TikTok isn’t just a social platform anymore. With 74% of Gen Zers on the internet using it for their searches, it’s becoming the place to find new products, travel recommendations, and anything trending. Using social media to find recommendations isn’t a novelty—that’s how influencers grew in fame, after all. However, the number of users who are moving their search from Google to TikTok is staggering. Research from Emarketer found that 51% of Gen Zers actually prefer TikTok’s search engine over Google because of the short-form video structure.
With TikTok rising as a go-to search engine, how will this reshape digital marketing strategies?
Is it Accurate or Is it Just Entertaining?
The TikTok algorithm feeds off of whatever viral content is trending at the moment. Naturally, whatever goes viral doesn’t have to be accurate. Influencers on TikTok aren’t always expected to show proof of their claims on TikTok because they expect a short-form video, so they can quickly move on to the next. Unfortunately, this means that all an influencer needs is a persuasive personality, and they can convince viewers to support their position even if there is no research behind it. In such a fast-paced environment, it is difficult to immediately identify what is real and what is just a passing fad.
What Does This Mean for Marketers?
Marketers familiar with TikTok know that humorous content tends to perform the best on this platform. But as more people come to TikTok looking for answers, it’s time for marketers to shift their strategy. Not only will they have to adapt to the casual tone and fast-paced structure of TikTok with trending sounds and challenges, but they will also have to focus on promoting accuracy. This can look like:
- Debunking myths
- Evidence-backed tutorials
- Behind-the-scenes
- How to avoid common mistakes
Finding the right balance between entertaining content and reliable information will be crucial for marketers to stay relevant while building lasting trust in an environment where virality reigns supreme.
The Death of the Website?
The User Experience
As users rely more on TikTok for discovery, traditional landing pages are losing their impact. Marketing strategies can include actionable content like newsletter sign-ups or new customer offers. But as users can now find answers (accurate or not) with a quick swipe on TikTok, they are less open to the idea of reading the blog post of a company they haven’t heard of yet.
Landing pages are usually a great tool to optimize the user experience through A/B testing and using a call to action (CTA). However, as marketers must rely on TikTok to move customers through the sales funnel, they lose control of how they can cater to their audience. With less freedom to tailor their format to users, marketers face losing potential conversions.
New Challenges with SEO and Organic Reach
On Google, SEO ranking is king, but one of the most important factors for a website’s ranking is traffic. If a brand experiences a drop in traffic as more users more to TikTok for information their ranking on Google could drop. And when its organic search ranking drops, there are suddenly very few opportunities for users to find the brand outside of social media platforms.
Marketers must confront the new digital landscape where control of SEO and customer journeys beyond social media is likely going to grow weaker.
Advice for Digital Marketers
As internet users continue to flock to TikTok for their search, marketers will have to rethink their digital strategies. Here are some ways brands can stay relevant in this ever-changing landscape:
- Find Your Influencers: Research influencers relevant to your industry and evaluate their credibility and trust from the audience. Collaborate with them to show your audience that you align with those values as well.
- An Interest Driver: TikTok is a great way to drive interest in new brands, offers, or product launches. Make your next product or offer easily accessible from your TikTok page.
- Convert with TikTok Shop: If you have a physical item to sell, look no further than TikTok Shop. As consumers can now shop straight from the app, your brand can streamline conversions.
The Future of Digital Marketing
The rise of TikTok as a search engine is turning traditional digital marketing strategies upside down. Users are increasingly bypassing websites and Google for quick, entertaining videos, and marketers must adapt quickly to stay relevant. Those who fail risk falling behind. But those who build a masterful TikTok strategy that takes advantage of this search engine will come out of this shift even stronger.
