What are the Pros and Cons of Tik Tok for Business?
TikTok has taken the world by storm with its entertaining, attention-grabbing, and bite-sized video content. Since its creation in 2016, the platform has amassed over 1 billion active users worldwide. And with its growing popularity, businesses, and small creators are asking, “What are the pros and cons of TikTok for business?
In this article, we aim to answer these questions by discussing the platform's layout, algorithm, user base, and feature availability, and identifying the advantages and disadvantages for businesses. If you're considering using Tik Tok for your business, you need to understand what the platform offers and whether it aligns with your brand and content strategy.
This article discusses these aspects in detail, giving you a clear answer to what are the pros and cons of TikTok for business. From this article, you will learn why TikTok is popular, who its audience is, how the algorithm works, and what features and challenges businesses face on the platform.
Table of Contents
A Case For TikTok
Video consumption has blown up since the beginning of 2020, but has the growth slowed down with the worst of the pandemic approaching an end? The answer is no.
By 2022, online videos will make up more than 82% of all consumer internet traffic — 15 times higher than it was in 2017 (Cisco).
Pretty crazy, right? This trend has not gone unnoticed by basically every social media platform in existence -- and with the rise of TikTok, short videos are dominating the content creation world.
TikTok has rapidly become one of the most popular social media platforms in the world. Launched in 2016, the platform has now reached over 1 billion users worldwide. Known for its fast-paced, entertaining video content, TikTok has successfully cracked the code on our short attention spans. The video-based platform is brand affinity heaven, and our friends at Facebook and YouTube have followed with their own short-form video features.
With TikTok rising to the top, it's no surprise that brands and small creators are here for the ride. But is it the right platform for everyone? Read on for why TikTok may (or may not) be a good idea for you.
Pros of Using Tik Tok for Your Business
1. Competition and barrier to entry is low right now
There's very little to lose by jumping on the TikTok bandwagon right now. Every other major social media channel is overwhelmingly saturated with content, so it's become increasingly difficult to grow organically through other popular platforms.
We're looking at you, Facebook!
Unlike its competitors, TikTok's lack of content saturation and highly targeted algorithm gives organic content a voice on the platform. Using the right hashtags, trending audio clips, and collaboration features can grow your brand by thousands of followers overnight. Want even better news? The algorithm does not recommend content based on video performance or follower count, so you're on a level playing field with the big dogs.
The key is to put yourself in your niche's shoes and really understand what they want to view. That and the right features can take you to the top without breaking the bank.
2. Video-focused layout is current and great for brand awareness
Part of the reason TikTok has scaled at such a rapid pace is because of how it's leveraged short-form video. Its bite-sized content pushes the boundaries of traditional media, with most videos lasting only a few seconds. Through short, attention-grabbing entertainment, TikTok has completely changed the way we consume content online. TikTok's format challenges our attention spans through videos we can fully digest -- making it the platform with the highest engagement rate for brands.
Brands on TikTok see higher levels of receptiveness to brand messaging, calls-to-action, and ad breakthrough, according to a new independent study conducted by neuro analytics and neuromarketing firm Neuro-Insight.
source: tiktok.com
The same study correlates memory recall with engagement suggesting that users are more likely to remember brand messaging. These findings further prove the massive brand awareness opportunity TikTok offers brands. Embrace the short-form video format. It's here to stay!
3. The algorithm is on your side for now
TikTok's For You Page algorithm is unlike anything else out there right now - and that's because of how quickly it tracks data.
It's actually kind of scary.
Bytedance, the tech company that owns TikTok, invested heavily in software engineering efficiency prior to breaking into U.S. markets. Their developers successfully built an extremely intuitive and perceptive algorithm that can predict behavior through user engagements. Actions like hovers, views, pauses, swipes, and profiles viewed feed the algorithm and build personalized For You pages after only a short time on the app.
Now that you know how this alien-like algorithm works, you get why TikTok is such a powerful platform for small creators right now. The potential for virality and fast organic growth is huge. You're right in front of your audience with little to no effort on your part. The algorithm is already doing most of the leg work by acting as a matchmaker between you and your niche. All you have to do is provide content that entertains and adds value.
