It was once an app reserved for teens, with a questionable reputation and an interface that adults would never fully understand. But, perhaps this year more than ever before, TikTok is the most talked about – and fastest growing – app; a titan in the world of social media. And, for brands in 2024, a potent opportunity. 

TikTok hasn’t lost its air of controversy – this year US Republicans led a push to ban the app in the States. But it’s also gaining positive traction, particularly in niche or specific communities. It’s now only just behind YouTube as the most popular place for young adults to discover books online; it’s fast becoming QVC for Gen Z as users continue to increase spending on products via TikTok shop. The app now has a reach of 1.218 billion users over 18 and – to throw in a slightly mind-bending stat – out of 5.3 billion internet users worldwide, 23% of us use TikTok. 

Remarkably, the app still ranks sixth in the race for most popular platform, falling behind Facebook, YouTube, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger and WeChat. But its rapid growth suggests this won’t be the case for long. Despite TikTok being brushed off as a non-starter by many upon its launch in 2016, by 2021 the team behind it were celebrating surpassing one billion monthly active users; a user base it took Facebook and WhatsApp almost a decade to build. 

In 2024 and beyond, TikTok’s reach is only set to widen. The number of active users in the UK alone is expected to reach 15 million, while US-based Inside Intelligence have declared that “Instagram is already in the rear-view mirror”. In terms of daily minutes spent on social media apps, TikTok has already surpassed Instagram and is on track to overtake Facebook by 2025, when US adults alone are predicted to spend more than 5 billion minutes on TikTok per day. 

For brands, clearly it’s a potential powerhouse. But what’s the secret to being a TikTok success story? And where are the stumbling blocks? Basically, what makes TikTok… tick? 

 

Authenticity is your biggest strength 

The app’s mantra – ‘don’t make ads, make TikToks’ – really does hold true. While traditional ads might see decent conversion rates on other apps, being seen and finding engagement on TikTok requires a slightly different way of thinking. Users are looking for content that fits into their world and seamlessly on to their For You Page, and that means sounding like a person, not an advertisement. 

Connection and loyalty will come through telling a story, or leaning into an unarticulated truth about the brand, and providing value to your audience rather than directly discussing products. 

 

When it feels right, get weird 

Some of the most successful brands on TikTok are a world away from what we might deem ‘acceptable’ in traditional advertising. Take the Duolingo owl, for example, a so-called sexual beak freak who has taken the world by storm, starting with TikTok. The larger than life character who first went viral after twerking and “thirsting after Dua Lipa” might seem like a huge risk for a global brand, and wholly unrelated to a language-learning app. 

However, Duo, the brainchild of 24-year-old Zaria Parvez, Duolingo’s Global Social Media Manager, works because the brand listened to its audience. For a while Duolingo users had joked about the sinister owl, demanding they continue to learn, and instead of seeing this as a negative brand attribute, Parvez leaned in and augmented the idea until it became somewhat… surreal. 

In TikTok’s 2024 future report, the app cited ‘Creative Bravery’ as an overarching trend, adding that brands who will see most success will “regularly pique global curiosities, flip traditional story arcs and deepen trust with their audiences”. 

When it comes to TikTok, digging down and listening to what a brand really means to an audience can often be more successful than trying convince them otherwise. Spending more time on strategy and finding a bit of courage to push the boundaries every now and again could just work wonders. 

 

TikTok trends can be tricky 

The upside to trends on TikTok is obvious: when they take off, they really go far. The potential audience reach from taking part in a simple TikTok challenge or meme creation is undoubtedly huge, and something that brands can’t – and shouldn’t – ignore. 

However, the downfall comes when there’s no clear reason for a brand to participate. Without a unique angle or funny take, brands can appear to be jumping on a bandwagon; a big turn off for many TikTok users. 

 

Don’t be too slick, but mind your language 

Just as overselling can be off-putting, on TikTok anything too polished will feel out of place on the platform. Think of it as “no make-up make-up” for brands. On the whole, successful posts feel spontaneous (even if they’re not), and have been kept well away from post-production. 

However, paying a bit more attention to your captions and hashtags is essential. SEO within the app should be studied and adhered to with one exception: as ever on the platform authenticity is paramount, even when it comes to SEO.