TikTok was the most downloaded app in the world in 2020, and it’s expected to surpass 1 billion monthly active users in 2021. Even with this massive audience, though, there are surprisingly few brands on TikTok. We looked at 3,600 of the top companies in the UnitedStates, and we found that less than 400 of them had TikTok accounts .

Why? Most marketers are still somewhat not sure what to know about TikTok and how to use it. On top of that, the list of myths and misconceptions about this platform is never-ending. To help curb some of this confusion, here are five misconceptions we commonly hear about TikTok marketing:

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1. “TikTok is for kids.” Brands mistakenly assume they won’t be able to reach their target demographic on TikTok because it’s just an app for teenagers. In reality, more than half of TikTok’s users are older than 25, and 37% have an annual household income of more than $100,000.These are people who own houses, have jobs, and possess tremendous spending power.

2. “TikTok is too silly for our brand.” TikTok is known for being a lighthearted platform full of comedy skits and dance challenges. However, the app’s users are also interested in more serious topics, such as self-help and self-improvement; the #learnontiktok and #education hashtags each have billions of views. Marketers who leverage these trends can see real results. 

3. “We can recycle ourInstagram content on TikTok.” Instagram and TikTok might seem like similar platforms, but they require distinct marketing strategies. On TikTok, the size of a company’s following has little to do with its potential reach. Instead, the TikTok algorithm prioritizes high-quality, engaging content that is tailored to the app. Marketers should approach this platform with a fresh blueprint and post only native content.

 4. “We only need to work with a few influencers on TikTok.” Influencer marketing on TikTok is a great way to build brand awareness, but only if it’s done correctly. Some brands believe they only need to work with anywhere from four to 10 influencers on TikTok, but they would be much better off working with 40 to 100. A mass activation would allow them to feed more content into the TikTok algorithm and better assess what works for their brand.

 5. “We will see immediate results on TikTok.” Because TikTok is based on a machine-learning algorithm, marketers must commit to playing the long game on this platform. They can’t just dream up a brand persona and expect it to drive ROI right out of the gate. Marketers must test out new approaches, gather insights, optimize their strategies, and scale their campaigns over time using empirical data — which is precisely what we do at Popcorn Growth.

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Opportunities for brands on TikTok are endless, and marketers are starting to take notice. According to our survey of CMOs, 72% of brands plan to increase their marketing spend on the platform. That said, time is of the essence. Brands that launch their presence on TikTok now will establish channel leadership and stay ahead of the marketing curve, so get started today!

Click here to learn how Popcorn Growth can help your brand succeed through data-driven marketing on TikTok.

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