According to the latest 2021 Global Digital Report, there are, currently more than 4.88 billion internet users worldwide, accounting for nearly 62% of the global population. The report also revealed that the number of smartphone users worldwide reached 5.29 billion in October last year, which is more than two-thirds of the current world’s population. These numbers indicate that online platforms can now be easily accessed through our fingertips. In addition to establishing a connection between two or more individuals, or individuals and businesses, it has also resulted in people all over the world being driven by the content around them, whether in terms of business or their daily lives.
The aftermath of the pandemic and the global lockdown from the past two years has resulted in a rapid growth of short video. The Wyzowl report indicates that by 2021, video clip has now become the primary form of marketing activity, with 86% of businesses using video as a marketing tool. 91% of marketers think that the pandemic has made video more significant to brands. Simultaneously, the entry into the mainstream digital era has made a big impact in the media landscape, with more ad spending being directed towards digital media, with global ad spending forecast to increase by about 66% at the end of the year when compared to last year. Global advertising spending on digital media this year is expected reach 60% (Ref: Data from zenithmedia).
The stats are in line with the rapid global growth in the past few years of the TikTok platform, where it currently has more than a billion monthly users globally. Today, TikTok has become a place of online contentment and linking people together. Ms. Sirinit Virayasiri, Head of Business Marketing, Global Business Solutions, TikTok revealed that “There are more than 240 million monthly TikTok users in Southeast Asia, which accounts for almost a quarter of worldwide users, as well as, in Thailand. We are constantly seeing increased user growth, both across a broader age group and diverse backgrounds. TikTok also held the No. 1 spot as the fastest growing platform over the past two years. One of the reasons is probably due to the Covid-19 pandemic which has affected the economy and the issues occurring around us, and thus, has compelled people into searching for happiness and comfort. To this effect, TikTok has become one of the popular online spaces where people come looking for entertainment and happiness in their daily lives. According to a recent survey, 7 out of 10 users use TikTok because they want to be happy, increase positive energy, and most of them also like it due to its creative and diverse content that cannot be found elsewhere. The clips are also produced from real-life narratives which makes it more accessible and realistic. More than 86% of users said that they use TikTok because they are looking for content that brings joy and entertainment. In addition, 85% said they have been able to discover new content or new genre, which is the result of the platform’s algorithm that help curate content to match the interests of each of its individual user. This has resulted in more than 50% of users saying that after viewing various content on TikTok, they would feel happier and more contended. From the data collected, we find that the most popular TikTok content in the past year was entertainment, lifestyle, and talent. What is also surprising are the home and gardening, family and children, tourism, education, and sports and games categories, which have seen rapid growth over the past two years.”
There is also an interesting piece of information for brands and businesses, in which 70% of TikTok users enjoy ad campaigns on TikTok, where they choose to watch the entire ad rather than swipe through. This can prove to be a great opportunity for brands and marketers to be able to create content that can connect and be aligned with the interests of various target groups. And even more so, it has not been something that exceeds expectations as more brands and businesses succeed in using TikTok to engage with their target audience. We see TikTok as a rapidly growing space of opportunity where brands are able to reach out to their target audience that is uniquely different from other platforms.”
TikTok itself has solutions to help brands achieve their marketing objectives, and responds to the needs of every brand, regardless of their size. Provided below, are highlights of a few solutions for 2022:
- Reach Solutions – Ad formats that blend in with the user’s feed page, helps to build awareness and reach audiences who are interested in their products and services. It consists of;
– Reach & Frequency, which can lock in on the CPM (cost per 1000 impressions), resulting in transparent and accurate ad impressions. Results are guaranteed.
– TopView, comparable to a TikTok biggest ad billboard, as users will see it during the first 3 seconds after it is displayed. The video are rendered in the same format as the video feeds. According to Nielson, 71% of users think that it is an attractive ad format. - Creative Solutions – Why ads on TikTok are interesting and well-liked, is due to the fact that they are fun and full of creativity. TikTok has designed solutions that meet the needs of businesses in terms of creating new ideas, which includes:
– TikTok Creator Marketplace, the official platform for brands or marketers, where they will be able to easily find creators that are suitable for the brand by themselves.
– Creative Center, a special tool to help assess which ads are performing efficiently at the moment. Users can also access case studies to search for inspirations and adapt their campaigns accordingly.
– New Innovative Ads Formats, new ad formats created by TikTok to meet the needs and respond to every communication with consumers, that includes Pop-Out Showcase, Gesture Ads, Super Like 2.0 and Spark Ads. - Commerce Solutions – Most TikTok users like to review products which can result in a purchase and word of mouth. It is an important opportunity for brands to create content that is fun and interesting and TikTok has solutions that are designed to close the sales. They include;
– Lead Gen Ads, designed for products that take time to sell, such as high-value items, or which have specific information. The Lead Gen Ads formats will assist towards building and growing your brand’s customers. It permits the users with the opportunity to provide information so that brands can contact back safely and smoothly.
– Collection Ads, help brands showcase their collection offerings based on the series of each product.
– Dynamic Showcase Ads, helps in promoting thousands of products in the form of videos that can be adapted to the interests and experiences of each individual. - Measurement Solutions – Assessment of success while creating a safer society for brands. These includes;
– Brand Lift Study, a survey to assess whether users have seen or never seen an ad, and how they feel about the brands, which will help brands understand the influence their ads have on TikTok users and influence its future orientation.
– TikTok Inventory Filter, a brand safety assistant, with machine learning technology that can help brands filter out the content they want their ads to show. Complies with world standards and the advertising industry.
For this year’s approach to creating appealing content, TikTok has shared these three interesting basic ideas, which include:
Be ‘flawsome’, derived from the word ‘Flaw’ and merged with ‘Awesome’, which is openly and confidently expressing the fragile or imperfect parts of the brand and searching for benefits from its weaknesses. Democratize Creativity or equal creativity. This is where brands can invite users to engage in content creation and share their stories on TikTok, even if it is only with their smartphone. And finally, Embrace Shoppertainment, a blend of content and commerce, in which brands can find the right customers from those who are interested in their content before turning from them from discovery to future customers.
“The four solutions mentioned above are just a part of our entire offerings. There are still a variety of interesting products that can meet business of all sizes requirement. We hope to be an integral part in helping marketers and brands in their planning and adjusting their strategies to better communicate with their consumers. I reiterate that TikTok is an online space that creates happiness for users and a good opportunity for brands to create good content and turn users into happy buyers. TikTok also has a wide range of products and solutions to support and cater to every business. We would like to encourage and confirm our readiness to be a part of helping every business succeed,” Sirinit concluded.
For additional information regarding TikTok For Business, go to https://www.tiktok.com/business/th
Source: Verve Public Relations Consultancy
