NAVIGATING TIKTOK THROUGHOUT COVID-19

WTF IS TIKTOK?

Below I gather thoughts from TikTok influencer Yvie Scarlet, and Talent Manager at Fanbytes Sascha Morgan-Evans, as we delve in to why TikTok has claimed the hearts (and short attention spans) of people across the globe. We discuss why Covid-19 is accelerating App downloads, and what you can do to increase your brand presence through TikTok.

Where it all began

If like me, you are “actually quite old”, aka above the age of 25 you may have been curious about this mystery TikTok App that all of “the young people” seem to be hooked on in recent months. TikTok (previously known as music.ly) started as a lip syncing App in April 2014, the concept was simple: take your favourite song, hit record and perform your best lip sync efforts over the top in the most “extra” way possible. In August 2019 the App made the change to TikTok. Fast forward to today and what was once a feed riddled with teens popping and locking to k-pop and Miley Cyrus, is now a creative hub of challenges, dance routines, viral trends and opportunity, with a whopping 800 million users as of March 2020.

The backstory

Recently declared “the fastest growing social media App ever” it’s no surprise it’s been the topic on every social media marketers lips for the last year. It has stirred some questions among brands, as marketeers are sceptical to dip their toe in to the TikTok pond. Brands have been rightfully sceptical in upping spend and investing resource in to TikTok as the marketing tools aren’t in place just yet. Without the marketing tools, gauging an ROI is challenging, unlike Facebook and Instagram which have clear metrics for measuring success firmly in place.

There have been many debates around whether TikTok is “the next Instagram” “THE place to find your tomorrow customer” or “not worth wasting your time on”. It’s safe to say, that despite the lack of insight in to spend vs return, that TikTok is in its peak right now. If you think your business could benefit from forming a presence on there, now is the time to take action. 

“Get on there now, with everything going on around Coronavirus so many more people are jumping onto TikTok to fill their time and distract themselves from the doom and gloom. 

It’s really important for brands to lean into TikTok- everything you know about Instagram, Twitter, Youtube etc. isn't relevant here. TikTok is a platform that rewards silliness and creativity. Be fun with the content that you post on your brand's TikTok page. If you're afraid of tarnishing your brand image by posting more organic and unpolished content than your brand is known for, maybe TikTok isn't the place for you- but I will say, you're missing out.” – Sascha Morgan-Evans, Talent Manager at Fanbytes

How has Coronavirus accelerated growth within alternative demographics?

Rewind to a year ago and TikTok was generally un chartered territory for anyone over the age of 23, over 49% of teenagers globally have used the App. It’s where the phrase ‘ok boomer’ was coined, and was once seen as a breeding ground for Gen-Z to unleash their genius within content creation. However, it’s safe to say with the recent Covid-19 lockdown enforcements that it’s not just teenagers that are looking to the platform to pacify the dark times . It seems that everyone and their Grandpa is now giving TikTok a go (and loving it). It’s safe to say TikTok has opened its arms to a more mature generation.

I asked Sascha what she thought about the change in demographics and increase in non Gen-z’s taking to the platform since Covid-19 struck. “I've seen it for myself already; my parents who are in their 50s are constantly sending me TikTok videos, and so many of my friends and acquaintances who previously turned their nose up and giving it a chance now. TikTok content regularly goes viral on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, it always has, and I'm sure many people have previously thought 'hmm, maybe I'll download it' but never got round to it. Now that most people have what seems like an endless amount of time on their hands, TikTok is there as another outlet. "

"Whether people are just scrolling through the extensive pool of user generated content, or spending an afternoon learning the Savage dance- a lot more people of many varying ages are going to get hooked on the app, even after this is all over.”

We are already seeing huge shifts in the way we are approaching consumerism as a society in light of the recent pandemic. Consumers are changing their mentality towards the way they shop with a more local and mindful approach to consuming. TikTok currently does not promote consumerism, unlike Instagram which is laden with #ads and influencers posing with handbags and new clothes. TikTok in turn promotes creativity, fun and originality. It also has an unbiased algorithm meaning you don’t need hundreds of thousands of followers to gain visibility, which in turn promotes a fairer approach to social media sharing. Despite all of this, a lot of TikTokers are sending their followers to Instagram as they know that’s where the money is. As noted earlier on in the article, the marketing tools and ability to establish ROI isn’t quite there with TikTok yet, however that’s not to say that it won’t be soon.

I caught up with Yvie Scarlet, a social media influencer who posts fashion related content across her platforms. Yvie has over 10k Instagram followers, and has gained exceptional growth on her TikTok account in the last three months going from zero followers to over 43k.

“What makes TikTok so unique is the fact that there is so much more room for creativity. I think creators prefer being given the chance to get creative with a collaboration, because we often have our own brand and niche to adhere to that our fans expect and enjoy from us.”

What does this mean for brands?

Although it is a strange time for businesses navigating the social media space, knowing what to post, when to post and what to say may feel daunting. One thing is for sure, whether you’re posting about Covid-19 or not, letting your customers know that you’re there for them and maintaining your digital presence is still really important. Providing that your business is right for TikTok, now could be a great time to get acquainted with it and understand the way it works as a platform. Look at what people are engaging with, that way, you’ll know if it’s right for you or not. “Instagram is very difficult to grow and the algorithm is ruthless. TikTok is still a new platform and isn’t oversaturated like Instagram is, which makes growth and engagement come a lot easier.” - Yvie 

While it may be hard to gauge the ROI of TikTok, getting ahead on your strategy and presence in the meantime is an absolute must right now. “There are a fair few brands doing things really right on TikTok- Pretty Little Thing, Gymshark and Washington Post to name a few. But, one of my favourite brand pages is What Do You Meme?'s - they've done a great job of creating content around their products that is super organic and engaging to the average TikTok user.” – Sarah

Is it right for you?

It’s important that you establish if TikTok is the right move for you, and you won’t know unless you have a look around and start by navigating yourself around the platform, understand how it works before you start ploughing lots of resource in to it. If you do decide that it’s the right move for you, there’s a few things you can do to get started:

• Start creating content, it doesn’t need to be too heavily branded but building an awareness and a following is a key while you can
• Take part in viral challenges
• Post your content across your other platforms, TikToks are filmed in the same format as Instagram stories – you can repurpose them there to start
• Start to engage with and build relationships with TikTok influencers who have a presence in your industry
• When you feel comfortable enough have a think about viral challenges and branded content you could look to use
• Spend time in house or with a consultant understanding the platform and how it works
• Have fun with it, the whole premise of TikTok is to be creative and think big

If you’re curious about how to navigate Tiktok for your brand and where to get started. Drop me a line and we can talk about getting you set up with the right strategy.