Why Brands Can No Longer Ignore The TikTok Revolution
The TikTok revolution has begun and It’s time to wake up.
Formerly known as Musical.ly, TikTok encourages users to create fun and engaging content to the chorus of popular music and sounds.
TikTok now has 800 million active users worldwide; more than LinkedIn, Twitter, Pinterest, and Snapchat and 1.5 billion downloads (according to Oberlo). In spite of its prevalence, a number of industries refuse to accept the platform’s importance as part of a wider marketing strategy; especially in capturing the 16-24 demographic.
This young demo makes up a significant part of TikTok’s audience, with 41% of TikTok aged between 16 and 24 (according to Globalwebindex, 2019).
The Dancing Queen of TikTok
Much unlike the bikini-rich reality star territory of Instagram or even Twitter’s commanding media cohort, TikTok’s biggest influence comes from within.
It’s by the 16-24s for the 16-24s. An escapist reality of sorts for Gen Alpha who will never have the financial freedom of Generation X, or the social privilege of Millennials.
Nothing signifies the application’s pull with the 16-24 demo more than its influencer base – in fact, TikTok’s most popular personality is even younger than the audience which dominates the service!
15-year-old dancer, Charli D’Amelio, has just under 50 million followers on TikTok and more than 1 billion video likes. She rose to prominence through her quirky, loveable yet innovatively simple dance routines (most notably for Doja Cat’s Say So).
The Music Industry and TikTok
With this in mind, it should come as no shock, that sectors of the music industry are thriving thanks to TikTok.
For the most part, the rise in popularity of certain songs on the platform have been organic. All it takes is a memorable beat or quotable line and TikTokers are willed into trying to better their counterparts through a impactful, funny or ironic representation of said sound.
Popular TikTok trends often utilise music or beats which are less mainstream; which is funny because the power of TikTok is turning small-time tunes into global anthems. Lil Nas X’s Old Town Road is a perfect example of this, a song which was re-released by Columbia Records following the hit’s huge viral success.
With the app’s boom in popularity, more well-known labels and artists are now beginning to take advantage of users’ affinity for a catchy tune.
Artists such as Drake have proven to be very popular on the platform, with songs like Flip the Switch and the newer (more purposely written) Toosie Slide, amongst the most viral on TikTok.
Leading the line for the music industry, it won’t be long before other popular artists follow in Drizzy’s footsteps, in hope that high-schoolers around the world will skyrocket their music to major financial success, a community-driven marketing tool which is set to overtake YouTube, Spotify and even Television in terms of importance. For reference, 1 billion videos are watched on TikTok every day.
This music-meets-dance style of content creation represents a large chunk of TikTok, but it’s not the complete package.
The Return of the Skit
After Twitter officially closed down video-hosting service Vine (similar to TikTok but less musical) in October 2016, a number of popular creators flocked to other platforms, YouTube and Instagram namely.
A lot of them – such as Jake and Logan Paul, KingBach and Lele Pons, outgrew the popularity of Vine and flourished upon its closure. For a number of independent creators, however, the app’s demise meant the end of their virtual popularity. Well, until TikTok came to the forefront.
Choreography aside, TikTok has re-popularised the short-form skit which made Vine such a hit in the mid-2010s. Whether it’s throwing a jigsaw puzzle against the wall or biting into jelly sweets whilst proclaiming ‘hit or miss’, the skit has become an integral part of TikTok’s recognition.
The balance between musical tropes and funny acts sets TikTok apart from its social media competitors, opening up a wide landscape of content for its users to utilise for clout.
Brand Meets World
So how can brand’s capitalise on this? Many already are. The NBA, UFC and MTV are just a few to name who have fully embraced TikTok – jumping onto trends whilst still maintaining their professional position.
A yearning for success on TikTok doesn’t mean your CEO or star player should wiggle his bum to SAYGRACE, though. Brands must make use of the app within their own limitations, creating content which is loyal to their regular tone but equally, delivered in a way which reaches and speaks to the audience base of TikTok.
Long gone are the days of revisited infographics and looping highlights – it’s time to cater to the trend, evolve with your audience and embrace the TikTok revolution.
If you’re in need of help to take your brand to the next level on social media platforms, take a look at our services and email info@uni4mbrand.com or WhatsApp +447555892554.
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