New media environments are changing the world, and TikTok has become a key battleground for audience attention. Read the latest in all that is TikTok traffic, from new ideas to inspiring success stories and discover how to drive traffic from the newest global phenomenon and most popular gen Z platform.*
As the newest generation, gen Z, ventures out into the world, you may find it hard to develop a traditional relationship with the internet’s youngest audience. While it is tempting to convince yourself that the problem is because of them, we’re sorry to say, you’re in for a rude awakening. The problem may not be the audience’s lack of interest in long-form or traditional media but rather that they have become outdated strategies in today’s day and age.
It does not matter if you are a global media site or a conventional printed local newspaper: you should always pay attention to current media trends and develop your presence in the most popular channels to capture new audiences.
And, for the last few years, the first channel that comes to mind when you talk about attracting new audiences is TikTok.
Driving traffic from TikTok
TikTok is one of few Chinese apps that has successfully conquered the world market. Launched in 2016, the purpose of this app primarily was for music videos, dancing, lip syncs and flash mobs. However, in 2022, we can say with confidence that the content in this channel has become much more profound and diverse, and the platform has grown to have a more significant role in today’s culture and media consumption.
As of this year, TikTok hit 3.3 bln downloads and became the most popular app in China, the U.S. and Brazil. The most active internet users prefer TikTok; 80% of which are between the ages of 16 and 34 years old. Today, this platform offers a great range of content without compromising on user engagement; for instance, informative educational videos hit record views just as often as TikToks made for entertainment.
Since the platform has expanded its presence to all regions and is one of the fastest growing platforms to date, it is difficult to imagine a business that would not benefit from TikTok. However, this platform does demand a fresh look at how you communicate with your audience.
Publisher success cases on TikTok
Over the last few years, TikTok has evolved: it became more mature, and the trends became more serious. However, the importance of a sincere personality behind the content is still crucial, and the focus on music remains essential.
One significant event that displayed the shift in the platform’s tone was the invasion and subsequent war in Ukraine. After that, the platform became much more political. The president of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskiy addressed TikTokers encouraging them to increase the world's awareness about the war, and even the White House used TikTok to brief influencers about the war in Ukraine further legitimizing it amongst users of traditional media.
Now, the biggest news publishers turn to TikTok to attract younger audiences and drive website traffic. Some media platforms like VICE (2m followers, 25m likes) and The Washington Post (1.3m followers, 62m likes) are also bringing news content to the platform. The personal delivery of news, explanation videos about hot topics and educational content delivered in a unique form make these channels popular.
Still, the best, most viral topics on TikTok are fashion and pop culture. It’s a look into one of our most fascinating cultures: one filled with bright, illuminating performances, captivating catwalks and infamous celebrities. And, if you were to watch TikTok videos from the biggest names in fashion, like Vogue, and culture media, like Dazed, you would see bright, high-quality, professionally cut videos next to personal stories of influencers and ordinary users.
If you analyze the TikTok profiles of business media, you see motivational speeches, market analyses and memes. Harvard Business Review uses TikTok to target the main pains of its audience and create memes about them. The team is publishing personal humoristic videos about office life, career anxieties and advice for students. TikTok became a perfect platform to tease the audience about articles from the past, reviving content and increasing the number of site subscribers. As a result of this content strategy, the Harvard Business Review’s hashtag has 2.3 mln views, while the channel has 150K followers and 1.3 mln likes.
Hop on trends
It takes a bit of luck to become a viral trendsetter on TikTok, but more often than not, a brand benefits greatly from jumping on TikTok trends. So, what defines a TikTok trend, and how does it work?
Trends are a combination of a chosen topic, hashtags and music. The content creates a wave of TikTok recommendations, and users share the trending video. By joining TikTok trends, you raise your brand awareness and reach new audiences.
What does it mean to join a trend? TikTok trends are reminiscent of a dialogue, a form of communication in which people can creatively participate in trending discussions. What is the most crucial is the ability to recognize a trend. Then, all you have to do is join the discussion with your own personal video on the topic, accompanied with the trending hashtags and music.
After publication, your video joins the wave of posts, and TikTok algorithms deliver your video to users’ For You Page (FYP). This page differs amongst users, as it is a curated feed that reflects each user’s unique preferences, based on their interests and past interactions on the platform. This means users who are seeing your video on their FYP are most likely to view, like, comment and share your video, and thanks to hashtags, other users can discover the video and share it, as well.
The creation of the BookTok community is one of the most interesting phenomena to occur from following TikTok trends. The viral group came to be in 2020, and immediately, publishers noticed how book reviews on TikTok were changing the publishing market, creating bestsellers and causing old books to fly off the shelves. Today, the hashtag #booktok has 69.9 bln views — and counting. With numbers like these, publishers can’t afford to not pay attention.
So, keep up with the trending videos in your target region, pick the ones related to your brand and create the next viral sensation! But always keep brand safety in mind! TikTok can be just as dangerous for business as it can be exciting. Know your brand and don’t compromise it by joining a controversial challenge.
What content to put out on TikTok
TikTok can help you to refresh your business’ image. The format of the platform forces you to be brave and become more personal, sincere, and straightforward. Your content will always be noticed if delivered openly and brightly. So, try these tips to help deliver your new message.
- Understand your target group and speak their language. And remember, TikTok is more informal than other channels.
- Collect your messages and divide them into groups with different values: entertaining, demonstrating, informing. Make your channel diverse but consistent.
- Make your content noticeable by joining local TikTok trends
- Revive existing content by teasing it to your audience
- Grow your audience, go viral and become a trendsetter!
- Make short videos daily — depending on your business and goals — with your company’s messaging.
- Use trending music!
- Add your website’s link to your TikTok profile.
- Always remember brand safety while creating content and joining trends!
Get viral on TikTok and reach new audiences
TikTok is a platform where new leaders rise. To succeed, you need to be open, brave, sincere and challenging! Let your TikTok profile highlight the personality behind your brand, follow the flow of trends to reach new audiences, create trends and go viral. Ultimately, you will get more traffic by increasing the power of your voice.
