Unless you’ve managed to completely stay off of social media, there’s no way that you do not know what TikTok is. While the app has been around for longer than just a few months, it’s recently dramatically risen in popularity among teens, adults and even retirees, during the COVID-19 quarantine/social distancing period. Makes sense, doesn’t it? It’s an endless stream of hilarious, entertaining and sometimes emotional 15-second to 60-second videos—the perfect content to consume and pass time, especially during a pandemic. 

So, what does this mean for businesses? While not completely new, the growing audience of the video-sharing app offers ample advertising opportunities. But, it may not be right for everyone. In this article, we explore whether TikTok is appropriate for your business and what it can bring to the world of social media marketing.

Whether it be baking or binging, there’s a reason that yeast shortages and Netflix crashes have been reported. During the COVID-19 pandemic, everyone is looking for something to escape the reality of the situation. TikTok offers a creative outlet and a chance to immerse yourself in comedy. With its quick videos full of politician mockery, miming sessions, hilarious challenges and even recipe videos, there’s something for everyone. This is why even though TikTok hasn’t released their download numbers, countries like the US and India have reported booms in TikTok downloads.  

If the concept of easy-editing and voice-overs sound familiar, it’s because we’ve heard about this before through the app Musica.ly. In fact, TikTok is Musica.ly. They merged in 2018 and the app has been steadily growing in popularity ever since (of course, with a massive boom in 2020). 

The app is, to put it briefly, addictive. With easy-editing, a user-friendly interface, thousands of voice-overs, songs and filters, it’s extremely easy to understand why so many people are hooked. TikTok has given users the ability to stay current with trending topics by producing relatively high-quality content quickly. Because of this, anyone has the ability to go viral on the app, with new TikTok stars being born daily.

TikTok is overwhelmingly used by mostly young people. An estimated half of TikTok’s users are under the age of 34. So, what does this mean? Well, if your target audience is primarily in the 16 to 34 demographic, then TikTok is where your social media marketing should be looking next.

However, it’s more than just an app for millennial or Gen Z users. TikTok has been used by politicians, influencers and of course, small businesses. Just because your target audience may be older, doesn’t mean you can’t benefit from TikTok. It’s definitely easier to go viral and can help to increase your brand awareness and support your brand image.

So, is TikTok right for you? If it is, then one thing’s for certain, you’ll have a lot of fun creating content–but, that’s the point! Remember, genuine content is the most effective with audiences. The more people you attract, the more your brand awareness will grow.