By Gbolahan Oyeponle
It’s no longer news that brands jump on trends, social engaging platforms, as well as identify with popular influencers, social media challenges etc in order to meet with their audience and prospect as a way to promote their product or services.
Marketers also increase their online presence because it essentially helps to drive brand awareness, traffic to a website, drive links which boost organic rankings and increase social following and engagements.
One of the latest social media marketing strategies being used by brands these days is TikTok.This is because of the number of people using the platform daily ,and most especially, the GenZ.
They use the platform to track audience insight and plan around them, create content that really resonates with those audiences and build quality relationships.
But when such a platform that gives brand the visibility they need to reach their audience is threatened by law suits, breach of contract and intellectual property theft how brands then navigate these challenges.
According to a report by MediaRadar, the overall ad spend by brands on TikTok in Q4 of 2023 was 43% higher than the total $805 million spent during the first quarter of 2023, surpassing the billion-dollar mark.
The top advertisers in 2023, according to the report, are Amazon.com, Apple, Comcast, DoorDash and Disney.
Cumulatively, these companies spent $284 million same last year.
The report also added that an average of 11,800 companies advertised on TikTok in 2023. With more than 13,000 advertisers on the video-sharing platform each month between May and August.
It could be recalled that in a statement by Community Guidelines Enforcement Report for the third quarter of 2023, TikTok announced the removal of over one million videos from the Nigerian TikTok community. The removals were as a result of violations of TikTok’s policies, including adult nudity, promotion of violent or illegal activities, and hateful behaviour, among others.
How TikTok possible ban may likely affect advertisers
According to a post by Wesley Stoskopf, Vice President, The Marketing Practice, in a LikedIn post highlighted the possible challenges that brands will face if and when TikTok is banned.
The post: “TikTok in the US would positively and negatively impact brands that advertise on the platform. While it could create opportunities for advertisers on other platforms and boost the overall digital advertising industry, it would also result in losing access to the coveted Gen Z demographic and unique advertising features.
Ultimately, whether the ban will come to fruition remains to be seen. Still, advertisers should be prepared for any scenario and have contingency plans to ensure they continue to reach their target audience.”
He said the ban will lead to loss of access to Gen Z, “One of the biggest draws of TikTok for advertisers is its massive audience of Gen Z users. With over 100 million monthly active users in the US alone, losing access to this demographic could be a significant blow for brands that rely on this group for their revenue.”
On the unique advertising feature that may be lost, Stoskopf said “TikTok is known for its unique advertising features, such as the ability to create branded hashtags and sponsored challenges. Losing these features could limit the creativity and impact of advertisers’ campaigns.
He further added that such a will decrease in engagement of brand and its GenZ audience: “Even if TikTok users move to other platforms, they may need to be more engaged on the app. This could result in lower engagement rates and reduced ROI for advertisers.”
