Should You Be Advertising On TikTok?

Whenever a new social media app grows in popularity, brands are quick to ask, “Should we invest in marketing on this platform?” For every Instagram success story, there are dozens of apps that fizzle out quickly, but one trending app that we think will only continue to grow is TikTok. Beyond just popularlizing Kombucha Girl or dancing cat videos, TikTok is increasingly becoming a new space for brands to advertise.

We’re breaking down what TikTok is, who is using the app, and the types of brands that should consider adding TikTok to their social media strategy in 2020.

What is TikTok?

TikTok describes itself as “the leading destination for short-form mobile video”. Most commonly compared to defunct video app Vine, TikTok allows users to upload short, 15-second clips to their feed, usually featuring music from the app’s vast library of songs. Similar to Snapchat and Instagram Stories, users can add fun filters and effects to their videos.

There is a tremendous ability to “go viral” on the platform since the app’s home feed prioritizes popular videos. Trends, memes, and challenges rule the platform.

Who is on the platform?

TikTok is most popular amongst Gen Z audiences, with 41% of active users between the ages of 16 and 24. It also has a female-skewing audience, making the app a big draw for fashion and beauty brands in particular.

How can brands market on TikTok?

As with any popular social media platform, brands are excited to find ways to advertise on the app. Currently, there are a few different ways that brands can advertise on TikTok:

In-Feed Ads: Just like ads can cut between stories on Snapchat and Instagram, brands can create in-feed ads that run in between TikTok posts.

Hashtag Challenge: Brands can sponsor a Hashtag Challenge to encourage users to create content, usually around some sort of dance or stunt. Chipotle recently hosted a #GuacDance challenge in celebration of National Avocado Day and saw over 250,000 video submissions on TikTok.

Brand Takeover: Another way brands can activate on the app is to take over the TikTok homepage. Your brand’s logo and call to action appear as soon as users open the app, as Grubhub tried out recently.

Branded Stickers & Filters: Similar to other social media apps, brands can also create custom stickers and filters around a certain event or product.

Influencer Marketing: TikTok influencers are growing in popularity and brands are taking notice, partnering with popular users on sponsored content.

What types of brands will succeed on the app?

Because the majority of TikTok users are in their teens and early twenties, high price items like luxury goods probably won’t succeed on the platform. Likewise, products aimed towards older consumers should not expect a strong return on investment advertising on the app.

Lower price items in categories that are important to teens, like food, beauty, fashion, and entertainment, will find greater success on TikTok. If your brand is targeting the Gen Z audience, you should highly consider focusing advertising efforts on TikTok.