Aside: Well, I wasn't going to make it that easy. Check out 5 Ways To Grow Organically for tips on how to make content that your audience actually wants to watch.
Cons of Using Tik Tok for Your Business
1. Audience skews young
Isn't TikTok only for Gen-Zers who dance funny?
Well, yes and no. TikTok does currently skew young. In fact, over 60% of its user base is between 10-29 years old. However, some marketers believe that it's headed in the same direction as Facebook. The social giant started off as a college internet hub for young students, but we all know that's old news today. Facebook has a variety of different audiences now, and we older folk actually enjoy hanging out there the most.
Nevertheless, teens and young adults are the preferred demographic for this platform, and we can't predict the future. We recommend stepping into TikTok full-time if this is where your audience lives. Choosing to spend your efforts on the right social platforms will save you time and headaches in the long run.
2. Feature availability is limited compared to other social platforms
TikTok is in its infancy, which means it still needs some work in the feature department.
Unlike its competitors, the app has significant limitations when it comes to paid ads, analytics, and CTA links. Here on some things to keep in mind before making the jump:
TikTok's paid advertising only offers broad targeting options, which can waste ad spend on audiences who won't convert.
TikTok's analytics dashboard only shows you 28 days' worth of data per video.
Linking to content outside of the platform can be a challenge if you're not on a business account.
You can't use most trending audio clips on business accounts due to copyright infringement issues.
Most of these issues will probably be resolved in time, but these faults should be noted.
Pros and Cons of A TikTok Business Account
TikTok provides two types of accounts: Business and Creator/Personal. It can be challenging to decide which account to use for your organization, so we will discuss the pros and cons of using a TikTok business account.
A TikTok business account provides a wide range of unique features. As the account is public only, businesses can use Commercial Sounds, providing access to an entirely new range of audio for their content. Business accounts also offer access to analytics, allowing organizations to track engagement rates, view demographics of followers and identify the performance of their posts over time. This insight allows businesses to adjust their content strategy and create content that resonates with their audience.
Another significant benefit of using a TikTok business account is the ability to run ads. Ads can be used to increase visibility, promote brand awareness, and even increase followers. TikTok ads are created in the same way as other posts, which makes it easy to create high-quality content that will stand out among other content on the platform.
One of the best parts of TikTok ads is that they can be targeted at audiences with a specific demographic, allowing businesses to reach people who are most likely to engage with their offerings.
However, TikTok business accounts are not without their drawbacks, the most significant of which is that business accounts have limited access to TikTok's trending sounds. This limitation can hinder participation in emerging trends, which can change and evolve quickly on the platform. A business account also defaults to public, which means that it is not possible to toggle privacy settings on or off, and it is not possible to access any of TikTok's exclusive creator programs.
Despite these limitations, TikTok business accounts are excellent for organizations that want to market themselves to a younger audience. These accounts can also be linked to a Shopify site, allowing businesses to sell products and live stream showcases through the platform.
Small businesses can also benefit from switching to a TikTok business account as long as they have the required time and resources to produce high-quality content consistently. It can also be challenging to gain traction on TikTok, especially when competing against more established brands. On TikTok, accounts with over 1,000 followers can also add a website link to their bio, which can help to drive traffic to the company's site.
Key Takeaway:
In short, TikTok business accounts provide an effective platform for businesses of all sizes, particularly those looking to reach a younger audience. They offer an array of features that allow businesses to access both information on their performance and a range of advertising opportunities.However, the platform still has limitations, such as limited access to TikTok's trending sounds, and it may take some time to establish a following on the platform. Businesses should consider the specific pros and cons of using a TikTok business account before deciding whether or not to make the switch.
Most of these issues will probably be resolved in time, but these faults should be noted.
Final Thoughts
Through short, entertainment-driven content, Tik Tok has definitely changed the way we consume content online. That being said, it's not the right platform for every small business owner.
If you'd like to learn more about Tik Tok and whether or not it aligns with your current goals and content strategy, feel free to reach out! We're here to help with all of your content creation needs.
