By Chris Thigpen, COO

Has the age of photos now become an antiquated relic of the past? 

Instagram held its #1 spot as the social marketer’s paradise for businesses, advertisers, and influencers in the last few years with high growth and return on investment; however, online marketers and consumers are now pivoting to the new video-focused social network, TikTok. 

Finding a gem like TikTok feels a lot like when TV killed the radio. With its exponential growth in the last six years, we are now witnessing its marketing power. 

TikTok is a fairly new medium for online expression but it is dominating in the world of short-form video content. According to Business Insider, in 2021, TikTok surpassed over one billion users with a net worth of over $44 billion (according to Bloomberg). It has one of the largest growth spurts globally at 1,157% between 2018 to 2021. 

 

Two girls filming tiktok dances

What’s the new dance trend? Are you following along?

 

While some might say that the platform is mostly for the Gen-Z, it is becoming a high-ranked favorite for diverse users and marketers alike. The platform has great potential as a marketing tool for brand awareness, building presence, advertising campaigns, and promotional offers. TikTok’s growth has driven advertising ROI, joining global ad leaders such as Facebook, Instagram, and Google. 

Despite its rapid growth, most businesses are hesitant about making the time or the investment to move over to TikTok – so don’t count out Instagram and Facebook just yet. Most businesses still continue to place their bets on these reliable platforms. 

With TikTok’s unstoppable growth and unsaturated market, theoretically, marketers, businesses, and entrepreneurs could get strong sales and increased impressions more efficiently than paid advertising on Facebook or Instagram. 

 

You can explore any form of creativity with TikTok.

 

TikTok does a phenomenal job at bringing bite-sized media to the forefront and allowing creators the license to experiment in how they market their brands. It differentiates itself from other platforms by an algorithm-based feed versus follower-based. Their algorithm personalizes each user’s feed (FYP- For You Page) based on their favorites and likes. Someone’s behavior dictates how their algorithm uniquely performs, while most viewed or engaged content goes to the top. Even Instagram began following suit using Reels on the Explore page like TikTok’s top videos. 

For businesses, it is a great opportunity to adopt this potentially market-changing tool. It is easy to adapt to its unique idiosyncrasies like TikTok Influencers, advertising space, diversity efforts, and a high chance of virality. TikTok introduced business profiles, ads, and a creator marketplace to ensure ease for brands. With this artillery of tools, a business could easily end up setting a new advertising and content model. 

 

TikTok can be a new marketing tool for just about anyone.

 

Honestly, anyone can do it. If you haven’t tried it out for yourself, download it now. It’s free and you might just find new ideas that you wouldn’t try on other platforms. I always say it is safer to be at the front of the wave rather than behind it. You never know. You might just find it’s the tool you never knew you needed. 

We pride ourselves on all things Social Media and have helped many businesses conquer their own social strategy. If you’re interested in social media management, contact us and we’ll show you what we can do!