Should You Be Advertising on TikTok (Even If You’re Not Targeting Gen Z)?

TikTok marketing seems to be all the rage lately with big brands like Calvin Klein and Guess leveraging the platform. However, due to the large volume of younger users, many brands are skeptical to jump in because they’re not targeting a Gen Z audience. What if we told you that TikTok isn’t just for reaching Gen Z’s?

The platform is quickly growing to be one of the biggest social media platforms out there, already amassing a billion monthly active users globally. You could be missing out if you’re not leveraging the platform to advertise your business. Read on to find out why.

Is TikTok the Right Platform for You?

To understand whether TikTok is the right advertising channel for you, it’s important to take a closer look at the platform’s user base. The common assumption is that TikTok is for Gen Z’s, especially with younger creators like Charli D’Amelio and Addison Rae dominating the platform. If you look at the numbers, however, that assumption couldn’t be farther from the truth.

Two people looking at phone on the tableWhile Gen Z’s do make up the largest concentration of its users, you can see a good distribution of millennial, Gen X, and even boomer users. Here’s the actual age distribution of users on the platform according to Statista:

  • 25% of TikTok users are aged between 10 and 19, making them the largest age group.
  • 22.4% of TikTok users are aged between 20 and 29
  • 21.7% of users are aged between 30 and 39.
  • 20.3% of users are aged between 40 and 49.
  • Interestingly, 11% of its users are over 50 years of age.

These numbers prove that in terms of age demographics, TikTok is a highly diverse platform that boasts a good distribution of teenage and adult users.

On top of this, you can also find some of the most unlikely brands leveraging TikTok marketing. Even media companies like The Washington Post and ESPN are taking advantage of the platform to connect with their audience.

So as long as you get your approach right, your business too could benefit from TikTok marketing.

TikTok Advertising Best Practices and Tips

If you’ve decided to advertise your business on TikTok, here are a few best practices and tips to help you make a strong start:

1: Use High-Quality Videos

Video quality is of the utmost importance as it could be an indicator of your product quality and your brand’s reliability. TikTok recommends using at least 720P resolution as this could result in a 312% increase in conversion.

Man holding camera

2: Keep It Short and To-the-Point

Catering to the short attention spans of the TikTok user base, your TikTok advertising videos should get straight to the point. The optimal duration, according to TikTok, is between 21 and 34 seconds, which could increase your conversion by 280%.

3: Have a Clear CTA

Having a clear call-to-action (CTA) shows your target audience exactly what you want them to do, improving the chances of driving conversions. In fact, TikTok suggests that a clear CTA could result in a conversion lift of 152%.

4: Add a Text Overlay

On TikTok, you only have a split second to capture the attention of your target audience. So, although you have the option to add a caption in your ads, adding the text in your video is the best way to grab their attention within the first few seconds. Turn the most important part of your message into a text overlay that can instantly catch the eye before users have the chance to scroll away.

5: Include a Fitting Audio

The TikTok platform is highly focused on audio, with the ability to drive a 16% lift in impressions by adding audio of any kind. The right sounds like music or sound effects could help you boost the impact of your TikTok marketing efforts. Currently, TikTok only lets businesses use music in their royalty-free library, other royalty-free sounds, or user-created sounds and songs. However, some third-party platforms may let you better integrate commercially published, popular songs to your videos.

Two women recording a video on phone

6: Partner with Influential Creators

Influencers on TikTok have massive reach. Moreover, they have a highly engaged audience that looks to them for opinions, advice, and purchase inspiration. Partnering with influential creators in your advertising campaigns is a great way to amplify TikTok marketing for your business.

You could do Duets, Stitches, or even feature them in your advertising videos. This allows you to instantly reach their massive audience base and boost the impact of your ad campaigns.

Get Started with TikTok Marketing

TikTok can be an excellent marketing and advertising platform for most businesses. The key is to get your targeting right and create campaigns that will resonate with your target audience.

We hope you can use some of these handy tips to advertise with TikTok useful for getting your brand out into the world more quickly than ever. Comment below if you’ve found any useful tips that work for you or contact us today!