Idia Baron: Think twice before promoting your business on TikTok
By Idia Baron
TikTok has become a popular social media platform for promoting businesses. With over one billion monthly active users, the platform offers a vast audience for businesses to promote their products and services. However, TikTok also poses some risks to businesses that use it as a promotional tool.
Lack of control over content: TikTok allows users to create and upload content without any restrictions. While this allows for creative and engaging content, it can also result in negative content being associated with a business. Businesses have little control over the content that users create, and there is always a risk that something negative or controversial could be associated with the brand.
Difficulty in measuring ROI: TikTok is primarily a platform for entertainment and engagement, not sales. Therefore, it can be difficult for businesses to measure the return on investment (ROI) of their TikTok campaigns. Without clear metrics to track success, businesses may find it challenging to justify their investment in TikTok promotion.
Limited audience targeting: TikTok’s audience skews heavily towards younger demographics, with 41% of users aged between 16 and 24. While this is great for businesses targeting a young audience, it can limit the potential reach of businesses targeting other age groups or demographics. TikTok’s targeting options are also limited compared to other social media platforms, which can make it harder for businesses to reach their desired audience.
Risk of negative feedback: TikTok is a highly engaging platform, but it’s also highly opinionated. Users are free to express their opinions on any content they see, including content from businesses. This means that businesses may receive negative feedback or criticism on their TikTok campaigns, which can damage their brand reputation.
Potential legal issues: TikTok is subject to various legal and regulatory requirements, including copyright, privacy, and advertising laws. Businesses need to ensure that their TikTok campaigns comply with these requirements to avoid legal issues or fines.
In conclusion, while the plataform can be a powerful tool for promoting businesses, it also poses some risks. Businesses should carefully consider these risks before investing in TikTok promotion and should take steps to mitigate them. By being aware of the potential risks and taking proactive measures to address them, businesses can use the entertainment platform to effectively promote their products and services.
Also read: World Bank launches Business Ready project that improves upon and replaces the World Bank Group’s earlier Ease of Doing Business project.
Idia Baron is a journalism student at the University of Kabianga
