One of the biggest digital stories of 2021 that may have flown under your radar is that TikTok leapfrogged Google and Facebook as the world’s most popular web domain.
Why is this important? Well, if you are not trying to spread awareness of your brand on a platform that features more than 1 billion active users every month, it may be time to start.
Google has been the world’s most visited web domain for the last 15 years. Not only is it the world’s leading search engine, but the power and influence of Google in the arena of digital advertising has cemented its importance and usefulness to marketing for more than a decade.
But, in just a few short years, TikTok has amassed such an undeniable following that it deserves your brand’s attention. Here are a few reasons why:
TikTok Is Here to Stay
Put your helmets on because we’re traveling back to 2015. “Uptown Funk” was all over the airwaves, “Star Wars Ep. VII: The Force Awakens” was the top-grossing movie, and the Internet was arguing over a silly meme about a dress that was either black and blue or white and gold (it was black and blue, by the way).
Lip-syncing videos were also a thing you couldn’t escape. That’s because your friends, your mom, your friends’ moms and your mom’s friends were all using an app called Dubsmash to make oft-questionable videos of themselves mouthing lyrics to songs and movie quotes. Plenty of celebrities also got in on the action, which propelled Dubsmash to capture the national zeitgeist in just a few months.
But Dubsmash seemed to burn out just as quickly as it caught fire, in part due to the initial release of TikTok in September 2016. In addition, Dubsmash (and other lip-syncing apps, for that matter) were limited to one very specific use case. TikTok doesn’t seem to have this issue of limited functionality.
In fact, part of the reason why TikTok dethroned Google as the world’s most popular domain is because many people are using TikTok as a search engine. Instead of scrolling Google to find the content or information they need, users are turning to TikTok to quickly find recipes, DIY home improvement hacks, personal finance tips and much more.
There are more than 1 billion active users on TikTok every month, and the app has been downloaded more than 2 billion times. These numbers are projected to increase steadily, so why not start taking advantage of that massive audience?
It Helps Build Authentic Relationships, Reputation and Trust
TikTok is building a reputation as the place to go for authentic branded content. In other words, TikTok has a bevy of creators that are quite good at making engaging content that is ultimately trying to sell you something.
That’s why advertising on TikTok has become a specialized art form that marketing agencies (ourselves included) are starting to harness for good results. TikTok’s accessibility and accommodating nature toward sharing is a big reason for that. Ask yourself this: How many TikToks do you see shared and posted every day on other social media networks like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc.? It’s so prevalent that Instagram has taken a clear stance against recycled content from other apps.
If your brand shares engaging, authentic and well-made content on TikTok, the algorithm will serve it up to the people you want to see it, regardless of whether or not it’s an ad. And as we are seeing, users are quick to share good content outside of TikTok, too.
It Offers Helpful Tools to Inspire Good Ads
Last year, TikTok added an Ad Library tool in its Creative Center. The feature, currently called “Top Ads,” lets users search through high-performing ads that the platform hopes will inspire them to create their own successful ads.
Users can search for the best performing TikTok ad campaigns by region, industry and campaign objective, to learn why certain ads rack up more reach, engagement and views than others. Just remember, not everyone will be able to afford people like Fred and Ben Savage for their ads, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy success with ads that strike similar tones and creative directions.
So, is it time for your brand to tackle the task of TikTok? Give us a shout to discuss the possibilities.
Andy Goldstein, Brand825’s content strategist, works closely with clients to create content strategies that spread brand awareness, promote thought leadership, increase web traffic and much more. If you’ve always wanted to launch a podcast, start a blog or create a killer eBook, Andy is all-too-excited to help you get started. He has a bachelor’s in journalism – and was close to a minor in theatre – at THE Ohio State University. When he’s not writing, recording voiceover or appearing briefly in Road House II: Last Call, Andy loves watching football and hockey and going outside with his two sons.
