In general, the most popular social media apps haven’t changed over the years. The first major apps to gain extreme success were Facebook and YouTube. Following closely behind, Twitter and Instagram made a big splash. TikTok, skyrocketing in success particularly over the past year, has been the newest addition to the top of the social media ladder.
For brands looking to expand their audience and reach, social media has become the best way to connect with people. The use of ads to promote brands has been the main way businesses get noticed. TikTok is no different in that way from any of the other social media apps. However, the way ads are used varies slightly across every platform. Brands don’t even need to have an account on the app to run ads!
Not much is known about TikTok’s algorithm except that its For You page is the most used feature of the app. It shows users content from people they may not follow that aligns with content they’ve engaged with. In other words, it uses a predictive-based system to show people what TikTok thinks they want to see. Brands can use this to their advantage.
Cross-following across different social media apps has become less common. Individual users, even ones with a lot of popularity on one app, will likely not have the same amount of followers on the different apps they use. This can apply to brands as well. The good thing is that people who do follow users (or businesses) on more than one platform are dedicated, loyal fans.
When advertising on social media, namely TikTok, the algorithm can sometimes determine the price of an ad. Some users charge per view while others charge a flat rate. Of course, this can vary depending on the size of the user’s following.
For example, a basic pricing list might be something like this:
- Under 10,000: $50 to $250
- 10,001-50,000: $251 to $500
- 50,001-500,000: $501 to $3,000
- 500,001+: $3,001+
Unfortunately, that list may not work for TikTok. It’s better for an app such as Instagram, where predictability can help brands budget how much their ads can cost. On TikTok, videos can go viral quickly and lead to millions of views overnight. A brand paying for an ad per view could end up exceeding their budget exponentially!
The standard factors for advertising on a social media platform should also be considered. This includes things like what time the ad will appear, how many days or times the ad shows up, where exactly on the app an ad is, and the pricing details. Additionally, TikTok has a few different types of ads. These appear differently on the app—some even appearing as little as one specific ad a day!
In order to advertise on TikTok, even if a brand doesn’t have an account, they should still understand how the app functions. Knowing the age range of the user base, popular trends, and what kinds of things they generally watch are also good things to consider. The information gathered are what brands should tailor their ads toward to be successful in any type of advertising.
