Week 9 Part A: What is TikTok All About

 Oh gosh. TikTok. I know our personal thoughts on TikTok aren't the area of focus for this blog post but I do feel like it is important to examine before taking a position on if I would use it for business or not. TikTok is one of the things in my life I feel the most conflicted about! On one hand I was outraged when it was set to be banned because I feel like creators have taught many of us so many things we otherwise wouldn't have had the time or energy to research thoroughly. From mental health, to politics, to natural-looking makeup routines TikTok has truly changed my life for the better. On the other hand, I truly felt like the "saving" of TikTok was a ploy by the current administration to get the youth on their side. My instant reaction was to disengage with TikTok and utilize other social media platforms but then I had a moment of recognition that that may have been the goal all along? Why did I feel the call to pivot to Instagram and Facebook when Meta has been the problematic beast all along? Anywho...that is a small glimpse into my complicated feelings on TikTok before I begin discussing the potential business usage.

TikTok could absolutely be a great tool for my hypothetical business. It's extraordinarily user-friendly and rewards frequent posting. In the course lecture it is noted that TikTok  is new user friendly. TikTok is fantastic to create brand awareness. I would leverage location tags and TikTok friendly search terms to drive people to my page. As a frequent consumer of TikTok content I feel like I have a good handle on what is successful on the platform.

Taking this concept of being an informed consumer a step further...I think I could utilize popular audio and trends to gain visibility and generate organic user engagement. As a chronically online millennial, I am usually really aware of what pops off on TikTok. This reduces the mental load because it almost acts as an automatic template to generate content within. This could serve me well if I did not have a dedicated social media manager as I would easily be able to conceptualize what trends are most useful to capitalize on.

Another appealing aspect of using TikTok for business is it's cost-effectiveness for marketing. TikTok shop is so integrated into the user experience. It is such an easy jump from content to link clicking, far more so than Instagram and Facebook in my opinion. I think I could drive traffic effectively just using TikTok. Paid content is also much more apparent on TikTok and I feel like that levels the playing field for creators vs. imbedded Instagram brand deals.

Referring back to last week's subject matter, TikTok seems to reward authenticity and genuine personal content. It feels much more natural to create posts that align with a brand or creator's vision vs. constantly considering what looks aesthetic. Or really how a grid appears on a user's screen. TikTok is a masterclass in community building and discovery, a real asset when attempting to build a small business that focuses on personal interaction and health like A Life Worth Living.

Certainly using TikTok for business demands a certain degree of chronic onliness. You need to know the newest audios, trends, and what is most important to your specific audience. I feel like I could straddle the millenial/gen z/gen x interests effectively and gather viewers from a variety of community pools.