TikTok – Why now is the time to join

So you know that TikTok with the guy in boat gliding across the water? This one here from that Titanic meme trend? Chances are, you’ve also had to convince your boss on how the ‘youths’ enjoy ads these days. TikTok has taken the world by storm with its short-form video content. As one of the fastest-growing platforms in the world, it has now become a key platform for brands to connect with younger audiences. 

You don’t want to miss out, but you still need to sell it to your boss (or yourself). 

We’re here to help. From juicy stats, to how we approach the social media dilemma, and with some tools to back up those… interesting… trends. The clock is ticking, this is why now is the time to join.

What The Numbers Say‍

What respected data-driven agency doesn’t start with the numbers? These three stats show why TikTok is important to consider:

• Tiktok is a social media platform with more than 1 billion monthly active users worldwide [HubSpot].
• Younger generations are prolific users of TikTok - the largest age group of TikTok users are between 18 and 24 [Statista]. (But between us, we see every new social network start young and shift to an older demographic). 
• Additionally, 70% of 18-24 year olds in Aotearoa use TikTok. In comparison, around 30% use Meta (Facebook & Instagram) [our TikTok representative].

So if your brand wants to reach Gen Z and Millennials, TikTok is the perfect platform to do so. 

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Creative Content Slaps

Gen Z translation: If something 'slaps', it means that it is amazing and really good.

A massive strength of TikTok is in the creative freedom that ‘low-fi’ presents, especially in the age of authenticity. It’s important to note that low-fi does not equal low quality.

Content that performs well is highly entertaining and resonates well with its niche, which is probably why 46% of TikTokers are using the platform without distractions or while using multiple screens (TikTok). Whether it’s asmr cleaning or financial advice, there’s a side of TikTok for your business. 

Interestingly, TikTok is also a serious search engine for a rising number of Gen Z (The New York Times). “In our studies, something like almost 40 percent of young people, when they’re looking for a place for lunch, they don’t go to Google Maps or Search. They go to TikTok or Instagram,” Prabhakar Raghavan, a Google senior VP, said at a technology conference.

We’re seeing this trend with our clients too. It’s becoming increasingly important to consider the keywords used in ad/post copy, text overlays, and trending hashtags. And if you still need convincing, you can check out their Keyword Insight tool here. 

For the creatives out there, TikTok is there to support. There are plenty of tools from Top Ads and popular audio through to creative insights behind best performing ads. 

Ultimately, the content you create should resonate with your intended audience and if that audience is Boomers it will be very different to Gen Z. Unless it involves minions… There might be an overlap there?

Cheap as Chips

TikTok’s ad platform also offers excellent value for money. Compared to other social media platforms, TikTok's ad pricing is cheap as chips. The average CPMs (cost per thousand impressions) for TikTok currently hover around $3, whereas Meta can fluctuate around $9. This means that smaller brands can get in on the action. 

Is social media evil?

But (there is always a but), what about the social media dilemma? Are platforms like TikTok bad? Will the USA ban TikTok?

As an agency that engages in paid social media advertising on behalf of our clients, we understand that there has always been, and always will be, a moral question to using these platforms. 

Here’s where we stand:

Social media is a tool, and just like any tool it can be used for good, or for evil. We’re committed to using it as a tool for good. Helping charities fundraise, growing positive-impact initiatives, providing transparency on political party activity, and supporting local businesses.

Realistically, social media is not going away. So we need to learn how to address its negative side effects, while embracing & extending the positive impacts.

There’s two pieces to this puzzle: education and regulation.

1. Educating users on the impacts of these platforms - and how to reduce those (eg: turning off / auditing your notifications).
2. Regulating (& taxing) these platforms - to put restrictions on what companies can & can’t do. The law really needs to play catch up with the digital world.

And will the US ban TikTok with New Zealand following? Possibly, but TikTok isn’t going quietly if the case of TikTok suing the US state of Montanna is anything to go by. At the end of the day it will always come down to a healthy balance of risk and reward. 

What next?

To sum it up, TikTok is one of the fastest-growing social media platforms in the world, and brands should take advantage of its advertising options to connect with younger audiences now. You don’t want to be left behind. 

If you’re interested in learning more about how TikTok and Aro Digital can help achieve your digital marketing goals, just drop us a line. We’re happy to help convince the boss or talk strategies. 

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