Many people wonder how the TikTok app succeeded, where several social media challengers failed. TikTok has become popular among younger users and its usage has surged during the lockdowns. Furthermore, the platform has given content creators and influencers a substantial profile. As the short-video-sharing platform receives increased attention from advertisers as well as government bodies across the globe, the question may arise how do users and brands actually use TikTok. To provide some possible answers, Globalwebindex conducted a survey in June among UK and US internet users and combined insights from the recent wave of its B2B dataset.
So, why people use TikTok? According to the survey, 60% of respondents said that they use TikTok to find funny or entertaining content, while 45% said that they use the platform to fill up their spare time. On the other hand, 28% of TikTok users from the United States and the United Kingdom use it for new ideas, and 24% visit the platform to learn how to do new things.
Many people also use the platform to express themselves with 28% and 11% visiting TikTok to express themselves, and to get famous, respectively. Interestingly, only 22% of people use the platform to stay in touch with what their friends are doing. In comparison, more than half (52%) of social media networkers in the United States and the United Kingdom use social media platforms to keep in touch with what their loved ones are doing. It is noteworthy that the direct messaging feature of TikTok is not front-and-center.
The users of TikTok regularly watch a string of suggested clips, and hashtag challenges as well as live-streams. Respondents to the survey were asked what they have done on the platform during the previous month, and 64% said that they watched a clip, while 27% and 26% said that they watched a hashtag challenge and a stream, respectively. On the other hand, 61%, 22%, and 21% responded that they liked a clip, used the ‘React’ feature of TikTok, and unfollowed a user on TikTok, respectively.
The coronavirus pandemic has resulted in increased usage of social media platforms, with 27% of Generation Z creating more clips during the coronavirus forced lockdowns. Despite people are creating more content, it seems that TikTok users are less likely to participate in challenges. According to the survey, 22% of TikTok visitors created a video, while 20% and 10% used a filter and participated in a hashtag challenge, respectively. Brands should consider committed content creators separately since they remain in the minority.
14% of TikTok users cite researching a product to purchase as an incentive for using the TikTok app, while 28% of social media networkers research products to purchase as an incentive for using social media sites in general. But it is important to note that TikTok users are over 80% more likely to click the ‘purchase’ button on a social media platform as a purchase driver as compared to other social media users in the United Kingdom and the United States.
The report also explains why brands use the TikTok app. Nearly 1.8 billion individuals have viewed a video on TikTok with the farm hashtag, and TikTok has been credited with connecting customers with farmers during the coronavirus lockdowns. Currently, nearly 1 in 10 knowledge employees are aware of their company or team having a TikTok account related to work. 34% professional use the platform to directly communicate with consumers, while 33% use TikTok to share general updates. Moreover, 26% of knowledge workers in their group claim that they use the TikTok for selling purposes.
TikTok has introduced several shopping features, and Levi’s is one of the first brands to integrate the ‘Shop Now’ button into their creator clips. The report published by globalwebindex also explains what brands need to know about marketing on TikTok’s platform. And while the continued presence of the TikTok app in the West is not guaranteed, it has introduced new ingredients to the social networking mix that are noteworthy.
Read next: Study reveals parents’ top concerns about social media
So, why people use TikTok? According to the survey, 60% of respondents said that they use TikTok to find funny or entertaining content, while 45% said that they use the platform to fill up their spare time. On the other hand, 28% of TikTok users from the United States and the United Kingdom use it for new ideas, and 24% visit the platform to learn how to do new things.
Many people also use the platform to express themselves with 28% and 11% visiting TikTok to express themselves, and to get famous, respectively. Interestingly, only 22% of people use the platform to stay in touch with what their friends are doing. In comparison, more than half (52%) of social media networkers in the United States and the United Kingdom use social media platforms to keep in touch with what their loved ones are doing. It is noteworthy that the direct messaging feature of TikTok is not front-and-center.
The users of TikTok regularly watch a string of suggested clips, and hashtag challenges as well as live-streams. Respondents to the survey were asked what they have done on the platform during the previous month, and 64% said that they watched a clip, while 27% and 26% said that they watched a hashtag challenge and a stream, respectively. On the other hand, 61%, 22%, and 21% responded that they liked a clip, used the ‘React’ feature of TikTok, and unfollowed a user on TikTok, respectively.
The coronavirus pandemic has resulted in increased usage of social media platforms, with 27% of Generation Z creating more clips during the coronavirus forced lockdowns. Despite people are creating more content, it seems that TikTok users are less likely to participate in challenges. According to the survey, 22% of TikTok visitors created a video, while 20% and 10% used a filter and participated in a hashtag challenge, respectively. Brands should consider committed content creators separately since they remain in the minority.
14% of TikTok users cite researching a product to purchase as an incentive for using the TikTok app, while 28% of social media networkers research products to purchase as an incentive for using social media sites in general. But it is important to note that TikTok users are over 80% more likely to click the ‘purchase’ button on a social media platform as a purchase driver as compared to other social media users in the United Kingdom and the United States.
The report also explains why brands use the TikTok app. Nearly 1.8 billion individuals have viewed a video on TikTok with the farm hashtag, and TikTok has been credited with connecting customers with farmers during the coronavirus lockdowns. Currently, nearly 1 in 10 knowledge employees are aware of their company or team having a TikTok account related to work. 34% professional use the platform to directly communicate with consumers, while 33% use TikTok to share general updates. Moreover, 26% of knowledge workers in their group claim that they use the TikTok for selling purposes.
TikTok has introduced several shopping features, and Levi’s is one of the first brands to integrate the ‘Shop Now’ button into their creator clips. The report published by globalwebindex also explains what brands need to know about marketing on TikTok’s platform. And while the continued presence of the TikTok app in the West is not guaranteed, it has introduced new ingredients to the social networking mix that are noteworthy.
Read next: Study reveals parents’ top concerns about social media
