Do You Speak TikTok? Content, Tone, and Style of the Social Network You'll Never Leave

As I already mentioned in the Runroom LAB we dedicated to TikTok, for a while I was a skeptic of this platform; I thought it was a passing fad and would remain something among youngsters that wouldn't amount to anything. Of course, I was wrong, and at least I've realized I'll never make a living as a fortune teller. Today, there is no room for TikTok skepticism, and if you're a brand reading this at the beginning of 2023, you should already be on it or studying the best way to enter, that is, understanding TikTok's personality and language to adapt it to yours. Next, I offer you a journey into the kitchens of this app to discover what's cooking in them.

Much More Than Dances; Topics and Trends

As a late millennial, I also made jokes about TikTok dances, I won't deny it, but luckily I overcame my prejudices and upon entering, I discovered there are contents on countless topics: recipes, nutrition, fitness, education, news, crafts, parenting, health, makeup, cleaning, books... You can literally find content on anything you search for, and you're sure to come across videos on topics you never imagined. Here are some examples of random content from a churro maker, a pharmacist and a guy who analyzes electricity bills.

On TikTok, there's room for subcultures, for very specific niches where people with the same tastes and interests come together under hashtags like these: #booktok, #cleantok, #nutritok, #musictok, #emotok, #vintagetok, etc.

The most curious thing is that despite this personalization and these very specific subcultures, TikTok simultaneously has the ability to keep everyone within the same community sharing references. It doesn't matter if your “For You” is full of 90s grunge videos or makeup tutorials, if you're on TikTok, you know that when you hear “Everybody makes mistakes”, someone is joking about a bad decision from their past and if someone uses the song of the little corn lover, they're talking about something they're passionate about:

The Catch-All That Hooks Like Gum in Hair

If you use the platform, or know someone who does, you already know that TikTok always has one more video for you, and then another and another... And why is it so addictive? Mainly because it offers audiovisual content in a short, easy-to-consume format, and on topics very tailored to our interests. Its powerful and clever algorithm feeds on every like, every comment, every extra second you spend watching a video, those you save and those you share. Your “For You” is nothing more than a personalized channel that keeps getting better and better to hit the mark, to keep you scrolling a little longer.

Unlike conventional social networks, TikTok doesn't aim to generate interaction between users. TikTok isn't checked, it's watched and enjoyed. TikTok isn't a family album or a catalog; it seeks to entertain, amuse, and inform. At most, we can make some comparison with YouTube, which is also designed for entertainment, but without a doubt, TikTok is a different vibe, it's instant and with a sense of belonging that YouTube doesn't have.

With this different approach, it has gained a large audience that continues to grow day by day, interested in continuing to learn and discover from within TikTok, transmitting and maintaining good vibes in their videos and interactions, being active by liking, commenting, and uploading their own content, feeling part of the community, being influenced by what they see, and remaining loyal. In short, the ideal audience, right?

And What About Brands on TikTok?

Oh, the brands! Sometimes so sharp and other times so clueless. Many, as of today, January 26, 2023, are still avoiding the darling of social networks and haven't realized all the potential it has. Right now, a video on TikTok can lead many brands to glory, but they still refuse to invest in strategies and content for TikTok while spending real fortunes on Instagram advertising, where engagement and, especially growth, are increasingly a utopia.

A company with a good strategy on this platform can achieve awareness, interaction, visits, and conversion, but above all, it will have the opportunity to reach many people who are more willing to consume commercial content than on other channels. Of course, as long as the content and discourse are adapted to TikTok's language. What does this mean? The following phrase, said by platform staff, sums up this idea very well: “Don’t make ads, make TikToks”

And I add that, even if you make ads, because with the Business account it's possible, it shouldn't look like it. TikTok is the land of Branded Content! And on a social network where 88% of users are more than willing to discover new brands and 71% make impulse purchases of products they learned about by watching videos.

And how can a brand speak TikTok's language? By being able to find its own voice but adopting this close and natural tone. Each one, depending on its personality, product, or service, must understand what TikTok is about and what it can offer its community. It's not about all brands now doing dances or effects; it's more about finding a way to show a more rebellious, alternative side without losing essence. This can be done from various approaches and formats:

• Choosing a visible face that represents the spirit of the company, a kind of brand personalization that shows its point of view.
• Putting the product at the center and talking about its benefits, but moving away from the commercial tone and focusing on providing valuable information.
• Creating a unique visual and verbal world that can be applied to all content and identifies the brand.
• Exploring the category or sector in which the product or service is framed and talking about what's discussed there, always trying to offer more than the competition to lead that category and become a reference.

