Should Your Business be on TikTok?

TikTok is here, and it’s big. With the pandemic keeping us home, TikTok emerged as a fun video platform for entertainment. 

Just as with some other social media platforms, interest in it has exploded. Heck, even Planet Money is now on TikTok. (It’s an NPR podcast about economics.) Bill Nye is there, explaining science. You’ll also find cooking, shopping, fitness, and even interview tips, along with celebrities and of course, plenty of dogs. 

Companies curious about the new social media platform may be feeling like they “need” to be there. FOMO anyone? After all, social media’s point is to be social, reach new audiences, and stay in front of your customers — where they are spending time. And they are spending time there, an average of 52 minutes a day! 

But does your business need to be on TikTok? Here are some pros and cons of jumping on this platform.  

First, what is it? This social media platform focuses on video, specifically short ones. If you used Vine in the past, it’s a little like that. Their tagline is “Make Your Day,” with the idea that these are mostly entertaining or amusing — or downright silly. 

The videos are tall, not wide, and you navigate them by scrolling down through the feed. You can add sounds and music to your video, respond to others, and take part in challenges to do or create something specific. 

Reasons to be on TikTok

If you’re looking for an audience, you might want to check it out for these reasons: 

• More than 1.5 billion people are using the platform. That’s a lot!  
• The platform mostly skews younger, with the majority of users between the ages of 18 and 34. However, that doesn’t mean they are the only ones there, with oodles of others joining each day. 
• Video captures attention like few other things. With the right video, your audience will engage with your company and give you a reaction — instead of thumb scrolling right past you.
• Not all businesses are on TikTok (yet). The early bird catches the worm, as they say. People who had raging success with their companies on social media got in early and figured it out, putting them out ahead.  
• Easy to use. You don’t have to be a video expert to create videos; the app gives you most of the tools needed. 

Reasons to Skip it (For Now or Forever) 

While there are good reasons to consider TikTok, joining this platform isn’t a no-brainer for every business. Some thoughts to consider: 

Relative popularity.

Like other social media platforms, TikTok feeds your videos based on your viewing history and interests, thanks to AI-based algorithms. But that means TikTok can be a completely different experience from one user to another. So keep that in mind that popularity is fairly relative on this platform.

Security.

TikTok is a Chinese company, and many have reported on the security concerns associated with data harvesting. As Forbes points out, this data gathering isn’t any worse than what Google, Facebook, and others do. TikTok has since claimed to make changes. However, others have pointed out many eyebrow-raising things about the app, data, and more. If your company has security concerns, it might be OK to skip.

Content creation.

Many of our clients struggle to create content, and video is an extra hurdle. Your time is divided between blog posts, Instagram stories, managing a Facebook group, and more. Do you have time or the energy to create fun videos that will resonate with viewers? While they don’t have to be top-of-the-line commercial quality, you’ll still need to strategize about what content relates to your brain and makes sense for this platform.

Daring.

Who’s on the screen? You’ll be putting yourself or your team members out there in a different way if you use this app. While some companies have done this, you may not find many volunteers willing to act silly on the company TikTok account. 

Have you set up a TikTok account for your company? If you’re thinking about it, contact us to help strategize whether it’s a good fit. Read more about which social platforms to consider when marketing your business.