Tik Tok Trends - Are they for me?

Tik Tok - A favorite of Gen Z and the “elder” Millennials who want to stay cool and in-the-know (I include myself in that bucket). Between its viral dances, lip syncing and online challenges, the popularity of TikTok has exploded among the younger generations who left Facebook and Instagram in an attempt to find something new.

As its massive popularity has started to infiltrate the older age brackets, small business owners, who don’t necessarily cater to young teens, are starting to wonder if getting on the platform is worth their time.

As a frequent scroller of Tik Tok (but never a poster), I see my fair share of ads and business posts on the platform. Anything from clothing, to home decor, to meal prep has been pitched to me, and I’m not ashamed to admit I’ve clicked on quite a few of them (I’m a sucker for a targeted ad). In fact, I’m not alone. Recent stats have shown that 2 out 3 TikTok users have bought something on the platform, while 50% of users have purchased something after watching TikTok live.

For larger companies with a mass appeal to Gen Z, the answer of utilizing the platform is a no brainer. However, when it comes to local businesses, that is where things get a little fuzzy. So, how do you decide if you should be setting up your ring light and practicing the latest dance? Let’s break it down a little.

Is Tik Tok your audience?

Just because a platform exists, doesn’t mean you have to be on it. While pushing out more content seems like a good thing, you could be pulling your time and attention away from marketing that will have a larger impact. As business owners we always have more projects on our to-do list than the time to do them in. We often have to make choices on what will have the biggest impact on our business. 52.38% of TikTok users are between 18-24 years old, so while Millennials are slowly jumping on board with the platform, businesses that strictly appeal to an older demographic may want to look elsewhere.

Is your geographic are large enough?

One of the reasons local businesses flocked to Facebook and Instagram is because of the ability to geotarget based on their locations. For brick-and-motor stores, the ability to pinpoint the people who would actually walk through the door is priceless. TikTok recently released the ability to tag your location in your posts and drill down in advertising (however, how deep you can go is still a question). The big appeal of the platform is mostly to businesses who can ship or service larger areas. TikTok is currently testing “Nearby” feeds in Asia, where people can scroll through the posts of local businesses near where they are at the moment, however, that hasn’t been rolled out to the platform as a whole yet. This means that hyperlocal businesses may want to wait until more geotargeting services are available.

Can you create original content consistently?

The biggest draw of TikTok for many is the fact that the content they find in their “For You Page” is something they can’t get anywhere else. A benefit to TikTok, is you don’t need professionally shot videos or big budgets, just your iphone and a good idea. The issue with TikTok, for many, is that “good idea” part. Not all businesses lend themselves to unique content or even video content. If your brand isn’t something that you would consider “fun” or “playful”, TikTok may not be for you. And if you don’t think that you’ll be interested in or able to keep up with a consistent stream of original content, then you may want to look at other outlets.

If you have decided that TikTok is the right place for you, spend some time scrolling the platform to see what other businesses like yours are doing and what their audience is responding to. This can be a great way to start to get into the platform and learn what is right for you and your brand. Also, when it comes to making TikTok videos there is one important rule you have to remember - have fun!

If you want to learn more about marketing your small business and how Hub Digital can help you, contact Amy and amy@hubdigitalmarketing.com.