TikTok has quickly become the world’s fastest growing social media platform in the U.S. and beyond. Between 2021 and 2024, the app’s user base has more than quadrupled, and it is projected to reach over 2.25 billion users within the next three years. This explosive growth underscores the importance of considering TikTok as a powerful advertising tool for your business.

As of June 26th, CMOco is very excited to now offer TikTok advertising options for our clients. If you haven’t yet explored TikTok advertising, now is the time to tap into its vast potential and connect strategically with a large, highly engaged audience.

TikTok’s Reach

Unlike some other social media platforms, TikTok reaches a wide, diverse user base. The app can target niche groups effectively while also appealing to the masses, making it a powerful targeted advertising platform. According to a Marketing Dive Study, approximately 58% of TikTok users regularly discover new brands and products on the platform, highlighting its potential to connect your business with a significant number of new customers.

Here’s an average breakdown of the primary age groups that constitute TikTok’s most engaged user groups:

Age 18-24:  36.2%     

Age 25-34:  33.9%     

Age 35-44:  15.8%       

Age 45-54:  7.9%    

Age 55+:  6.2%

 As you can see, TikTok touts a broad range of user age groups, and not just younger generations. However, the platform does best with the 18-24 and 25-34 age demographic before declining significantly with ages 35+. The average TikTok user spends 95 minutes per day on the app, broken out by gender to be 60% female/40% male. In addition to its extensive reach and demographic diversity, TikTok offers a variety of innovative advertising and shopping options, providing numerous opportunities to engage with your target audience creatively.

TikTok Advertising Advantages

TikTok offers several ad formats capable of handling everything from B2B ads to advanced targeting retail campaigns. The most common and effective format is the “in-feed video ad.” These ads generate substantial reach by appearing seamlessly in users’ feeds as they swipe through the app, and they are generally affordable. Also available are Carousel Display Ads utilizing up to 10 different images. 

TikTok also provides advanced targeting tools to reach your desired audience. The platform has numerous sub-communities centered around fashion, makeup, cooking, interior design, vehicles, sports and much more. This diversity allows you to tailor your ads to audiences with specific interests while maximizing engagement and effectiveness.

Targeting options can include geo targets, category targeting, hashtag targeting or retargeting. With category targeting, TikTok shows ads to users based on information they’ve provided themselves, along with their viewing and posting habits.

Hashtag targeting is unique to TikTok. This targeting method helps match up ads with users who watch or interacted with TikTok videos with certain hashtags. Hashtag targeting is only available however via TikTok video ads.

TikTok’s advertising effectiveness is significantly amplified when leveraging influencer marketing. TikTok’s algorithm is designed to promote content that resonates with users, increasing the chances of influencer-led campaigns going viral. Influencers can create engaging, creative content that captures the attention of millions, exponentially boosting a brand’s visibility. Influencers on TikTok have cultivated highly engaged followings, often within specific niches, making them powerful partners for brands looking to reach targeted audiences. Nielsen Research shows that 71% of shoppers are likely to buy a product promoted by an influencer they trust.

Keeping Your Brand Trendy with TikTok

TikTok offers a great opportunity to promote your brand via subject matter that is already trending among the platform’s users. TikTok is known for its rapidly changing trends, from viral challenges and dance routines to popular sounds and hashtags. Brands can capitalize on these trends by creating content that aligns with what is currently popular among users. This can significantly boost visibility and engagement, as content that resonates with existing trends is more likely to be discovered and shared. This approach to TikTok advertising is also very effective when trying to promote your brand to younger generations as they are often the people driving these rapidly changing trends and challenges.

Ultimately TikTok is still a relatively new social media platform and is rapidly developing and changing by the minute. That being said, it is never too late to start getting your business in on the action. At CMOco, we can show you how TikTok’s trends, fads and influencers can help promote and grow your business when planned and executed effectively.