If we had a dollar for every time we heard the question “What’s TikTok?” in the last few months, we’d be rich. You’ve probably heard the buzz surrounding the new platform, a video creation app highlighting repurposed music and sounds almost exclusively filled with Generation Z (high school and college-aged kids). Before you rush to add your brand to the list of users, consider the following core characteristics of successful TikTok brands as it stands today.

Young Audiences

As we mentioned, the core demographic on TikTok is teens and (very) young adults with 41% of users reportedly between the ages of 15-24. If your brand’s audience doesn’t skew this young, your content may fall flat due to it being unrelatable. If you think your product could be a teen brand, but hasn’t quite tapped into that market, this may be the perfect opportunity to test the waters!

Super Creative Content

Content that is one-of-a-kind can blow up on TikTok thanks to the audience’s appreciation of truly unique content. Unique content can also get replayed and turned into a trending sound. TikTok is a mix of unique content and “duets” or reused content, so balancing content which features both your own creative content and weighs in on trending sounds, topics and challenges that fit your brand is the best strategy.

Highly Visual or Sound-Driven Products

If you’re an artist or creator of tangible products (food, crafts, beauty) or music, TikTok could be an excellent place to find brand awareness. Most social media platforms are highly visual, and Tik Tok more so with its sound and video nature. TikTok has been known to take cookie artists like @thebaileybakery and musical artists like Lil Nas X to the next level of fame.

Comedy and Entertainment Value

Awe-inspiring content wins at the end of the day, whether it’s a comedic break, cute puppies or once-in-a-lifetime captures. We’ve seen everything from amazing sports plays to incredible science experiments go viral quickly. Considering the use of social media as an “escape” from boredom and mundane real-life, clips need to bring the entertainment value and those with shareable qualities are instant winners.

With Tik Tok’s rising popularity, it’ll only be a matter of time before the masses move to the platform, thus increasing the average user base and the opportunities for brands to support their marketing efforts on the platform. We see an incredible amount of value for the right brands to become early adopters of the social networking site today, and we have faith it will be here to stay. Or at least until Instagram introduces its own version… a la Vine and Snapchat.

Still wondering if TikTok is the right platform for you?
Let’s sit down and chat about your social media strategy! Contact us today.

Header Photo by ROBIN WORRALL on Unsplash