Is It Time to Take TikTok Seriously?
One recurring theme from the conversations that we've been over the past year has been a fascination with TikTok. Business owners and marketers have been watching it rise from its humble origins as a lip-syncing app to becoming the source of most of the best content on the Internet.
We've been paying close attention to what brands have been getting up to over there, and sharing anecdotes along the way, so we wanted to take this opportunity to say: 2022 is the year that you should be taking a closer look at TikTok. Here are a few reasons why:
TIKTOK TOPPLES GOOGLE AS THE MOST POPULAR DOMAIN IN THE WORLD
You read that right – there was no website in the entire world that was visited more often by more people than TikTok. Of course, this doesn't measure time, context, or engagement, but it does point a big, flashing arrow to where attention is heading. (Source: Cloudflare)
APPLEBEES SCORES A HUGE BRAND WIN, AND A #1 HIT
Sure there's attention on TikTok, but can brands be relevant? In 2021, the fast-casual restaurant chain partnered with a then-moderately successful country artist, Walker Hayes, to launch the "Fancy Like" trend & content campaign. After more than a million users joined in, Applebees repurposed the concept as a nationwide TV ad, and the song went to the top 5 of the Billboard 100 list, ahead of Olivia Rodrigo and Lil Nas X. (Source: Esquire)
THEY'RE TAKING IT BEYOND THE APP
Rather than being limited to the 5+ hours per day that we're all spending on our phones these days, TikTok is planning to show up everywhere that we interact with screens.
They've announced deals with Samsung, LG, and Amazon Fire to integrate TikTok TV
They're working with the Westin Hotels, Taco Bell, and Texas Roadhouse to put up screens filled with TikTok content
Soon, we'll see the same screens in doctor's offices, gyms, cafes, and elevators
TikTok has even inked a deal with the Olympics to provide exclusive streaming content
(Source: TechCrunch)
So, should your brand have a TikTok account? To help to answer that question, we put together 5 questions and 5 examples.
Written by Conner Galway, Junction Consulting