Is TikTok right for your business? TikTok can be a powerful marketing tool if you’re looking to reach a younger audience and build brand awareness. Influencers are using it to gain attention and grow a following – and some are wildly successful. Should you include TikTok in your marketing plan?

Pros of TikTok marketing

1. High engagement: TikTok users tend to be highly engaged with the content they consume, which could mean higher rates of engagement and interaction with your business. That’s especially important if you’ve had quasi successful social media results and are looking to connect with a younger more active audience – and are game to try something new. 
2. Reach: With its largely untapped audience, TikTok has a ton of potential to improve your reach as long as you create content that resonates with your brand and have a younger target market. What categories tend to be most popular? Entertainment, dance, pranks, fitness/sports, home renovation and DIY. There’s also a strong following in beauty and skin care, fashion and life hacks or advice.
3. Creative opportunities: Does your in-house or outsourced marketing team have an endless supply of ideas? Are they sick and tired of producing the same old boring content? Give your marketing department the creative freedom to explore and experiment with TikTok to boost engagement, test content, and track results with A/B testing. Research what others in your industry and your competitors are posting to see what’s popular and what’s working or not.
4. Cost-effective: TikTok advertising may be worth considering even if you have a modest ad budget. It’s relatively inexpensive to test and its format allows you to experiment and play – the idea is to be fun! According to BeProfit, the average return on an ad spend (ROAS) on TikTok is usually around $1.20 to $3 per $1 spent. And there are increasing returns as more ads and formats are used. What’s the cost effectiveness of other channels? Check out TikTok ads versus Instagram and TikTok versus YouTube.

Cons of TikTok marketing

1. Demographics: TikTok’s user base is primarily a younger audience that’s highly receptive to video content. Recent research shows that 60% are between the ages of 16-24, 26% are between the ages 25-44, and 80% are between the ages 16-34. So, if your target audience is older, it may not be the best platform for your business. But if you’re looking to tap into a younger generation, why not check it out?
2. Algorithm: TikTok’s algorithm is constantly changing which can be challenging to predict the reach of content that took time, effort and resources to create. Basically, TikTok’s algorithm, like many social media platforms (and Netflix for example) is based on a recommendation system that chooses videos or content you see on your app, based on your interests. Watch skin care routines? That’s what will be showing up more often.
3. Branding: TikTok’s format and style may not be a good fit for certain types of businesses, or for businesses that want to maintain a more serious or professional image. Since marketing is ever changing, many brands test the platform to see if it feels right. Do your marketing goals include targeting a more hip, younger crowd? TikTok may be your answer.
4. Privacy concerns: TikTok has been criticized for its handling of user data and has alarmed marketers and the general public; “What data does TikTok collect?” and “does TikTok steal your information”? Questions like these are often overlooked. Users may or may not know that with your permission, you’re giving your exact location, phone contacts and other social network connections, as well as your age and phone number – sometimes more. Sound like any other social platform you’re familiar with?

Other marketing challenges with TikTok

• Users may experience a lack of information to get started
• There may be a roadblock if you run into challenges
• TikTok has limited ad formats as compared to Facebook
• Analytics aren’t as powerful as other channels

Bottomline: Whether TikTok is right for your business really depends on your goals, target audience, and the nature of your business. I’m a big fan of test-driving any platform before committing dollars and resources to see if there’s a fit. Of course, you want to keep your creative team happy, but at the same time you need an effective ROI to keep your doors open.

As you think about your content marketing plan and producing a series of videos to make your campaigns successful, do the recommended research before you invest. Look at if and how your competitors are using TikTok, then decide how you’ll implement your creative and social media strategies with clear marketing guidelines.

You can always switch up social media channels in your marketing plan. Just be sure that whatever social media marketing platform you choose is delivering results.