Play is the highest form of research. -- Albert Einstein
Habib and Tracey discuss, TikTok, the fastest growing (and most enjoyable) social media platform around. Right now we’re captivated by it and want to share everything about our latest obsession with you. Nail techs who follow us across the globe know that we recommend a two-prong approach to growing a healthy and happy nail business: 1.) education and 2.) social media marketing. Our goal is to connect nail pros with our tried-and-tested digital marketing techniques. We take the leap of faith, so you don’t have to. Trust us now. Thank us later.
TIKTOK ON THE BRAIN
We want TikTok to become your new BFF. It’s fab. It’s fascinating fun. It’s freakin’ addictive. Plus it’s not just for kids. If video killed the radio star, TikTok is about to kill it as your new favorite distraction. What is TikTok?
Imagine if two cultural zeitgeists, 1980s MTV and 2012s Instagram had a social networking baby and embedded itself into the next generation’s consciousness. This is TikTok, an app that allows users to direct, edit, and score 15-second music video clips that have a habit of going viral. It’s kids being kids experimenting with who they are and what they like: dancing to Top 40 hits; playing sports; trying on a little shock value. When was the last time you, as an adult, tapped into that youthful liberating energy?
Flip through until something resonates. Swipe left when you find someone doing something that holds your attention. Now you can check out what other interesting things they’ve got going on. Have a go at it yourself; create your own videos. This is an invitation to play. Yes, the discipline of running your own nail business and social media marketing machine can be overwhelming. We think with TikTok you’ll feel differently. Don’t knock it, ‘til you try it.
EXPONENTIAL MARKETING POTENTIAL
Ok. Full disclaimer here. Like you, we rely on industry experts to enlighten and lead us down the best path to build our business. It’s no secret that our collective wisdom and passion for engaging content creation comes from the digital marketing pros at VaynerMedia and The Sasha Group. We work with these folks and are grateful for them. They are the air traffic control tower to our every social media take-off and landing. We observe, trust, and execute when a digital marketing company that we work with tells us to go big on things like TikTok or LinkedIn. They’re the experts. They have the research and strategy levers in place to optimize insane growth cycles. They know the who/what/where to tap into for the next big thing with the exponentially gigantic marketing potential.
TIKTOK ARITHMETIC
The 2019 current world population is 7.7 billion people. Facebook has 2.1 billion active users worldwide. Instagram has 1 billion. TikTok launched in 2016 and now boasts 500,000 million active users; 50% of these users are unique and exclusive to this platform which means they are not anywhere else on social media. They aren’t even messing around with Instagram or Facebook. Nine out of ten TikTok users look at the app multiple times a day. TikTok picked up 13.9 million new users in the United States in the first few months of 2019. At the same time, TikTok was THE MOST downloaded app on the Apple App Store. Ugh. All these numbers. What does it all mean? It means get on board now or get left behind. If you start branding on TikTok now, you and your work get to enjoy unprecedented momentum and exposure to a new range of followers.
Here’s a great example. Last month we went to the UK and shared this same view of TIkTok with our YN Mentors. One YN Mentor named Kelly, decided to roll the dice and give TikTok a try. What did she have to lose? Nothing. She posted one nail video to TikTok and it connected right off the bat...now that video has gone viral and has 4 million views. Kelly also has in the same short time frame picked up 10K active TikTok followers. She started from zero. Took a chance and just like that. Boom, it’s like social media steroids!
TWO FOR ONE
Side note, if you still don’t think it’s a relevant place to be. Did you know that the average TikTok user is 10-22 years old. The mid-range of that audience could be perfect client material with disposable income (and so could their primary benefactors). To be on the cool kids radar would be a great boost for business and the street cred. Kids are honest followers and promoters. When you expose your work to this younger demographic, you get a package deal. You get the 18-24 year olds who are already earning their own pocket change. You also reach the 17 year olds and under attached to the adult that chauffeurs and finances them.
Bringing back around, as a nail tech and business entrepreneur, you are also by default in the business of self-promotion. Self-promotion and marketing are the source and lifeline for new business opportunities and longevity. The YN Biz Talks are not intended to hound you with superfluous information. We know that sometimes it can feel like a lot to digest. All these ideas and suggestions are swirling around are nothing unless you execute. We believe in you and want to support your talent. Be brave and experiment with your marketing presence on social media. You don’t have to reinvent the wheel. You can always see what we are up to on our Social Media. Take what works for you and make it your own. That is it. That is all. Play around and go get yours!
**This is an adaption from our YN Biz Talk playlist on YouTube, “Why You Should Be On Tik Tok”.
Follow our YN YouTube Channel and click here to watch the full discussion here:
04 November 2019