Natasha Hatherall-Shawe, founder and CEO of TishTash Marketing and Public Relations.
Unlike that over filtered bikini selfie, the numbers don’t usually lie…
TikTok (not just a pop song by Kesha) is one of, if not the fastest growing social media platform in the world, and not just that, it’s a sub-culture all of its own. Funny, cringeworthy, but most definitely addictive, creating short videos with music, filters and other features is both fun to create and even better to watch. Who needs an attention span in 2021?
TikTok is entertainment over ‘lifestyle’ from a content point of view – a few steps ahead of cat memes (you get the comparison), but with it comes a definite demographic amongst its 800 million active users worldwide (as of September 2020). It’s worth noting at this point that it took Instagram six years from launch to achieve the same figures that TikTok has in three, and Facebook in over four. Whilst a global pandemic certainly helped, quarter on quarter the numbers are skyrocketing and so it’s definitely not a channel we can ignore.
Now for more sobering news…
41 percent of TikTok users are aged between 16 and 24 years old. So, we ask ourselves, are we too old for TikTok?
Fun fact – App creators decided to choose under 18s as their target audience from the very beginning. With a daily average of 52 minutes being spent on the app, it’s a pre-teen dream alternative to traditional media, and even other platforms.
To answer our own question, no, you are not too old for TikTok. The recent rise in adult usage has sky-rocketed (huge thanks to Covid 19 again, no doubt) which leaves us with the next query.
If TikTok is now acceptable for those older than the intended Gen Z – what does that mean for content creators and advertisers?
As a PR, marketing and digital agency, we need to place our clients where the eyeballs are, and we are paying full attention to TikTok, knowing that no target demographic is out of bounds. It’s a platform for content creators, and authentic engagement comes from creative content – so whilst TikTok is ‘aging up’ exponentially and it’s time to get involved we say.
Right now, engagement is higher than other platforms too, and brands have the ability to browse the ‘creator marketplace’ and find the perfect influencer fit for them. Advertising campaigns can start at just $50 a day, but we’d be more impressed by native content creation by brands, or influencers on behalf of brands.
TikTok ads can send users to your website, an app page in the app store, or promote your hashtag challenge on the platform
Brands are able to create branded AR lenses, filters and stickers for TikTok users to insert into their video content
TikTok influencers with 2.5 million followers or more charge around $600-1000 per post compared to $100-$200 for every 10,000-20,000 followers on Instagram
So, whilst you might think watching midlife men or women dancing on TikTok is the worst thing since, well, watching midlife men dancing in actual real life, you can become either creator or consumer, or even both. We know that algorithms can change faster than you can swipe right, but for now, irrespective of age, whether you are lip synching for your life or collaborating for cash, we can honestly say that you are never too old for TikTok.
Natasha Hatherall is CEO and Founder of TishTash Marketing and Public Relations
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By ITP
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Are you too old for TikTok?
In attracting 800 million active users, TikTok is one of the fastest-growing social media platforms, but should you be one of them?
Unlike that over filtered bikini selfie, the numbers don’t usually lie…
TikTok (not just a pop song by Kesha) is one of, if not the fastest growing social media platform in the world, and not just that, it’s a sub-culture all of its own. Funny, cringeworthy, but most definitely addictive, creating short videos with music, filters and other features is both fun to create and even better to watch. Who needs an attention span in 2021?
TikTok is entertainment over ‘lifestyle’ from a content point of view – a few steps ahead of cat memes (you get the comparison), but with it comes a definite demographic amongst its 800 million active users worldwide (as of September 2020). It’s worth noting at this point that it took Instagram six years from launch to achieve the same figures that TikTok has in three, and Facebook in over four. Whilst a global pandemic certainly helped, quarter on quarter the numbers are skyrocketing and so it’s definitely not a channel we can ignore.
Now for more sobering news…
41 percent of TikTok users are aged between 16 and 24 years old. So, we ask ourselves, are we too old for TikTok?
Fun fact – App creators decided to choose under 18s as their target audience from the very beginning. With a daily average of 52 minutes being spent on the app, it’s a pre-teen dream alternative to traditional media, and even other platforms.
To answer our own question, no, you are not too old for TikTok. The recent rise in adult usage has sky-rocketed (huge thanks to Covid 19 again, no doubt) which leaves us with the next query.
If TikTok is now acceptable for those older than the intended Gen Z – what does that mean for content creators and advertisers?
As a PR, marketing and digital agency, we need to place our clients where the eyeballs are, and we are paying full attention to TikTok, knowing that no target demographic is out of bounds. It’s a platform for content creators, and authentic engagement comes from creative content – so whilst TikTok is ‘aging up’ exponentially and it’s time to get involved we say.
Right now, engagement is higher than other platforms too, and brands have the ability to browse the ‘creator marketplace’ and find the perfect influencer fit for them. Advertising campaigns can start at just $50 a day, but we’d be more impressed by native content creation by brands, or influencers on behalf of brands.
So, whilst you might think watching midlife men or women dancing on TikTok is the worst thing since, well, watching midlife men dancing in actual real life, you can become either creator or consumer, or even both. We know that algorithms can change faster than you can swipe right, but for now, irrespective of age, whether you are lip synching for your life or collaborating for cash, we can honestly say that you are never too old for TikTok.
Natasha Hatherall is CEO and Founder of TishTash Marketing and Public Relations
Follow us on
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