Should You Use TikTok for Your Social Media Advertising?

Businesses are constantly looking for a new and innovative way to improve their advertising campaigns. One of the newest tactics is TikTok ads; yes, you read that right. You’re sitting there scrolling through video after video when all of a sudden, you notice you’ve been watching an ad for 10 seconds and didn’t even realize it was an ad.

Although the app has become increasingly popular in the past year, TikTok was created back in September 2016. This social media platform allows users to make various short-form videos from genres like dance, comedy, and education, lasting from 15 seconds to one minute. TikTok has become the most downloaded non-gaming app in four short years and has over 100 million users in the United States alone.

Within the 100 million U.S. users, most of the users are under 20 years old, BUT as time moves along, the demographic of users is spreading to ages 50 and up. There is even a hashtag for “Grannies of TikTok” with over 6 million views and a few famous grannies that are all over 88 years old. 

What Options Are There to Advertise on TikTok? 

1. In-feed video ads are placed between user-generated content on the “For You” feed. This “For You” feed uses an algorithm based on users’ video interaction and populates videos to a feed customized for each user. These are full-screen ads with call-to-action buttons that can be skipped.
2. TopView showcases your video in a full-screen ad that appears at the top of the “For You” feed when the user first opens the app.
3. Brand takeover ads are a 3-5 second full-page ad that appears when a user first opens the app. These can direct users to a landing page or hashtag challenge. They’re exclusive for one day to maximize impact.
4. Hashtag challenges encourage users to make a video using a promoted hashtag of their choice.

Photo: takesomerisk.com

Why Should You (Or Should You Not) Advertise on TikTok? 

Pros of Advertising on TikTok

• You can reach a diverse audience. Although 41% of users do fall between the ages of 16 and 24, there is still 59% of adult users, which is growing monthly. 
• Versatile ad formats facilitate engagement. With multiple ad styles, there is room to encourage engagement by allowing users to follow, like, and share your brand. 
• Ads are stylized like TikTok content. The difference between content and ads is there is a “sponsored” icon and sometimes a call to action. Ads will pop up in between videos as a user is scrolling, and it sometimes takes a few seconds to realize it is actually an ad.  
• Unlike most social media platforms, TikTok easily allows users to share and download content. Videos can be downloaded directly from the platform to your photo library, shared within the app, or even sent via text and email. 
• You are advertising to engaged users. From October 2019 to March 2020, the average number of minutes per user increased each month. This means users are dedicated to using the app and continue to use it more monthly.
• There is more flexibility for video advertising. Since TikTok is a video-based app, there are drastically fewer limitations compared to Instagram and Facebook. This allows for more music options, fewer time restrictions, and more. 

Cons of Advertising on TikTok

• Since TikTok is still fairly new, there is little data that can be used when designing a campaign compared to other social media platforms. 
• TikTok is a video-based app that does not yet allow for images to be used. This can be limiting for certain brands and product advertising campaigns. 
• TikTok trends do tend to be directed towards the younger generation as well as young influencers.
   
• The app is only available in 141 countries out of the 195. 
• As TikTok tends to be directed to more comical videos, this could alter brand reputation. 
• Censorship issues have been known to be an issue with TikTok since it is owned by a Chinese company. They have been known to remove videos with no explanation or response. 

While TikTok has only been around for a few years, it’s gathered a large following from a variety of users. If you’re willing to experiment and leave your advertising comfort zone, TikTok might be the next addition to your advertising campaigns and social media offerings. 

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Let’s discuss whether TikTok is the right choice for your senior living digital marketing efforts. Schedule a free consultation and learn more about how Markentum can help to expand your community’s social mark!