TikTok installs have exceeded one billion worldwide, the company is currently valued at 75 billion and 1.5m Australians are using the app every month, yet there are surprisingly few brands using it. As the app’s popularity continues to grow, it’s worth taking a look at TikTok’s features, demographics and key stats and considering whether it will work for your brand.
What is TikTok?
TikTok is an app for short videos between 15 and 60 seconds in length. Its popularity with younger users is largely due to the huge range of filters, stickers, effects and music that users can access and use to enhance their content. Comments, likes, follows, hashtags and shares are in a similar format to other social apps. Some users can also livestream content.
TikTok content is all about self-expression. It’s authentic and addictive and can range from outrageously funny to incredibly silly. There are also a growing number of users spreading awareness about concerning world issues.
Who Uses TikTok?
There is a range of varying statistics floating around online, but it’s generally acknowledged that TikTok users are overwhelmingly Generation Z (people born between 1995 and 2010). A GlobalWebIndex study conducted earlier this year found that 41% of users are aged between 16 and 24. Brands, particularly in Australia, have been relatively slow to get on board.
Australian Brands on TikTok
- ABC Australia
- Guardian Australia
- Australian Reptile Park
- HiSmile Teeth
- AFL
- Official Australia Tourism account
American Brands on TikTok
- NBA
- Chipotle
- The Washington Post
- Guess
- The San Diego Zoo
- Stay Tuned NBC
How Can Brands Use TikTok?
With Facebook continuing to lose ground in the relevance stakes with younger audiences, TikTok has stormed in to fill the gap. For brands, it means they will need to adapt their strategies to match the unique format of Tik Tok. According to a TikTok spokesperson, brands can
“express their content and voice creatively”, using it to “reach new audiences, build brand affinity, and drive traffic off-platform” (Business Insider).
In other words, TikTok is about creativity. To gain attention from an audience known for its short attention span, brands will need to be more imaginative than ever.
Here’s how a couple of examples of how big brands have been successful on TikTok.
Guess
Guess was behind the first branded challenge to go viral. The #inmydenim challenge encouraged users to film a transformation video where they went from looking sloppy to glamorous to the tune of Bebe Rexha’s “I’m A Mess.”
Australian Reptile Park
Should I Create a Brand Account on TikTok?
There isn’t any hard data on the long-term performance of TikTok marketing campaigns, so it’s understandable why many brands are taking the sit back and observe approach. However, early adoption can often outweigh any risk, particularly as there are very few Australian brands currently utilising TikTok or its growing number of influencers. If your target market is between 16 and 24 years old,TikTok presents a unique opportunity to observe Gen Z’s interests and behaviours and respond quickly to what is trending in their world. TikTik users are always looking for fresh content ideas, so smart brands will be the ones who deliver these ideas to them.
