The popularity of the Chinese app TikTok has skyrocketed this year, despite ongoing debates about the possibility of a ban on it. It’s safe to assume the app’s popularity will only increase from its current level of 100 million monthly active users in the US.

WHAT ARE the Benefits of TikTok for Brands?

It’s unusual to find a situation in which there is little marketing competition and widespread consumer adoption.

Perhaps now is the time for your company to shine on the video-sharing platform TikTok.

A definition of TikTok is in order before we continue.

Founded in 2012, TikTok claims to be the “leading destination for short-form mobile videos.” Imagine a smaller version of YouTube that you can access on the go.

5-60 second clips are the norm on TikTok. Users can choose from a variety of available soundtracks, effects, and filters.

Some people’s careers have even taken off thanks to the app. If you recall, Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road” soared to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 for a record-breaking 17 weeks thanks in large part to the app’s 67 million plays.

A SHORT BACKGROUND

Often cited as “the brain child of Musical.ly and Douyin,” TikTok is a video-sharing app. Alex Zhu and Luyu Yang founded Musical.ly in 2014 in Shanghai, China. Over 70 million copies of the app had been downloaded by the end of 2016. This was largely due to its feature that allowed users to upload 15-second lip sync videos.

Douyin, a platform for sharing videos of short length, was released in 2016. The popularity of Douyin in East Asia prompted ByteDance to release TikTok a year later. TikTok formally merged with Musical.ly in 2023 and expanded to the United States. TikTok is the successor to Musical.ly.

CONTROVERSY

TikTok’s meteoric rise has not been without its share of criticism. The platform was banned in the country earlier this year. Nearly the same thing occurred in the United States.

When considering the impact on TikTok’s public profile, the controversy is more of a boon than a bust.

TikTok has sucked more than its fair share of originality, connectivity, and content from all over the world, especially since the shutdowns have kept so many people indoors.

In what ways does TIKTOK help you?

Teenagers are often the trendsetters on social media, and while they may have a firm grasp on this app, the rest of us may be left with some questions. So, here’s the deal:

WHAT DO USERS DO ON TIKTOK?

In general, TikTok is used for:

• TikTok is all about videos—both those created within the app and those uploaded from elsewhere. Users can also broadcast in real time. Numerous types of video effects exist, such as GIFs, filters, split screens, green screens, transitions, sticks, and more.
• TikTok has a wide variety of songs available and also works with Apple Music. Users are free to create their own playlists and remix existing songs.
• Users can interact with one another in a number of ways, including the sending and receiving of hearts, gifts, follows, comments, shares, and links.
• With TikTok’s “Discover” feed, users can discover new people to follow, new hashtags to investigate, and new videos to watch.
• TikTok profiles are built to display one’s amount of follows, followers, and hearts received, making it easier to find creators. Similar to Instagram and Twitter, verified accounts will have a blue checkmark next to their username.

TikTok’s virtual coins can be used to purchase and send Virtual Gifts to other users. You can get real money by trading in your diamond emojis for virtual coins.

THE BEST TIKTOK CONTENT IS.

User-created media (UGC)

Specifically, user-created videos on TikTok (UGC). Some examples of popular videos on TikTok are as follows:

TikTok Games

In what have become known as TikTok Challenges (or TikTok Trends), users are tasked with creating videos that incorporate text, audio, and physical movement (such as a dance).

PRECISELY GOING AFTER THE RIGHT PEOPLE BY DETERMINING WHO THEY ARE LIKE

TikTok provides its business users with the ability to target specific audiences or find people who share similar interests.

Customers who have interacted with your brand before can be reached out to via custom audience targeting on TikTok and beyond.

The lookalike approach lets you zero in on consumers who are likely to be interested in your brand.

CONCLUSION

TikTok is unlike any other social media site. Learning the intricacies of this powerful social media contender may take some time, but the effort will be well rewarded. Customers today expect to interact and build relationships on the most cutting-edge platform, and businesses that take full advantage of TikTok’s many advantages will undoubtedly see a rise in their bottom lines.

In need of a TikTok advertising firm? Get your TikTok campaign rolling right away by contacting Zen Media.