Why Brand Marketers Shouldn’t Ignore TikTok

The use of video sharing platform TikTok skyrocketed during lockdown to 800 million monthly active users, Marketing Week reports. The publication has carried out research to find out if this is a flash in the pan trend that will fizzle out, and the results are very much to the contrary.

The survey of 500 UK TikTok users revealed that 54% of people intend to carry on using the platform to their current levels over the next six months, and 33% plan to increase their use. Just 13% of current TikTok users plan to cut back on their viewing of the platform.

Most interestingly for social media marketing and PR companies, 79% of respondents said they had discovered new brands on the platform, and 54% had made a purchase from a brand after seeing it on TikTok.

The article refers to the recent sales spike of Little Moons ice cream, which boomed by 1000% after the brand went viral on TikTok. Going to ‘big Tesco’ in search of Little Moons became a craze that swept through the video platform.

Little Moons were quick to publicise their TikTok success in the UK press such as the Mirror , Telegraph, and Express, promoting the ice cream brand to a wider audience. They had discovered that their core customer base was slightly older than the 20-year-olds they had previously assumed, but the viral video gave them a great attention-grabbing story.

So what should a brand do to engage with TikTok users and emulate Little Moons success? It is often assumed to be a Gen Z platform, but this is not completely the case, as the MW survey found that 43% of respondents were over 25 years old. What’s more, nearly 92% of the over-25’s plan to maintain or increase their usage in the next six months.

In terms of gender, women are far more likely to engage with brands on TikTok, with nearly 62% following brands, compared with 52% of men. 65.5% of women say they have purchased from a brand on TikTok, compared with 41% of men.

Nike was named in the survey as a brand creating particularly good content. The sportswear giant posts a mixture of sports-star led challenges, humorous posts, and skills and tips. Other popular content includes lip-syncing and dance challenges, because both users and brands can respond with their own versions.

Users also enjoy educational and topical content, both in the older and younger age demographics. Collaborations with influencers are also popular with Gen Z, and both age groups like brand-led hashtag challenges. Users are put off by overly slick ads, preferring an authentic homemade style.

TikTok is a youthful platform, but its user base is expanding, and this growth looks set to continue during 2021 and beyond. The users find it natural to engage with brands on social media and enjoy discovering new products. Even if your brand has an older, wealthier audience in mind, going viral on TikTok is a great place to start, as Little Moons proved.

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