A-B-C-D-E, F-U… I love for infinity… I told you long ago…. bounce with it, drop with it, lean with it, rock with it, snap with it…

If you didn’t just sing these, it is about time to get in touch with the modern world and download TikTok!

The platform has quickly become the hottest social media app globally. What started as a ‘people’ heavy platform, has now crept into the branding and business world. Many small, medium and large businesses have found their feet on the platform and many of them have gone viral, changing the way they conduct their marketing activities to gain new customers and retain existing customers.

But does this mean you should invest in the growing platform, or do you stick to the good ol’ faithful – Facebook

Many will argue that Facebook is the way to go for businesses and brands wanting to reach a wide audience and engage with their customers. The question we have to ask with the new kid on the block is “Is this still the right approach?”

So which platform should you use? Which one reigns supreme?

Before we decide which platform wins the battle, let’s dive into what the differences between the two are:

Content

The main difference between the two platforms is the type of content that users post. TikTok is all about short-form videos, where users record or upload funny or educational videos. The types of videos are generally lip-syncing to either a voice-over or song, comedy skits, dances, or ‘fails’.

Whereas, Facebook has everything. Whether it is pictures, videos, blogs, articles, quizzes, funny posts, challenges, memes, you name it, Facebook has it.

Advertising

Facebook Ads are a really effective way for a more targeted approach as you can define the audience you are trying to reach based on a broad scope of demographics. These include aspects such as age, gender, location, education level as well as behavioural characteristics such as interests and hobbies. You are even able to be as detailed as their relationship status.

TikTok’s cost of advertising is much cheaper than that of Facebook and other social media platforms and while TikTok advertising also allows you to define your audience, it is not as in-depth as Facebook.

Audience and Market

In order to make the right decision on which platform to be present on, you need to understand your audience, which platforms appeal to them, and where they are most present. You also need to understand the types of content they are consuming. To understand which platform you should be present on, ask yourself:

Facebook has a very mature and broad audience which means that marketing on the platform is oversaturated with many different adverts from many different businesses. TikTok has a less mature, younger audience and is a newer platform, therefore there is less ad competition for brands, allowing them to stand out more.

Facebook reaches an audience predominantly between 25-55+, and according to an article by Sprout Social, “Despite the platform’s reputation as a seemingly “older” network, 26.4% of the platform’s user base is made up of millennials. That said, over one-third (36%) of Facebook’s audience are 45 or older.”

While TikTok users start from as young as 10 years old, the audience demographic starts to narrow out at users in their 40s

Source: Sprout Social https://sproutsocial.com/insights/facebook-stats-for-marketers/

Unpacking TikTok

While many people may think that TikTok is only for fun, young brands that have a young audience. It’s time to ‘Think again’. For example, a brand like Mercedes Benz that appeals to an older, more luxury market is investing in the platform and marketing effectively in the space. By marketing your brand on a platform like TikTok, you are also appealing to the aspirational market, who are just as important as your target market. They may not be able to buy your products right now but by being there while they grow up, you foster a relationship with them and get their buy-in from a young age so that when they have the means, they will be swiping their card with you.

The platform is suitable for most brands, it is what you do on the platform that changes based on your audience and brand. For example, you may want to do a professional video advert that catches your audience’s attention, or you may want to create a page for your brand with curated content, behind-the-scenes videos, and interact with your audience like you would on your own personal profile. The choice is yours.

If you want to go viral, TikTok is your place to do it. But how do you find the right strategy for your business?

You need to be authentic and consistent with your posts. Follow trends to keep an eye on what is going viral. Create content that suits your brand, whether it is tutorials, ‘people-focused; videos, or educational posts, it needs to speak your brand’s voice.

Unpacking Facebook

Facebook is has been around for years and has been tried and tested by many. It is an extremely versatile platform where you are able to create image-focused ads, video ads, carousel ads, or a mobile experience that fill your audience’s entire screen, really immersing them in your brand. Having the different advert types on the platform allows you to change your strategy from month to month and choose the right format for the message you are wanting to get across.

Remember, your most important task is to add value to your customers’ lives, don’t just post to post and carry this out through every platform you are present on.

So remember to understand your audience, choose your platforms carefully that you know will resonate with your audience most, absolutely kill it with your content and engagement on that one platform, but don’t neglect the other platforms you choose to be on, they are also important to keep your brand top of mind.