TikTok is a social application that offers a global community that uses short videos as a communication medium. It seeks to encourage creativity through the creation and editing of videos using special filters, audio, stickers, and more. Users can communicate by sharing videos and browsing each other’s creations. The application has a highly personalized algorithm based on view history and user interaction.
Why TikTok?
TikTok is the leading destination for short videos shot on mobile devices. It has a wide reach, as it is present in over 150 countries, with over one billion users in the United States.
Authenticity
According to a Nielsen study with over 8,000 participants, the number one reason users use TikTok is that they believe it to be authentic.
Consisting of videos recorded on cell phone cameras, its content is considered more spontaneous, and users feel that they can be themselves on the platform. According to the study, 64% of users say that they can be authentic on the application, and 56% of them explain that they can share videos there that they would not dare share on another social media platforms.
Most users perceive TikTok as an authentic, genuine, unfiltered, trendsetting social network.
Happiness
Thirty-one percent of users surveyed included “mood boost” as one of the main three reasons they continue to use the application.
Creativity
As a social network consisting of the creation and sharing of videos produced on personal mobile phones, TikTok specializes in developing filters, stickers, audio, and effects that motivate and surprise the user and produce an enjoyable creative experience. Users can record their own sound or use existing audio, implement realistic video filters, and add text to their videos.
TikTok is Unique
Because it encourages spontaneity and authenticity, users believe that they can see content on TikTok that is not available on any other platform. Studies find that 60% of international users say they follow commercial brands on TikTok, and 52% use it to search for products or make purchases on the platform.
TikTok Community
Thanks to the algorithm implemented on the platform, which stands out for its ability to provide highly personalized content to users, TikTok is considered a community builder. Users can band together to support a shared cause or participate in a challenge that has gone viral. In addition, the platform provides its users with a feeling of belonging. The ability to view, share, use, and add to content made by other users helps to form connections. Studies show that 59% of TikTok users feel like they are part of a community when using the platform.
TikTok’s Audience
TikTok has one billion active users each month. This represents 14% of the world’s population. 57% of users are women, and 43% are men.
32% of users are between 18 and 24, while 32% are between 25 and 34, and the remaining 3.4% are over 55 years old. Therefore, TikTok’s audience consists primarily of users belonging to Generation Z, and Millennials.
Why Should Brands Be on TikTok?
As we mentioned previously, TikTok has presence in over 150 countries worldwide, and around one billion active users each month. Advertising a brand on TikTok allows you to have a reach without geographical limits, and segment the audience according to your brand’s target audience.
Furthermore, TikTok has proven to be an effective platform for advertisers, increasing their annual ad revenue. In 2022, TikTok’s net US ad revenue is projected to reach $5.96 billion, representing a 184% year-over-year increase. In the long term, ad revenue is expected to see double-digit growth, projected to exceed $11 billion in 2024.
TikTok Ad Formats
TikTok enables various advertising formats to allow advertisers to implement the format that best suits their campaign objective. Getting the product to the right TikTok audience can create a domino effect: the more users engage, share, or respond to the ad using the duet or Stitch options, the more the TikTok algorithm will cue the ad to appear. The platform can also expand your reach by featuring your video on its “For You” page.
Types of TikTok Ads:
In-Feed Ads
This format turns a video on the “For You” page into an ad, while still making it look like organic algorithm content. Users can interact with your ad the same way they would with any other TikTok video by liking, commenting, sharing, or reusing the sound for their content.
Top-View Ads
These ads draw more attention than In-Feed ads. The targeted audience will see these ads at the top of their “For You” page, and these videos can be up to 60 seconds long. By appearing at the top of the page, they have less competition than In-feed videos.
Brand Takeover
The Brand Takeover ad format displays videos in a full-screen format when the user opens the app. These ads, unlike Top-view ads, are not skippable, so users cannot avoid seeing them. Ideally, they should be short — about 5 seconds or less.
Branded Hashtag Challenge
This format inspires users to create their own content using hashtags created by the brand. This hashtag has three locations: In-Feed featured video banners that appear on the Discover Page, and the challenge itself. The latter is presented as a challenge landing page and is usually a video featuring the challenge and the hashtag.
Branded Effects
Branded effects allow brands to create video filters that their audience can use when creating content. In this way, users can relate to the brand in a more profound way by using their effects to generate content, whether they are familiar with the brand or not. In addition, if the effect is trending, it can reach beyond the target audience it was intended to reach.