watcher. Launched in 2016 and originally named Musical.ly, TikTok has quickly taken over the social media space with its addictive content and popular trends. Like most social media platforms that have come before, the company began with user-generated content and then evolved into a fully supported advertising platform. Many companies saw the opportunity to market their product and business in a creative way to a new, fresh, audience. TikTok’s primary age demographic is users between the age of 18-34 and although the platform resonates with a younger audience, viewers of all ages find themselves scrolling through their “for you page” for much more time than originally planned. So, if you want to capitalize on the new, flashy, social media platform, below are some best practices to remember as a new advertiser.
Be Early and Take Advantage of Existing Trends
As you scroll the platform today, you will notice reoccurring sounds, dances, and trends but scroll again in a month and those same trends will be obsolete. Overall, if you’re marketing using a popular sound, or a viral trend be aware of TikTok relevancy.
Creative is Platform Specific
The cliché term “what’s good for the goose is good for the gander” does not apply within the TikTok space. Long instructional videos, testimonials, or other previously used videos may not result in the same engagement as video creative design specifically for TikTok. You can forgo the expensive camera equipment and allow creativity to flow with just your cell phone.
Keep it short and sweet
The average attention span of a human continues to decrease and is now around 8 seconds, which is longer than you’ve been reading this article. However, the point stands; quick and to the point is best.
It’s worth mentioning that this rise in popularity did not go unnoticed by other social media platforms. Instagram added an amusingly similar feature to their platform called Instagram Reels in 2019. Now you can view this addictive, algorithm-specific, short-form, video content across various platforms in the digital space.
The continued popularity of TikTok and its addictive content is leading to a new age of social media where platforms are constantly trying to one-up each other. TikTok has set the standard for what is expected from a social media platform and other companies are scrambling to keep up. Needless to say, we are all here watching and waiting to see what happens next.
Written by Digital Media Planner/Buyer, Brittany Lombardi
