TikTok Newsletter 24
2020 review | How to use TikTok | Top Brand Campaigns | Frank Sinatra vs. Sylvester Stallone
Hi subscriber,
and welcome to a bunch of newbies here. You have subscribed to the weekly “Understanding TikTok” newsletter by me, Marcus. I have been working as a journalist & media trainer for Deutsche Welle. Currently i am doing research on TikTok for political communication and consulting media companies and others on how to use TikTok best. If you do have any questions do not hesitate to write a mail.
This week we talk about
🙋 2020 review
🐥 How to use TikTok
🍦Top Brand Campaigns
🕴️Frank Sinatra vs. Sylvester Stallone
🙋 2020 review
TikTok beats Facebook to become the most downloaded app worldwide in 2020, according to new data from App Annie (Social Media Today, December 9). TikTok will very likely surpass one billion users in 2021 but “has a long way to go before it's in a position to challenge Zuckerberg's massive social empire”.
I shared several TikTo 100 lists in last weeks newsletter. “Whether or not these were heavily curated is unclear — TikTok did not provide data to back up its claims regarding what makes a ‘top’ trend”, Rebecca Jennings reminds us and points to an interesting observation on monoculture.
If you have been active on TikTok this year, the app Retroplay offers a very easy way to come up with a “Spotify year in review”-like way to present your success story. Of course it can document your failure too. Either way. Keep on keeping on.
🐥 How to use TikTok
Thx to all who answered last week’s question: What is the biggest challenge you are facing with your account(s)? I will focus on one answer by Andreas: I have no idea how to use TikTok for my professional activities, but my feeling is i should adjust very quickly.
Indeed. Now is the right time to learn, get some TikTok literacy, try out things and grow. We have seen that with many new services and platforms before. Why should it be different this time, given the fact there are 800 M users already who spent comparable much time on the platform, including nearly 11 M users in Germany.
So how to use TikTok? This Forbes article 9 Ways To Decide If Marketing On TikTok Is Worth The Investment is quite useful, even if your goal is not only related to marketing.
Target Audience - Competitor Check - Rethink Communication Strategy
If your target audience is on TikTok now or likely to be there soon TikTok is the ideal place to learn more about the preferences of this group, what makes them tick. For journalists, politicians and institutions TikTok is an endless pool of topics, ideas and suited for a wholesome “reality check”.
If your competitors are there: Now is the perfect time to observe what they are doing. This can either inspire or warn you. I for instance have seen many social media agencies flocking to the app, trying out all sorts of things here.Curious to see the learning curve too.
TikTok forces you to rethink and adopt your communication strategy. It is not so much about glossy professionalism but about authenticity, realness (see newsletter 14) and trust. Something that is way harder to maintain. Especially when you are not familiar with the rules of the game. Due to the fact that these rules are under constant development you should Do It, Just Do It! And no worries - you do not necessarily need to dress up. See the examples.
5 examples on how to use TikTok for plumbers, politicians, TV anchors, shop owners and former stars in the advertisement industry
I personally love the way Jürgen Schwegler, a guy doing bathroom renovation, just started an account one week ago: 85,4K Likes.
Max Foster, a CNN anchor does a great job doing TikTok (6M Likes). It is important to say that while he might be a media professional the skillset on TikTok is totally different. Of course Max knows how to say a sentence or two into a camera but his TikTok performance shows a deep understanding of the platform.
German politician Ricarda Lang (Alliance 90/The Greens) started TikTok two weeks ago. I like her mixture of political content and the usage of memes and sounds that feel real and literate in the context of TikTok.
Oliver Voss has been a pretty successful guy in the ad-business so far. Just check the quotes and his vita over on LinkedIn. On TikTok everybody starts as a nobody. Oliver currently has 2488 followers and 4369 likes. Two weeks ago he started a series of videos sharing secrets of success. I love his self-confident and straight “speak-to-the-camera” approach.
I saw the account of Kailee DeSpain being covered here 41 TikTok Video Ideas For Small Businesses. The joy of seeing how a business packs orders
sometimes is enough for a very first content idea. You can take it from here...
Do you have other accounts that you like because they have found an innovative way to get attention, provide value, spark joy, hate or a discussion? Send them my way. Please. Thx!
🍦Top Brand Campaigns
Brands on TikTok have found a bunch of ways to draw users attention in 2020. TikTok’s clever slogan "Don't Make Ads, Make TikToks" (that are in fact ads but do not feel like ads that means) has surely helped.
Several times i found myself watching ads without noticing right at the start. While swiping through my daily dose of videos i for instance recognized a micro-influencer that i like only to find out that she was obviously promoting Amazon Prime. My natural reaction was not to freak out because i had been tricked but more like “cool move from Amazon Prime” to give her props, screen time (and of course money).
There are many many links, campaigns and ideas to check out directly on TikTok’s The Year on TikTok: Brands that inspired us. And if you have not yet seen it: Here are some best practices for different industries on a special website from TikTok.
You want more: Find my take on Celine vs. Gucci here, the worst company marketing decision this year here, here is a marketing deep dive, an ads use case here, learn more about the anti advertising advertising club here or for christ sake let me help you with an individual coaching offer here.
🕴️Frank Sinatra (Dead) vs. Sylvester Stallone (Old)
What do John Lennon, George Michael, Whitney Houston and Frank Sinatra have in common? They are dead. And they are on TikTok. “Though it might seem strange for so many late musicians to have TikTok accounts, the promotional practice isn't all that surprising”, writes the Independent. Indeed: TikTok is where the majority of Gen Z discovers music these days, and it only makes sense that record labels would capitalize on the opportunity to have them discover classic artists' music.
It probably started with Fleetwood Mac and Dreams. But it is an interesting phenomenon because pop from the 20st century might attract Gen Z but is of course attracting Gen Y, X and the Baby Boomers too.
To me it is a sign that TikTok, just like any other social media platform, is aging through in terms of users. While 41% of TikTok users are currently aged between 16 and 24 the army of 20, 30 and 40 year old plus a handful of grannies seems to be growing. While some users might ask who this old man next to Sistine Stallone is, this man might as well bring some new Boomers to the platform.
And if you know Sylvester Stallone or Kellyanne Conway or Tony Hawk but not their kids, welcome to the officially old club. Here is Old Man Steve for you. 82 alive and kicking, wearing a funny hat. That could be you or me or them one day.
That’s it. That’s the newsletter. For connoisseurs i add another link to a scraper for TikTok data by Benjamin Guinaudeau. If you come up with a crazy idea for that one please let me know.
Thx for reading. Thx for sharing.
Ciao,
Marcus.