Marketing on TikTok

Separating Fact and Fiction About This Buzzy Short-Video App

Report by Debra Aho Williamson  | Oct 30, 2019
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Table of Contents
Executive Summary
TikTok in a Minute: Why It’s Getting All the Buzz
Who’s Using TikTok?
What Makes TikTok Tick as a Marketing Vehicle?
How Is Advertising on TikTok Evolving?
Advice and Best Practices for Using TikTok
Key Takeaways
eMarketer Interviews
Read Next
Sources
Media Gallery
About This Report
TikTok, the Chinese short-video app, is taking off in the US, India and elsewhere. It offers many unique marketing opportunities, such as the Hashtag Challenge, but marketers should take note of some risks.
Topics
Social Media Marketing
Worldwide
Table of Contents
Executive Summary
TikTok in a Minute: Why It’s Getting All the Buzz
Who’s Using TikTok?
What Makes TikTok Tick as a Marketing Vehicle?
How Is Advertising on TikTok Evolving?
Advice and Best Practices for Using TikTok
Key Takeaways
eMarketer Interviews
Read Next
Sources
Media Gallery

Executive Summary

There’s no question TikTok is enjoying a lot of buzz right now. But there are a lot of uncertainties about how many people use the short-video app, what advertisers can do with it, and what the opportunities and risks are.

How many people use TikTok and its Chinese version, Douyin?

TikTok and Douyin had 625 million smartphone monthly active users (MAUs) worldwide in August 2019, according to App Annie. A leaked pitch deck from TikTok puts the global user base even higher, however, at 800 million as of June 2019. The majority are in China, where Douyin had 500 million MAUs as of January.

Where is TikTok most popular?

India is the largest market, with 120 million MAUs in June 2019. The app is much smaller in the US, with 30 million MAUs in Q2 2019. It isn’t widely used in Europe or Latin America yet.

How are marketers using TikTok?

Businesses targeting the youth audience or that operate in the entertainment or consumer packaged goods (CPG) categories are the most active. Partnering with creators is a common activity. Some marketers have their own accounts, but the app’s unique tone and aesthetic make it challenging to develop appropriate content.

What ad formats are available on TikTok?

They include sponsored hashtag challenges, homepage takeovers and in-feed video ads. TikTok also has a third-party mobile ad network in some markets. Early advertisers have seen strong engagement from users, likely due to first-mover advantage.

What are the challenges and concerns for TikTok?

There are many, and they are wide-ranging. Because it is a Chinese-owned app, TikTok is facing questions about censorship and data privacy. Brand safety is another concern. And the app may struggle to keep users in the coming year if Instagram or Facebook start to offer similar features.

WHAT’S IN THIS REPORT? This report discusses the growth of TikTok around the world and what marketers should know about the Chinese-owned short-video app.

Which Social Media Platform Do US Teens Use Most Often? (% of respondents, Sep 2019)
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KEY STAT: In a September 2019 survey of US teens by YouGov, 2% said TikTok was the social platform they used most often.

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Exportable files for easy reading, analysis and sharing.

31charts

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19expert perspectives

Insights from industry and company leaders.

Table of Contents

  1. Executive Summary
  2. TikTok in a Minute: Why It’s Getting All the Buzz
  3. Who’s Using TikTok?
  4. What Makes TikTok Tick as a Marketing Vehicle?
  1. How Is Advertising on TikTok Evolving?
  2. Advice and Best Practices for Using TikTok
  3. Key Takeaways
  4. eMarketer Interviews
  1. Read Next
  2. Sources
  3. Media Gallery

