Do you use TikTok? If so, you are a part of a community of 1.5 billion monthly users around the world!
TikTok was launched in 2016 by Chinese tech company Bytedance. In 2017 TikTok went global and has since grown to become one of the most popular social media apps in the world. Downloaded more than 3.5 billion times since launch, the app regularly garners 500 million additional downloads each quarter, and was the most downloaded app of 2022!
TikTok may have started with a young audience of teens, but it is far from being just a teen app. In the U.S., the age range of 25-34 year-olds accounts for nearly 25% of its users, an important demographic for brands and advertisers. And, 18% of all Internet users use TikTok. TikTok is available in 154 countries and 90% of its users access the app daily.
TikTok is so valuable to brands that many companies are now hiring TikTok ‘interns’ to help them reach users. Job sites have listings for “TikTok content creators.” These creators are being asked to both make and appear in videos promoting various products and retailers. Companies hiring this expertise include Claire’s, Whole Foods, Travel Pro, and even Rosedale Mall located in Roseville, Minn. Brands are hiring college students and other young people to help them successfully navigate TikTok, and create an impactful campaign.
What will you create?
Group Activities and Discussion Questions:
- Show TikTok in class: https://www.tiktok.com/
- You could also show a specific company/brand. (Ex: Fenty Beauty: https://www.tiktok.com/@fentybeauty )
- Poll students: How do they use it? When? How long? How influential is it on their behavior?
- Have students uploaded their own videos? If so, show several of their videos in class.
- Divide students into teams. Have each team select a brand/company and analyze the company’s TikTok campaigns.
- Make sure students first identify the target market including demographics, psychographics, behaviors, values, etc.
- [Additional assignment: Have each team create an original TikTok video for a product or company they would like to work at.]
- Show TikTok’s career site: https://careers.tiktok.com/campus/project/internships
Source: Maheshwari, S. (14 February 2023). Wanted: Interns who can make TikTok hits. New York Times.
