Influencer Orchestration Network™

TikTok Reigns Supreme

TikTok Reigns Supreme

2021 ended with TikTok reigning supreme once again as the most downloaded app across the globe for the second year in a row.

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2021 ended with TikTok reigning supreme once again as the most downloaded app across the globe for the second year in a row. With over a billion monthly users, TikTok users are now publishing 100 million TikToks a minute while opening the app 19 times a day for a total average of 89 minutes every day.

Our culture, music, food, and even shopping habits have now all been significantly altered with the platform’s unique consumption patterns which rely less on a follower graph (think: primary Facebook usage) and more on its powerful algorithm, the For You Page – ‘FYP’. You don’t need to follow a single friend or creator to be able to quickly burn through your 89 minutes a day with content uniquely catered to your interests.

#TikTokMadeMeBuyIt has become more than a hashtag. With users 1.7x more likely to purchase products discovered through the app, it’s become the future of shopping with over 8.1B views on the hashtag alone with thousands of users proclaiming their gratitude to the platform for introducing them to the latest gadgets, technology, and home goods. 

Of course, China has long been the significant market leader and trendsetter in pioneering social commerce. (In fact, China has nearly 10x the US in revenue driven by social commerce). So it’s no surprise that the Chinese owners of TikTok, Bytedance, have been aggressively bringing social commerce developments to the platform. 

In particular, Q4 was filled with significant developments with the announcement of a deeper partnership with Shopify alongside existing partnerships with Square, Ecwid, and PrestaShop while even running their own interactive live shopping event in the UK in December.

Whether in our Intel-owned channels, featured in branded content, or leveraging the creator’s pages directly, creators remain the most natural path to our audience on TikTok as their latest research study illuminated.

With branded content specifically, collaborating with creators drives increased ad efficiency with higher ad recall (+27%), higher view rates (+65% on 2-second view rate and +91% on 6-second view rates), and significantly higher engagement rate (+83%). Ad content made in collaboration with creators see even larger efficacy increases – +112% 2-second view rate, +193% 6-second view rate, and +93% engagement rate. 

In all, 62% of TikTok consumers believe that collaborating with creators is the best way for a brand to connect with consumers. 

Finally, I’ll leave you with this—my personal favorite TikTok creator, Jacob Soule @theplantprodigy (688k followers). For those that have seen my work from the home office, it’ll make sense to you. Jacob is a 19-year-old plant enthusiast from Kalamazoo, Michigan who brings such an enthusiastic light into my day with the best botany tips around. He also happens to be autistic. Stories like his highlight how the ease of content creation on TikTok has democratized and diversified who can become influential across all types of specialized niches and industries. 

Consider:

  • On a platform that favors raw authenticity, creators provide a highly efficient shortcut to our audience. How can we bridge the communities and maximize the use of creators to share our complex stories?
  • Within the tech communities specifically, established platforms like YouTube have evolved to generally favor those with funds and access to the latest technology. Essentially creating an unfair advantage for many new faces and voices. With TikTok easing the burden of content creation, we’re seeing increased diversity in potential partners. How can we continue to amplify these diverse voices in accordance with both (ION + Intel) of our DEI goals?

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