A lot has changed for TikTok over the past year. It’s the world’s fastest growing social media platform and the world has taken notice. In this article we’re going to talk about what’s new, what’s changed, and what you need to know when it comes to TikTok for business in 2022.
How we got here
In the world of social media, we’re at a specific and interesting time in the way people consume content on the internet. For the past 2 decades, we’ve watched the individualism of MySpace morph into the sharing world of Facebook. And we’ve seen the short form world of Twitter vs the photo and video world of Instagram.
But now we have entered a new realm of short-form video on mobile phones, thanks to the advent of “stories” (shout out to Snapchat for coming up with the idea). Since that time, everyone has copied the format of short videos- even YouTube.
However, no company has done it more successfully than TikTok. Simple, scrollable, and sharable, these bite-sized videos lean in to the short attention spans of most modern consumers. On top of that, they intuitively encourage users to creatively make content for the platform.
The result: the fastest growth on a social media platform we have ever seen. So that brings us to where we are now.
What’s new
With all of its exponential growth, TikTok has been hard at work and continuing to build out its platform. This includes some of its latest initiatives and features for individual users and for businesses.
TikTok’s business team is going full force into e-commerce and landing pages. Yes, you read that right. After connecting with online shopping stores in 2021, business users and advertisers now have the opportunity to create landing pages within the TikTok ads ecosystem.
This means that entrepreneurs and sellers can create content and ads on the platform and, if users want more information or want to make a purchase, they can tap into a custom page hosted by TikTok. No website needed anymore.
Of course, you can still advertise and connect an existing website to showcase your direct to consumer products with ease. But the options of where a user lands are expanding.
What’s changed
Since its introduction, business profiles on TikTok have had the ability to showcase a clickable link to a website right at the top of their profile. But TikTok says they changed the rules on that as of January 20, 2022 – as any newly onboarded business profiles would either need to amass 1,000 followers to unlock the website url or complete a business registration form with the app.
Meanwhile, major brands have said “all aboard” the TikTok train and can now be found all over the app – but most notably in the comments. If a TikTok video was the latest stage production at your city’s theatre, the comments section would be the cocktail party outside in the lobby afterward.
It’s here in the comments that people — and now brands are striving to leave their best zingers and comical remarks on recent videos. This phenomenon hit new heights after creator Emily Zugay shared her take on prominent logos from CPG brands and others.
TikTok for business
TikTok offers an abundance of exposure to people and businesses who want to create content on the platform. It’s arguably the greatest arbitrage of attention that exists in 2022. The popularity is here to stay but the amount of exposure given to videos will not always be as plentiful as it is currently being experienced.
For any business that wishes to grow in the next few years, TikTok is one of the primary social media avenues that should be considered when looking at reach and customer acquisition.
It has been further established that there is no longer just one audience type or content type on TikTok, as creators and viewers from every generation have joined the platform.
Outside of organic reach, the TikTok ads platform offers choices and options that many other social outlets do not provide, and the cost to put ads in front of people is as rock bottom as it gets. That’s a price that will only rise as the months and years pass (oh hey, Instagram).
Final thoughts
TikTok is continually changing and the updates are for each person to either utilize or push to the side. In this author’s opinion, it’s a foregone conclusion. If you represent a business or a brand, those of you who take advantage of TikTok during these early years (yes, it’s still early) will reap the benefits of attention, customer acquisition, and ultimately sales for years to come.
The question becomes: are you willing to put in the work to succeed? Share your thoughts on TikTok for business in the comments.
