It may be hard to believe that anything could overtake Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter, but there鈥檚 a new kid on the social media block that is taking Gen Z by storm. TikTok is a music-based app that seems to have replaced Vine as the short-video app of the next generation.
What is TikTok?
TikTok is a short-form video social media app that allows users to sing, act, and lip-sync with added music, sound effects, and other sound bytes in a 15-second clip. According to their site, TikTok鈥檚 鈥渕ission is to empower and share the world’s imagination, knowledge, and moments that matter. The platform is a home for creative expression through videos that create a genuine, inspiring, and joyful experience.鈥
Along with uploading videos, TikTok users can also add their own sound effects, reply to other TikTok videos (which creates a split-screen view of both videos), and more–delivering on their mission of creativity and fun.
Market Growth of TikTok
This mission for fun has helped TikTok grow over the last 2+ years of global availability. TikTok is available in 150 markets and in 75 languages and has 500 million TikTok monthly active users.聽
According to venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins, using the app. In 鈥檚 list of top social media platforms, TikTok outperforms Twitter and Snapchat. After achieving these numbers in just ~3 total year of existence and ~2 years of global availability, all signs point to TikTok continuing to grow. All this means it has a huge reach for potential influencers and brands.
Influencer Marketing and TikTok
Because the platform is still fairly new, there are many popular TikTok creators who fall into the micro-influencer category (though there are definitely influencers on TikTok with millions of fans). For brands looking to brand into the short-form video app and utilize influencer marketing strategies, micro-influencers are an easy way to test the waters in new social media territory.
Just like micro-influencers who got popular on Vine, TikTok allows regular people to showcase their creativity and performance styles.
Popular micro-influencer creators range across many genres on TikTok including the following:
- @ is a fitness coach and garnered popularity as the 鈥淛ump Rope Mentor鈥
- @ is popular for her makeup transformations into celebrities, characters, and more.
- @ performs stunts and fitness exhibitions on this TikTok channel.
Brand Study: Guess #InMyDenim

Another way brands are reaching Gen Z on TikTok is through sponsored hashtag campaigns. 鈥淎s TikTok users open the app, they are directed to the #InMyDenim challenge that urges them to post videos with the hashtag鈥 according to .
Along with the promoted hashtag, Guess is utilizing influencer marketing with the support of popular TikTok content creators including @, a couple known for their colorful hair and fun videos, and @madison_willow, among others.鈥
Coca Cola #ShareaCoke

To revamp the #ShareaCoke campaign, Coca Cola replaced the names on cans and bottles with lyrics from popular songs. The perfect place to promote song-themed soda seemed to be TikTok–where users can lip-sync to 15-second clips of their favorite tunes.
This allowed Coca Cola to be a part of the creative process for TikTok creators and promote their rebranded bottles. 鈥淚n total, more than 900,000 videos from the target group were submitted with a combined range of 200 million views,鈥 according to .
Reach Gen Z on TikTok
While TikTok continues to grow globally, the are between 16-24 years old. that Generation Z comprises 32% of the world鈥檚 population, making it the largest generational grouping right now.聽
As such, Gen Z influences in family spending. It鈥檚 a generational cohort that will soon be breaking into the job market, increasing the amount available to invest in brands they stand behind, which is why it鈥檚 crucial that brands meet them where they currently are online and build relationships.
To learn more about new ways to use influencer marketing, or schedule a demo of 一品探花鈥檚 all-in-one influencer marketing platform.
Nancy Rothman
Latest posts by Nancy Rothman (see all)
- How Travel Brands Can Use Influencer Marketing to Stay Afloat as the Pandemic Continues - February 22, 2022
- Influencer Marketing Trends to Watch (And Prepare For) in 2022 - December 31, 2021
- A Guide: How to Recruit the Right Influencers for Your Brand - December 30, 2021