Unless you've been living under a rock these days, you've undoubtedly heard about the fastest-growing social media app that's been taking the world by storm: TikTok.
TikTok is a video-centered social networking app that allows users to create short-form clips - from genres like dance, comedy, education, and more. TikTok has been one of the biggest disruptors in the music industry at the moment, with many new artists and creators coming into the mainstream thanks to the app's influence. In fact, we've even used TikTok at Live365: it's how we found Deza, one of our Emerging Artist Interview guests!
Because of TikTok's role in the music industry today, now is a great time to hop onto the app if you have an internet radio station. Not convinced TikTok is right for your brand? Here are 5 points that might change your mind.
1. It's Young and Powerful
TikTok is like the California Gold Rush of social media: it's a new, valuable discovery and everyone wants to be a part of it. Companies have even been opening up job positions centered around TikTok content creators. It's young yet powerful, and that's an exciting thing!
TikTok's audience is mostly comprised of teenagers and young adults and is heavily associated with Gen Z. For any internet radio station looking to target younger people as well as older adults, ignoring TikTok could mean missing out on significant traffic to your station.
If you feel like you may be "too old" for TikTok, here's some important data: according to AARP, more than 1 in 10 TikTok users are older adults, as of March 2021. While kids 10-19 make up a quarter of the platform, people 20-29 make up 22.4%, adults 30-39 make up 21.7%, and those aged 40-49 make up 20.3%!
While there isn't much data on TikTok users past 50, the platform is expected to reach older audiences as time progresses, just like Instagram did with its 35+ age group.
2. You Can Discover Great New Content
Like we mentioned in the intro, TikTok has been a blessing for the music industry. If you're looking for trendy new tracks to add to your radio station, TikTok is a great place to go hunting. The platform often impacts top chart lists due to its highly viral nature. All those fun dance challenges and remixes can really impact pop culture! If a song is playing all around TikTok, that's how you know it's popular.
In addition to mainstream music, if you're looking for new artists that are a bit more "underground" in the biz, TikTok's also got you covered. On TikTok, anyone in the world can create good content - so use it to find the next big thing!
3. There's a Good Potential to Trend
One reason why many are attracted to TikTok is because of its unique algorithm. Unlike other social media platforms such as Twitter or Instagram where it takes time to grow and cultivate an audience, you can go viral on TikTok in no time so long as your content is good.
The TikTok algorithm is a recommendation system that determines which videos will appear on your "For You" page. This means that people don't have to search for you to find your stuff: so long as you fit into a niche community or "vibe," people can randomly stumble upon your content!
So what does the magical algorithm mean for your radio station? It means that you can share anything related to your station - whether it be announcements, funny behind-the-scenes studio videos, or broadcasting tips - and have a fair chance of it being seen by a large audience. All you have to do is learn the app and use it well!
This leads us to our next point...
4. It's Easy Advertising
While TikTok may be powerful at the moment, the tone of the platform is actually very laidback. You don't need fancy lighting or production design for people to enjoy your videos. In fact, many people record popular TikToks right from their own bed!
That means there's no excuse for you not to use TikTok to advertise your station! You can either keep things simple with short announcements, make people laugh with a funny skit, or create eye-catching aesthetics inside a video that leave people curious. Get creative, and make use of those filters and sounds!
5. You Can Reach New Audiences on TikTok & Elsewhere
There's a high virality factor on TikTok, and that doesn't just go for videos within the app: it's also true for TikTok videos shared outside of the platform.
Plenty of people share TikTok videos on other platforms like Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, and even Facebook. This means two things for you. First, it means that once you've uploaded a TikTok video onto your page, it's perfectly acceptable to download your work and post it onto other social media sites for an extra boost in traffic. People enjoy TikTok videos, even when they're not on TikTok!
Second, the highly shareable nature of TikTok videos means that if someone really likes your work and spreads it somewhere else online, you have the opportunity to reach an even bigger audience than anticipated. Just think about all those people across the web who will see your videos! We'll say it one more time: if you're looking to potentially grow your radio station's audience quickly, Get. On. TikTok!
We'll be sharing more pieces related to TikTok and internet radio station marketing in the near future. For now, check out TikTok, and happy broadcasting!
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Article Image: A hand holds up an iPhone with the TikTok logo on a screen, isolated by a cyan background. (bloomua via DepositPhotos.)
