When you teach and consult in social media, there is always something new and fun to discuss with your students, colleagues, and clients. This is one of the really cool things to consider when working in this field – you are always learning, experimenting around with new things and platforms, and being able to share your insights with others.
One of the things I have enjoyed always doing is learning about new platforms that are emerging and coming to the forefront of our industry. We have seen somewhat of an established presence already setting in with the major platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, and others. We also have seen platforms like Snapchat become the new kid on the block, and having brands flock to it to engage with the younger generation of audiences.
Now, there is a new kid on the block that is making an impact on the social scene, and they have been here for a while now. I am talking about TikTok, and how this platform has become integrated with the younger generation of audiences to create a wide range of videos, host challenges, do duets, and use it for interesting purposes.
Why should we as professors and professionals take note of TikTok as a platform to cover?
We may not necessarily be on it, but some of our key audiences are. In social media, we always say we have to go where our audiences are, and determine if it is an appropriate venue for us to participate and engage with users there. It is hard to ignore the amount of users, downloads, and videos that are being created here on this one platform. Here’s a link to some interesting statistics that may be good to explore and note here.
TikTok Influencers are somewhat different from traditional social media influencers. Think of the days of Vine, the short video platform that was bought by Twitter a while ago. These individuals were super creative with their videos, music, and other features in a short amount of time. We have seen some creative works here from those who have cultivated an audience here on this platform, and have been able to capitalize it. However, what is interesting here about TikTok influencers is they usually are either promoting their other channels (ex. Instagram or YouTube) or making sure they have a designated place for their personal brand hub (ex. website). This is key – because TikTok is popular today, it does not mean it always will be. We are still talking about rented space here for a community, so it is key to have a place where you still are able to host your personal brand, and cultivate a community. TikTok influencers are indeed changing some aspects of the influencer marketing game.
As TikTok grows, brands follow. We have seen already lots of brands emerge here to be part of the conversation – like they did for other new platforms like Vine and Snapchat. It all depends on whether or not it is relevant for the community, brand, and if they are able to participate in the conversation authentically. It is a tricky balance here for brands to follow, and we are already seeing some sponsored content emerge. TikTok may want to take a page of how this impacted Snapchat, and what happened next.
Creativity in how audiences are using it is pretty amazing. For example, did you see the how Chrissy Marshall was using it to get people to learn sign language? How about a university like the University of Florida implementing a strategy for brand recruitment and talent culture for potential students? Even the NFL has jumped and announced a multiyear partnership with TikTok. NBA had had a strong presence there for a while now as well.
So, you may be asking yourself – what are some ways we can integrate TikTok into our classes? Is there an assignment we can use to teach students about TikTok? Well, here are some general ideas to consider and think about:
Create an account and strategy around it. I’ve talked to my students in my classes, and many of them have an account, but they do not create content. I’ve seen this happen in other platforms as well like Vine and Snapchat – people like to consume content, but they do not feel comfortable with.
However, like all things, they may be asked in a future internship and job to experiment, educate, and train others on a platform they may not be familiar with. This is the thing that is so great about working and teaching in social media – you are always learning new things!
Not only could they explore how to use it themselves, but see how others could as well such as their own university (look at University of Florida for inspiration), and see if it is sustainable, or aligned with the current brand voice and presence already established.
Analyzing a challenge or song that is emerging or trending. In order to evaluate the impact of the platform, it may be a good idea for students to evaluate what is trending, why it is trending, and what are some recommendations they could see brands and others do in response to these trends.
Case study analysis. Case studies are always good to see what worked, what didn’t and what can be improved on. There are already some good case studies of how others were able to use TikTok for good, which you can check out here. Plus, for each case, you can see the videos that were created in response to a particular campaign, such as Create for a Cause.
Creating ads. Yes, there is a resource here for TikTok to create an ad – which can be located here. We have seen assignments for Facebook ads or creating video ads for YouTube, but it may be interesting to change the pace here and create a mockup or in the case of a client where their audience is on TikTok – setting up a budget to do a TikTok ad. This may generate some interest amongst future employers and internship supervisors.
Showcase final projects. If you look at the assignments tag on TikTok, you are able to see already how TikTok users have shared their final projects and what they have done for classes. While most of these are international examples, it may be interesting to have the students create a short video showing their final project for the class.
I will be back in the classroom next semester teaching social media, and I know with the clients I am working with in my classes, they would be interested in pursuing this at this moment. In case you are looking for more resources about TikTok, here are some I’d recommend sharing and getting started with:
- HubSpot’s Guide to TikTok
- What is TikTok (Hootsuite)
- Your guide in using TikTok (Verge)
- AdWeek – if TikTok should be part of your video strategy
Hope you all are having a great day!
Best Wishes,
