TikTok exploded in popularity last year as the #1 downloaded app of 2020 as people turned to dance challenges and banana bread tutorials in quarantine. Even as we return to normalcy in 2021, the user base has continued to grow through the app’s unmatched algorithm and highly engaging UGC-style video content. If you think it’s just for the kids these days though, think again.
TikTok offers marketers a new way to reach their audiences through short-form, deeply engaging, and relatable video content.
Founded in 2016, this young network has matured rapidly and now has a reported 800 million active monthly users, placing them as the 7th largest social network in the world, beating social network veterans like Twitter and Pinterest.
As we navigate through the post iOS.14.5 advertising world and look to other networks, it’s important to know that TikTok can actually help you reach a more diverse audience than you might have assumed. In fact, only 41% of users fall into the 16-24 year old category, meaning that 59% of the platform is made up of users from the Millenial, GenX, and even Baby Boomer generations. Within the past 18 months, the number of US adult TikTok users has grown 5.5 times!
TikTok has arguably the most diverse range of content of any social media platform, meaning no matter what vertical your brand falls into, there is an opportunity for you to drive conversions. Not to mention, TikTok has some of the most engaged users out there.
So how does advertising on TikTok work? Here are some important things to note:
Creative: For performance campaigns, best practice is for creatives to be 10-17 seconds long, culturally localized, TikTok native, and include sound.
Attribution: Advertisers can choose a 1 day click or 7 day click, with view attribution as well if they choose.
Targeting: Age, Gender, Location (state & zip code-level), Ad Tags, Interests (50+ categories)
At GeistM, we have been advertising on TikTok more and more in the recent months, and the momentum shows no signs of slowing down. But does this network really give Facebook a run for its money?
Client A:
In the last month, we have seen TikTok campaigns drive an 8.44% higher CTR, 65.65% lower CPMs, and 68.32% lower CPCs than Facebook during the same period. TikTok offers cheap traffic with high impression and click volumes. Brands are capturing users through the full-funnel as well, with conversion volumes that rival other top networks. As brands build their presence and seek to reach incremental users, running on TikTok to complement efforts on other channels only makes sense.
The truth is, TikTok has been proving itself to be an efficient and scalable network long before iOS14.5 came into effect. Especially given the CPM and performance volatility on Facebook post-iOS 14.5 rollout, many brands are turning to platforms like TikTok. It delivers your product and key messaging in a very short amount of time, meaning your creatives must be able to capture the attention of the audience fast.
At GeistM, we know that network diversification is the key to success, and have been rapidly evolving our TikTok strategy on behalf of our clients. Figuring out the logistics of a new network can be confusing, but GeistM’s creative team is on hand to create captivating TikTok content to deliver our clients key value props in record time.