TikTok’s rise to prominence is unprecedented for any social media platform. In 2021, the app overtook Instagram in the user numbers charts, with this figure estimated in 2022 at nearly 4.2 trillion users, equivalent to 60% of the world’s population. Indeed, the entertainment app remains popular with its users because its value proposition sets it apart from other social media apps. TikTok users don’t use the app to connect with people very close to them; on the contrary, the app is used to enjoy the content of total strangers, and even more so if that content is entertaining and comical.
Regaining the upper hand over goldfish
As we know more than ever, humans have an attention span comparable to that of a goldfish. The great thing about TikTok is that user attention rates on the platform are close to 100%. No wonder, then, that using this platform to distribute promotional content is an essential part of any marketing strategy!
Gen Z’s new search engine
We’re seeing a very interesting phenomenon among the emerging Gen Z generation when it comes to app usage; 40% of Gen Z say they prefer using TikTok and Instagram to Google when it comes to researching a topic (a travel destination or a recipe, for example). SEO is therefore of the utmost importance for a company with a presence on TikTok, the latter must find its way within these micro-moments.
The new word-of-mouth marketplace
Another powerful phenomenon propelled by the TikTok application is its influence on users’ purchasing behavior. Indeed, we know the importance of word-of-mouth on a consumer’s internal motivations when considering the purchase of a product, but it would seem that creators on TikTok are almost as credible as a family member or friend. In fact, 66% of users say that TikTok has even helped them decide which product to buy. Clearly, this social media tool is very close to conversion when we think of the consumer’s conversion funnel and is, therefore, a tool to be integrated into your marketing mix.
A powerful marketing tool
Finally, TikTok users create very strong communities, such as the Booktok community, where the #BookTok keyword has racked up nearly 35 billion views to date, a phenomenon that has boosted sales to such an extent that we now find a Booktok section in even our most traditional bookstores! This tribal affiliation plays into the internal motivations of the app’s users, who reveal that 67% of them have been influenced to shop even when they didn’t originally feel the need to do so, after being confronted with content on the app. For a marketer, investing in TikTok content creators with engaged communities is a very worthwhile investment. No wonder, it is both an innovative but also fun way of marketing!
Sources
- https://www.statista.com/chart/28412/social-media-users-by-network-amo/
- https://www.ledevoir.com/lire/660387/booktok-le-mot-clic-qui-fait-vendre-des-livres
- https://techcrunch.com/2022/07/12/google-exec-suggests-instagram-and-tiktok-are-eating-into-googles-core-products-search-and-maps/?tpcc=tcplustwitter&guccounter=1
- The Ultimate TikTok Creator’s Guide: How to Find, Brief, and Price. Ads world 2022
- TikTok for Business 2021
- TikTok marketing science us holiday shopping behavior custom research 2020