Charts in This Report

Which Social Media Platform Do US Teens Use Most Often? (% of respondents, Sep 2019)TikTok Users Worldwide, by Region, Q2 2019 (% of internet users in each region)
Demographic Profile of TikTok Users Worldwide*, Q1 2019 (% of total)How Has the Behavior of TikTok Users in Japan Changed After Using TikTok? (% of respondents, June 2019)
TikTok Reach Among Internet Users in Japan, by Demographic, Aug 2019 (% of respondents in each group)Monthly Active Short-Form Video App Users in China, by App, June 2019 (millions)
Leading Social Media Platforms Among Social Media Users in Indonesia, Dec 2018 (% of respondents)US TikTok Mobile App Monthly Unique Visitors, Aug 2018-Aug 2019 (millions)
Top 10 US Mobile Social Media Apps, Ranked by Monthly Unique Visitors, Aug 2019 (millions)US Social Media Users, by Platform, July 2019 (% of population)
From What Social Media Platforms Do US Social Media Users Get News*? (% of respondents, July 2019)Which Social Media Platforms Do US Internet Users Use to Watch Digital Video? (% of respondents, March 2019)
Leading Social Media Platforms Among US Hispanics, Ranked by Unique Visitors, May 2019What Social Media Apps Do US Gen Z Internet Users Check on a Daily Basis? (% of respondents, Jan 2019)
Which Digital Platforms Do US Child/Teen Internet Users Use Weekly? (% of respondents, March 2019)Penetration of Select Social Networks Among US High School Student Internet Users, by Class Year, March 2019 (% of respondents)
Top 10 Mobile Social Media Apps in Canada, Ranked by Monthly Unique Visitors, Aug 2019 (millions)Average Monthly Time Spent on Select Mobile Social Media Apps in Canada, Aug 2019 (minutes per unique visitor)
Top 10 UK Mobile Social Media Apps, Ranked by Monthly Unique Visitors, Aug 2019 (millions)Average Monthly Time Spent with Select Mobile Social Media Apps in the UK, Aug 2019 (minutes per unique visitor)
Which Social Media Accounts Do Consumers in Ireland Own and Use Daily? (% of respondents, June 2019)Top 10 Apps Used by Child Internet Users in Ireland, June 2019 (% of respondents)
Which Social Media Platforms Do Smartphone Users in Germany Use on Their Smartphone? (% of respondents, May 2019)Which Digital Platforms Do Internet Users in Russia Use? (% of respondents, June 2019)
Select Social Media Platforms Visited by Multiplatform* Internet Users in Argentina, Brazil and Mexico, Ranked by Unique Visitors, July 2019 (millions)Average Monthly Time Spent on Select Social Media Sites Among Multiplatform* Social Media Users in Argentina, Brazil and Mexico, July 2019 (minutes per unique visitor)
Social Media Platform Usage Among US Social Media Marketers* vs. US Internet Users, Feb 2019 (% of respondents)Best Social Media Platform for Reaching Users Under Age 21 According to US* Agency/Brand Media Buyers, March 2019 (% of respondents)
Effectiveness of Select Digital Platforms' Audience Targeting Capabilities According to US* Agency/Brand Media Buyers, March 2019 (scale of 1-5**)Attitudes Toward Brands/Advertising Among TikTok Users Worldwide, Q2 2019 (% of TikTok users & index vs. internet users)
Leading Over-the-Top (OTT) Platform Monthly Unique Users in South Korea, July 2018 & July 2019 (millions and % change)

Interviewed for This Report

Emily Anthony
Merkle
Senior Director, Media Services
Interviewed September 19, 2019
Daryl Butler
Hewlett-Packard
Head of Marketing, US Consumer Personal Systems
Interviewed September 24, 2019
Dan Calladine
Carat Global
Head of Media Futures
Interviewed September 11, 2019
Liz Cole
Digitas North America
Vice President and Group Director, Social Strategy
Interviewed September 12, 2019
Alvin Foo
Reprise China
Managing Director
Interviewed September 16, 2019
Kory Marchisotto
e.l.f. Cosmetics
CMO
Interviewed October 3, 2019
Noah Mallin
Wavemaker US
Head of Content and Experience
Interviewed September 9, 2019
Simona Marmina
Mindshare
Senior Director, Paid Social
Interviewed September 12, 2019
Janica McCool
Hewlett-Packard
Region Lead, Americas Social Marketing
Interviewed September 24, 2019
Haley Paas
Carat USA
Senior Vice President, Head of Strategy and Insights
Interviewed September 10, 2019
Juhi Pikale
TechStyle Fashion Group
Senior Manager, Paid Social
Interviewed October 1, 2019
Caroline Smith
Seeker Media
General Manager, Chief Content Officer
Interviewed September 25, 2019
Casey Smith
Kroger
Social Media Manager, Influencer and Publisher Marketing
Interviewed September 26, 2019
Matt Steele
San Diego Zoo Global
Social Media Supervisor
Interviewed September 27, 2019
Arman Walia
Complex Networks
Director, Social Media
Interviewed September 18, 2019
Alex Weinstein
Grubhub
Senior Vice President, Growth Marketing
Interviewed September 20, 2019
Alysha Yuille
Carat USA
Vice President, Content
Interviewed September 10, 2019
Patrick Basler
Genius Media Group
Associate Social Editor
Interviewed October 16, 2019
Teresa Fardella
Genius Media Group
Head of Social Media
Interviewed September 16, 2019

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authors

Debra Aho Williamson

Contributors

Alina Brentnall
Researcher, Europe
Matteo Ceurvels
Research Analyst
Man-Chung Cheung
Research Analyst
Blake Droesch
Junior Analyst
Jasmine Enberg
Senior Analyst
Jeane Han
Senior Researcher
Jennifer Pearson
VP, Research
Chuck Rawlings
Senior Researcher
Yoram Wurmser
Principal Analyst