The social media of choice for teens and tweens with a reputation for silly, absurd, and sometimes outright dangerous viral challenges is attracting the attention of Madison Avenue.

Only 13% of Tik Tok users are between the ages of 35 and 54, so it’s not the choice for most scrolling adults, but businesses are increasingly taking note of Tik Tok’s potential for exposure to a younger demographic that is hard to reach through traditional means of advertising. Featuring short videos on any topic, it’s attention-grabbing.

A Nashville real estate agent posted a short video on Tik Tok of a ritzy property available and got more than 200,000 hits and more than 10,000 likes. It’s not just for kids anymore. 32% of Tik Tok users are 25-34, and there are 138 million active users in the U.S. monthly.

Social media uber-influencer Kalee Dionne Pair, CEO of a marketing firm called Paird’ Up, says Tik Tok can be effective for brands seeking to establish a relationship with emerging consumers. They may scroll quickly but they see a logo, and that’s the first step of a marketing campaign. “It is a marketing platform, but I wouldn’t necessarily expect it to generate a lot of leads or sales. It’s more of an advertisement where you’re getting brand awareness.”

Brand awareness is worth a lot, and increasingly Tik Tok is becoming a part of a marketing mix that can lead to sales. 90% of users visit the site more than once a day and spend 52 minutes checking out the latest trends.

The platform has 138 million active users in the U.S. per month, and if you’re selling pizza, or apartments, a 50-second video that grabs attention can lead to a lasting relationship. “You want to be in a space so somebody sees what your brand is,” Pair says. Show them something cool and entice them to a website and you may get the business.

Tik Tok was the most downloaded app in 2020.

photo: Getty Images

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