Should Your Business Use TikTok?

As a Social Media Coordinator, part of my job is to stay "hip with the kids" and the kids are on TikTok. No, I'm not talking Kesha. GenZ has a different humor, a different purpose, a different dance, if you will, and all of it is on this platform.

Do You Like to Watch?

Not like that, you perv. When I, an unworthy millennial, made my TikTok account a month ago, I reminisced on my Vine-addicted days in my college years. I thought, "The quality of humor will never be there. Nothing will ever make me laugh as hard. Nothing will capture my attention like that again." And for a the first few times I scrolled through the For You feed on TikTok, I was right. I didn't particularly like a lot of the videos I was recommended on my For You feed. But after a few more tries, the algorithm learned. I was hooked.

Do You Like to Create?

TikTok is a creator's paradise. The templates are set up right there. Songs, dances, quotes, speeches, are all there to be replicated and discovered. Original content can easily go viral and continue to spiral into reiterations of itself. Copy cats are actually encouraged as well as creating your own twist on these trends. For brands, it could be an opportunity ripe for the picking. So, should your business have an account? Answer these 3 questions:

1. Is GenZ your audience?

TikTok's largest user group in the US is 18-24 year olds, which account for 42%. That's followed by 13-17 year olds at 27%. Do you provide a product or service that targets this audience? Do you want to start making your brand known to this demographic and establish loyal customer relationships from a younger age?

2. Do you have the time (or the right team) to dedicate to content creation?

YouTube sensations, The Try Guys, interviewed a TikTok-er that usually posts once a day, but knew of other content creators that post up to 12 times per day. YIKES. Find your shtick, find your rhythm, and stick to a posting frequency that works for you and your prospective followers.

3. Can you tie your brand into TikTok seamlessly?

Your brand can run paid ads on TikTok, of course, but what about organic content? Leave an impression on your followers by regularly posting and tying your brand to TikTok trends like: Animals, Dancing, Influencers, Aesthetics, Humor, Music, Pop Culture Quotes, etc.