3 Ways TikTok Is Disrupting Social Media Marketing (2024)

TikTok is a platform that has grown exponentially in recent years and become a major player in the social media landscape. It provides a unique content offering that has completely disrupted the industry through relatable and engaging short-form video content.

While consumers and content creators have joined the platform by storm, brands and businesses are slower to take the leap.

Meanwhile, TikTok’s fast growth leads to it quickly becoming a social media platform that content creators and businesses cannot afford to avoid.

Before companies and creatives can feel comfortable with setting up an account, it’s important to have a strong understanding of how TikTok’s innovative structure aids them in reaching their business objectives.

Here’s a look at the top three features that separate TikTok from its competitors, making it easy to build an audience and grow your business.

#1. TikTok’s Discoverability

Many users find discovery on TikTok to be smoother than on other platforms. TikTok’s structure was designed to make it easy to grow your audience.

The app defaults to your “For you” page, which is a curated page of content that it thinks you’ll enjoy—some from creators you follow, but most from creators you don’t.

What makes this unique is the algorithm doesn’t only push content from large creators. An account with five followers also has a likelihood of having a video pushed on the For You page to hundreds of thousands of people as an account with millions of followers.

This discoverability system leads to rapid growth for new accounts. Additionally, TikTok’s algorithm is skilled in presenting more curated content to the right audience by introducing users to new content over creators they already follow.

This allows creators the freedom to create videos without the fear that it will impact their overall aesthetic. Each video stands on its own and has the opportunity to gain large view counts.

#2. Niche Audiences

According to Hootsuite, TikTok was the most downloaded app of 2021, with more than 3 billion downloads worldwide.

Not only are people downloading the app, but they’re using it—regularly. TikTok sees an astonishing 1 billion monthly active users with an average of 650,000 joining each day.

Given its size and reach, TikTok’s algorithm still remains hyper-curated, serving users content that’s seemingly geared specifically for them. It’s the most engaging social media site with users averaging more than 10 minutes per session.

Whether it’s #BookTok or #PrisonTok, the audience is out there, and businesses can feel confident that their niche is present.

Take the time to consider who your ideal audience is and the types of content they would find most engaging. Converting those ideas into short-form video content gives you an entry point into the fastest-growing social media network.

#3. Content Volume

The final way the app sets itself apart from other platforms is by reducing the difficulty in creating content.

On most major social media platforms, there’s a focus on well-crafted, professional content. TikTok has created a space where casual is king. TikTok creators are regular people, living normal lives, and sharing relatable content to large audiences.

Similarly, businesses are following suit through relaxed, humorous videos. TakeDuolingo’s massive success using their company mascot, orAmerican Girl Doll’s POV videos.

You can strategically test different content to see what aligns with your audience, without the fear of losing existing followers, because the For You page ensures that the majority of people who are seeing your content are doing so for the first time.

Additionally, keeping your videos casual can allow you to post more frequently and provide fresh content to keep your page relevant.

How to Get Started

If you’re still wary about creating content on TikTok, spend time on the app learning how it works and the culture it’s created.

Save “sounds” that you hear multiple times on content that you think resonates with your audience, as those are most likely to be trending.

TikTok content thrives on trends, so it’s less about differentiating your brand immediately and more focused on finding a way to fit your niche into existing trends.

While dancing trends brought TikTok into the mainstream, they account for only a portion of the content. Funny trends, lip-syncing, and automated filters provide a wealth of content creation opportunities, with existing videos giving users a blueprint on what to create first.

Ready to make your first TikTok? Check out this article on“10 Basic Tips for Editing Your Next Viral TikTok Video”to start building your audience.

License this cover image via maridart and Eightshot_Studio.

This post was originally published onAugust 19, 2022