Social media has become a worldwide influence and people from all over the world can be reached.  Social media is used by almost everyone whether it’s for marketing, business profiles, or just sharing photos with friends and family. TikTok has taken the world by storm and is growing in numbers every day, but to compete with this video-sharing app Instagram has added the Reels feature to its platform. But which platform is best for electronics retailers to promote? Well, that depends on what product you’re trying to sell and your target audience.
While TikTok has recently gained followers these past few years, Instagram has been around since 2010 and people have gotten used to its format. Instagram has 1.45 billion active users as of April 2022, which is more than TikToks 1 billion active users, and posting on the social app can reach new potential clients. But Instagram Reels isn’t the same as TikTok because it has a different algorithm and if a video is a repost with the TikTok watermark, the video will be deprioritized. Instagram also shared that low-quality or blurry videos won’t get much reach and have fewer views than other videos. This is to prevent creators from cross promoting the same footage on their platform and to make sure quality videos are uploaded. While this makes sense because Instagram is trying to compete with TikTok, it puts more work and strain on content creators. Not all Instagram users have 4K cameras to use to film their content. When businesses are trying to create Reels to promote their product, they should record with a phone with high camera quality. Thankfully Instagram doesn’t leave creators to guess what videos are good enough for Reels and it provides a video on how to use reels properly. Another helpful feature that Reels has is that it will notify users when specific audio is trending on the app. This gives retailers insight into what audio and trends could be going around.
One recent feature that was added to Reels was product tagging and shopping. This gives the video maker the ability to tag the products that are shown in the video so customers can purchase them directly. Retailers can use this feature to show consumers how to use their product properly and consumers can purchase the product instantly without having to click multiple links. Having the convenience of quick shopping on social media can help increase sales, but that’s not the only way to increase sales and product awareness. Advertising on Instagram can be very helpful for retailers trying to spread awareness about their brand and reach a certain demographic. According to Hootsuite, Instagram’s age demographic of their audience is between the range of 18-24 years old (30.1%) and 25-34 years old (31.5%). In conclusion, Gen Z is still the main demographic on Instagram so if you’re trying to reach an older audience Instagram might not be the best choice for you to advertise on. Â
When advertising on TikTok, the main audience demographic is younger than on Instagram. Even though TikTok now has over 138 million active users in the U.S. According to data on Wallaroommedia, ages 10-19 make up the largest percentage at 32.5% of U.S.-based TikTok users, and coming in second is users aged 20-29 at 29.5%. This means that items like smart appliances are not the best to advertise on the platform since the main audience is younger and might not be able to afford the newest model. When working with a younger audience, products like smartphone accessories, gaming products, toys, or fun gadgets are more likely to make more sales on the platform. In 2021, TikTok made 4.6 billion dollars in revenue, according to the BusinessofApps website. Depending on the product, retailers can use TikTok to increase online sales. There are a few downsides to using TikTok for your business and that is caused by the recent changes to the business accounts.
Before creators could post a link to their website on their TikTok biography when using a business account, but now TikTok requires a business account to have at least 1,000 followers. This recent update does put a hindrance on newer companies trying to get more customers because now users have to leave the app to find the website. A way to work around this is to direct traffic to an Instagram page and they can follow the link from there. Another problem with TikTok is once you have a business account if certain trending audio is used from a musical artist the sound is unavailable to business profiles. Now businesses have to choose loyalty-free audio that isn’t as popular or uses their voice as a narrative. But don’t write off TikTok just yet because companies have gained immense recognition on the video-sharing app because they create unique and entertaining content. Companies like Duolingo have grown in popularity and awareness because they made funny videos that caught millions of users’ attention.
One important detail about TikTok is that content is consumed quickly. When creating a TikTok, retailers need to get to the point as quickly as possible because people will scroll before you can even get a word out. Retailers must make sure that their videos are fun, have good quality, and are straight to the point. Another way to increase your audience’s reach on TikTok is to use hashtags that are trending or relevant to a certain subculture on TikTok. For example, a person who dedicates their page to fitness or health would use the hashtags, #fittok or #healthtok. This health algorithm shows your video to an audience that actively searches for that tag or is a part of that subculture community on TikTok.
The TikTok algorithm has some similarities compared to Instagram because videos do well based on content interaction. The more people that like, comment, or share your video the more success it will have. To increase interactions and your page’s reach, TikTok suggests switching to a pro account because then you can view insights and analytics on your videos. This information can guide you on how to develop your strategy on what times to post and who your audience is. If you still need more help in reaching your audience TikTok has a business page that gives tips and tricks for people who try to advertise through their page.
Both TikTok and Reels possess valuable resources when it comes to advertising on social media, but the best way for retailers trying to create a social presence is to find their main audience’s age demographic. For those who want to go more in-depth about their product, Reels is best because Instagram users consume content slower. The TikTok algorithm is still a bit of a mystery, but as long as retailers are posting content when their followers are most active, are using hashtags related to their subculture, and making fun, creative content, their page will attract attention. As long as you know who your main audience is, using social media to gain sales or recognition can be beneficial to the future growth of your company.
