Where TikTok Is Headed

It’s only Tuesday when I’m writing this and Wednesday when you’re reading this, but it’s already been a big week for TikTok. One of Mark Zuckerberg’s most formidable competitors just announced its own partnership with Shopify for in-app shopping, unlocking an incredibly vast set of revenue opportunities for the creators that power the platform. Shopify merchants lucky enough to be included in the pilot program will be able to add shopping tabs to their profiles and link directly to products within their posts. Shopify’s 1.7 million merchants, which includes small “wantrepreneur” stores without sales and enterprise brands alike, will be able to tap into the two-thirds of TikTok users who’ve found themselves inspired to shop- according to an internal survey from TikTok.

Also within the last week, TikTok launched its own Sirius XM station (if you had that on your Bingo card for August, you’re cheating). This unorthodox move gives creators and the upstart artists that they feature in their videos a new channel to reach their audiences- and one typically reserved for those under a prominent label. No payolas are needed with TikTok radio- artists (and more importantly for marketing leaders like us, brands) can collaborate with creators directly and those that prove themselves capable of commanding the attention of the masses will find themselves receiving bonus coverage over satellite radio. TikTok doesn’t do much quantifiably head and shoulders above Facebook, but its relationship with the music industry and capability to propel artists’ careers is an advantage, at least for the time being.

What does this mean for TikTok in the long run? For brand and marketing leaders reconsidering resource allocation ahead of Q4, TikTok continues to make its case as a must-have channel. It’s not a simple one for brands to embrace, as it requires its own influencer strategy, creative for ads, and an additional platform for your paid traffic magician media buyer to manage. Brands that want to gain an upper-hand and close the year out on a high note need to start investing in the channel sooner than later, especially if they’re going to heed my advice from last week’s newsletter and get a jump start on their Q4 strategy.

I don’t think TikTok will ever overtake Tim Apple’s arch nemesis, but as ad spend continues to become increasingly splintered, it’s certainly a justifiable investment for most brands and marketers. And if you’re just skimming this newsletter as a B2B marketer looking for a great Dad Joke, I’ve got news for you: your audience is there, too. Some hashtag research will quickly identify influencers in your space that are leveraging TikTok to command the attention of your customers. In fact, I’ll go ahead and post one of my predictions for 2022 here before we even get through August: TikTok and its army of creators will be the trendy B2B ad spend play next year, and there won’t be a close second in terms of new dollars generated from B2B brands.

Trying to sort out if, when, and how to jump on the TikTok train? Connect with Fidelitas today and we’ll be happy to chat!