Here are some examples of videos from brands that understand that TikTok is a place to play:

@ikea.spain ÄPPLARÖ or ÄPAÑAÖ? Like if you want us to change the name. ?#IKEA #IKEATok #Terrace #Home #Organization #Decoration ♬ original sound - IKEA.Espa

That's the power of trends, what's in fashion, you know. On TikTok, there are trends of different types:

• Audio. It's when a song or an audio with dubbing becomes popular and many people use it in their videos. On one hand, there are the songs that the platform itself suggests and that, in theory, influence the content to perform better and increase the chances of going viral, and on the other, the audios that become popular because they're funny and adapt to other messages. This audio by Tamara Falcó was quite popular for a few months.
• Filters and effects. In the recording and editing mode of the app, there are countless filters and effects available to modify your face, the space where it's recorded, or to make characters, scenes, and a thousand things you can imagine (or that never crossed your mind) appear. Sometimes, some become popular because of what the filter shows or the result an effect gives, or because it's used with a specific intention and that type of video has gone viral. The "Oh well, okay" that makes eyes red and this other one, inspired by The Shining, were all over "For You".
• Format. Within the platform, creators use countless formats (testimonials, image sequences, vlogs, before and after videos, etc.), and when one goes viral, people are encouraged to recreate that format adapting it to their personality or brand. When a format becomes popular, it's because the type of editing, shots, or the combination it forms with the audio and/or effects and filters creates a structure that helps convey a very specific concept. There are ideal formats for explaining storytimes, showing the creation or manufacturing process of something, showcasing outfits, shopping hauls, product or place reviews, or sharing emotional moments. There are also informative, educational, ironic, sarcastic, denunciatory, ASMR versions... Some that have been trending are videos looking for people from the past or unknowns they want to locate, filming a controlling father before a flight highlighting all his quirks, manufacturing processes of something, storytimes in all their forms (health, love, work, etc.), when you think one thing and do the opposite, when you share a storytime about a medical issue, but as I said, there are many, and new ones are constantly emerging. In a very short time on the platform, you end up perfectly understanding what the creator wants to convey with that type of video, and just by seeing the beginning, the type of shot, or hearing the first chords of a song, you know exactly what the video is about. Here are some examples: tutorial, review, vlog, image sequence, transition montage.

The duet is a very characteristic format of the Chinese app, undoubtedly one of the remnants of its previous version Musical.ly, which consisted of making small musical videos where singer duets were very common. In the early days of TikTok, it was common to see dance or acting challenges, but now it's also used to show reactions to videos, make critiques, or expand information. Here we have a hairdresser doing a duet and commenting on a haircut with kitchen scissors.

TikTok is still in its infancy. So far, we've had laughs, lights, and some shadows, but its potential and social influence are already undeniable. Surely many things will change about the platform, and we'll witness an evolution, as happens with all social networks, but I hope the sense of humor and naturalness it conveys never change.

And you? Do you speak TikTok?

What Would TikTok Be Like If It Were a Person? Tone and Style

If I close my eyes and think of TikTok as a person, I imagine a girl about 25 years old, youthful-looking, modern, dressed following trends, but with a personal touch, something like very fun earrings, a striking scarf, or a cool and original jacket.

As for her personality, it's clear, it's the one TikTok has today: fresh, spontaneous, natural, and with a great sense of humor that sometimes turns into fine irony and sarcasm. Our friend TikTok likes to improvise, but also to give things a twist, show the other side, and joke about situations we all live, like in a good monologue.

Reading this, it may seem that TikTok only speaks in a joking tone, and although it's used a lot, it also uses a slightly more formal tone when the topic requires it, but always with closeness. TikTok doesn't give master classes, it explains, it exposes, yes, but on a one-to-one basis. Objectively, you can learn with TikTok, of course, applying logic and critical thinking, but it's like that, and there's still some prejudice when it comes to acknowledging that the source of a piece of information is a video from this platform. This user explains very well how she prefers to say she heard or read something somewhere, rather than admitting the information comes from TikTok.