As of March 2020, a user spends an average of 858 minutes per month on TikTok. And in the United States alone, teenagers create 25% of TikTok’s active user count.
Owned by ByteDance, TikTok is a mobile app known for creating, sharing, and discovering videos. In addition, users leverage this platform to express themselves and showcase their talents.
TikTok is famous for lip-syncing and dance challenges. However, the content you can create is not limited to such entertainment. You would be shocked at how marketing professionals, business coaches, even lawyers are leveraging TikTok.
We can’t deny that TikTok is popular among Gen Z and is capturing their attention. In fact, last month, teens spent more time on Tik Tok than YouTube.
But why?
The “For You” Page
One reason people are addicted to TikTok is the “For You” page.
The “For You” page is the platform’s discovery feed.
It uses machine learning to populate the page. That way, it is filled with the type of content you enjoy. The only difference is that the TikTok algorithm does not depend on the pages you like or content that your friends like. Instead, the For You page is filled with popular content, regardless of if you follow the content creator or not.
Trending Videos
Another reason this platform is popular among teens is because of the ongoing trends. It is filled with videos of people dancing to “Say So” by Doja Cat or lip-syncing to Drake’s “Know Yourself,” to name a few.
The best part? You are free to make your interpretation of the dance or song.
Users jump on these trends to drive engagement and gain popularity. However, this can be a double-edged sword. That’s because the For You page can be saturated with videos of almost similar content.
It is wise to consider leveraging the other features of TikTok.
Instant Gratification and Entertainment
Who does not want to be entertained? Even Gen Zs would like to be entertained, and they want it now.
This is where TikTok delivers.
The platform provides instant gratification through bite-sized videos. In addition, they experience a sense of spontaneity as users get to see random videos every time they open the app.
But what makes TikTok videos more entertaining is that they get to watch content that they prefer. No need to actively seek videos that they like. Instead, they can head on to the For You page.
Content Creator Community
Despite users doing their thing to gain popularity on TikTok through trends, the platform offers an array of content. Videos with similar content, audio, and hashtags build “Communities.”
As such, you can watch various tea recipes when you search for #teablends on TikTok. If you are a tea business owner, though, you can leverage this #tea hashtag to attract the right audience to your account. From there, you can turn your TikTok followers into paying customers.
However, make sure to check the kind of content trending on a particular hashtag. The hashtags #teatok and #teatime are all about “spilling the tea,” not necessarily about blending or consuming teas.
Expression of Authentic Identity
Ultimately, TikTok allows users to express themselves and showcase their creativity. This leads to them being internet famous and verified on TikTok. Some even get their videos featured on national TV.
On the flip side, the audience values creativity and entertainment value. Luckily, TikTok makes it easy for its users to be content creators since you only need to upload a 15-second video.
Plus, the only device you will need is your smartphone. And then you let the magic happen (a.k.a. sound and visual effects) on the platform itself.
Because of these features, Gen Zs can produce videos that they like. This also explains why TikTok allows them to express their authentic identity.
Why should Brands Care?
Attention and awareness of a brand are always relevant. Even a storied old brand like The Washington Post has a TikTok expert on staff to drive engagement to their paper. (they have a million followers)
Kraft’s Mac & Cheese account created a simple animated video of a skeleton with text saying, “Thinking about all the people who forgot to add water to their Kraft Mac & Cheese and start Maccidents.
This video had a million views. This video can remind a consumer about the box of Kraft’s Mac N Cheese in her closet and she might go home and mix up a batch of this American staple.
Conclusion
It is undeniable that TikTok is an ideal platform for Gen Zs who want to be internet famous. And there is nothing wrong with that. But aside from that reason, some things make TikTok click to the next generation:
- The “For You” page
- Trending Videos
- Instant gratification and entertainment
- Content creator community
- Expression of authentic identity
Who knows?
TikTok users might be able to shop straight from your TikTok video in the future. The merging of platforms like TikTok and Square could make this happen.
The clock is running on TikTok.
This guest post on The Marketing Sage Blog is from Gia Keasler who writes about marketing issues including stories on attracting investors for startups and brand strategy.
You can set up a time to chat with me about your marketing challenges using my calendar. Email me jeffslater@themarketingsage.com Call me. 919 720 0995. The conversation is free, and we can explore if working together makes sense. Watch a short video about working with me.
Photo by Solen Feyissa on Unsplash
