Chances are you’ve heard about TikTok in recent months. But what is it really? And does it make sense to start with this on a business level? I myself was not familiar with the now wildly popular app among children and teens until recently. By now I have taken a crash course with my sister (over 100,000 followers) and am pretty up to speed on what the app has to offer. Wondering if the now wildly popular app is for you? Then free up 3 minutes of your time and read on quickly!
What is TikTok?
Users of TikTok can create short videos of themselves. There is quite a bit of dancing and singing in these videos. Does your voice not sound very nice and rather scare away viewers? Then you can choose to playback. Don’t you see that either? Then the platform lends itself perfectly to sharing other humorous content. The videos are either 15 or 60 seconds in length. Need more video time? Then, through the Inshot app, for example, it is possible to paste multiple videos together.
In addition, the app features a user-friendly video editor. This allows the user to edit the created video themselves. This can include thoughts of adding filters and special effects. The range is particularly wide. Consider adding emojis, GIFs, etc. Once the video is published, other users can share it or respond to it through a like or comment. Users can also immediately forward a video to other social media channels. This could include Instagram and Facebook, for example.
Who uses it?
In the Netherlands, the platform now has 3.5 million users and that number is still growing daily. The TikTok app is intended for users aged 13 and older. Two-thirds of users are under 30 years of age. But that may soon change. Partly because of corona, older people also know how to find their way to TikTok.
Not yet familiar with TikTok? Then it is advisable to ask for some information from your own child(ren), niece or nephew. Or of course as I did, inquire with my younger sister Véronique van Dijk. She can now no longer walk the streets normally with over 100K followers and 4.3 million likes. Taking selfies on the street, handing out autographs and the growing number of fan accounts are no strangers to her.
Suitable for business purposes?
More and more companies are delving into the world of TikTok. Many young users bombard themselves as influencers and eagerly engage in promotional activities. Touting a phone case, clothing and other products happens regularly. Before investing time, it is important to find out the extent to which your target audience is active on TikTok. You can record nice videos as an ICT company and hope for sales, but then I give you little chance. As an ICT company, though, the platform may be suitable for enthusing young talent to pursue such training. In short, the answer to this question is not straightforward.
My advice when you want to get started with TikTok
If you are going to start business with TikTok, I would advise you to keep it lighthearted. The goal should be that your account is fun to follow. With just touting your services and/or products yourself, the chances of success are minimal. It also makes little sense to have others do it for you. For example, it works better that when a popular TikTokker shows your phone case in the picture without emphasizing it.
Help me on my way!
Want to know more about using TikTok? Then it definitely pays to download the app on your phone. Creating your own account is not required to see others’ videos. This way you can discover the platform’s possibilities in an approachable way and decide for yourself if it’s something for you. Have you downloaded the app? For additional inspiration, I would ask you to take a look at my sister @veroniquevandijk’s TikTok profile.
Want to know more about TikTok? Or just want to spar about a winning online marketing strategy for your business? Then contact us for a no-obligation introductory meeting.
