TikTok Updates
This week, we have some more TikTok updates for you:
Starting with the app itself:
Smart Performance Campaign (SPC) : designed to run performance campaigns at scale, while reducing the number of manual steps to drive results. Just need to select location, language, optimisation event, optimisation goal and creatives.
TikTok launched beta testing for ads in search results, which provides another way to reach the TikTok audience via the search terms that they use. Enables TikTok advertisers to target searchers looking for specific terms, which could be a great way to reach people with higher purchase intent and interest. TikTok will also provide advertisers with a listing of the search terms that drove clicks on their campaigns, adding another potential targeting element for the ads.
Video Shopping Ads : allows advertisers to create shoppable videos for display on the For You page. Its distinctive feature is that TikTok will create an in-app landing page to better determine a user’s intent to buy. These pages let shoppers learn more about products and redirect users to a retailer’s site when they’re ready to purchase.
Contact Template: customisable fast-loading Instant Page with a “Contact” button that will allow users to contact your business via text, phone, or messenger app for real-time conversations. This solution is more streamlined than directing users to an external landing page, and shows 60% lower CPA on average.
Globally:
News has been trickling out of a possible global ban on TikTok. Largely instigated by the court case in the US, government bodies do not trust the safety of user data.
Why do countries want to ban TikTok?
Concerns over ByteDance putting sensitive user information in the hands of the Chinese Government.
Under China’s cybersecurity laws, any Chinese-owned company must share data on its users at the request of the CCP (such as location data, browsing history, and personal messages).
Potential threat that China could use the content recommendations on the app to mislead the public.
Where is TikTok already banned?
India banned the platform in mid 2020.
Most of the other bans are happening at Governments and Universities (Mostly in the US, around two dozen states).
The BBC has also urged all their employees to delete the app from corporate devices in line with UK Government decision to do the same.
However, despite security concerns and the possibility of a ban in the U.S government, three in four marketers expect to increase spending on TikTok in the next 12 months, out of 300 marketers at businesses in the US.
In more depth, a TikTok ban would have a moderate to significant impact on achieving social media marketing of advertising objectives, according to 82% of respondents, with 70% expecting to expand in other digital channels outside of social media in the event of a ban.
The battle over the future of TikTok intensified, more than half (56%) of respondents believe it is highly or somewhat unlikely that the federal government will ban TikTok or prevent it from operating in the U.S and most (87%) still believe it is a viable platform for long-term marketing strategies.
Whilst marketers are roughly evenly split on whether federal or state and local governments will actually ban or restrict TikTok, most would diversify their digital marketing strategy in the event of a ban. Digital media channels outside of social media, like email and video, could stand to benefit, with Facebook (80%) and Youtube (79%) the most popular social media platforms for marketers seeking TikTok alternatives.
So although the future of TikTok is undecided, we wager it’s nothing you need to worry about.