TikTok has emerged as a powerful platform for entertainment and information sharing as well as for conducting market research. With its diverse user base and algorithms that constantly promote viral content, TikTok offers unique opportunities for companies, nonprofits, and government agencies to obtain insights into multicultural consumer behavior.
Understand Your Audience
TikTok’s user base is vast and varied, spanning different age groups, ethnicities, and cultures. The platform’s analytics tools show who is using your content and how they interact with it, which may include connections with trends and hashtags. Researchers should regularly monitor the following in their areas of interest with targeted audiences:
- Video views and engagement rate (likes, comments, shares, saves)
- Video engagement metrics (average watch times, completion rate, drop-off rate)
- Audience demographics
- Conversion and Influencer collaboration metrics
Cultural Differences With User Engagement
Understanding an audience’s needs and wants also provides a view into cross-cultural differences in the global market. For instance, metrics show differences in user engagement between TikTok users in China and the U.S., particularly regarding the degree of gratification in content. Studies purport that users in the U.S. seek greater pleasure from TikTok content than those in China. Insight into cultural differences is essential for companies, nonprofits, and government agencies analyzing and tailoring content around trends to gather qualitative data on preferences and emerging patterns.
TikTok Continues to Dominate
Today’s TikTokers are more engaged than ever. In 2023, the average user spent 90 minutes a day on the app, and more than 33 percent of U.S. adults turned to the short-form platform for news and information. Music and sound effects remain central to TikTok’s strength, and subsequently, many users discover new content, creators, and products through viral and trending content.
TikTok is even altering how users search online. At least 49 percent of Millennials and a stunning 64 percent of Gen Z use TikTok as a search engine, with many preferring it to traditional Google.
Why Researchers Should Encourage TikTok Market Research
For the goals of data collection and improving consumer outreach, TikTok can provide a treasure trove of information. Companies, nonprofits, and government agencies can benefit by:
- Utilizing TikTok’s metrics to identify a user base, behaviors, and emerging trends.
- Engaging with a diverse set of users in a group or one-on-one setting.
- Ensuring marketing strategies are inclusive and effective.
For more insights on using TikTok to conduct market research in a multicultural digital environment, contact the team members at Ebony Marketing Systems. We are experts at conducting research that reaches people in a new way. For more information, call us at (718)742-0006 or send us a message today.
