By Christina Widner

In recent years, TikTok has become one of the most popular social media platforms in the world and has gained a great popularity especially among younger users. With the help of a large amount of features, short, entertaining and creative videos can be created and shared with a large number of people. But how important is the platform for companies and retailers?

In this context, the question arises whether TikTok is actually an effective marketing strategy for small businesses and merchants, and what are its benefits and challenges. In this article, we take a closer look at the topic and examine the opportunities and risks of TikTok as a marketing platform for small businesses and merchants.

Who is TikTok for?

The question of whether TikTok is worthwhile for small businesses and merchants is very difficult to answer across the board. It depends on various factors, such as the target group, the industry, the budget, the content strategy and the available resources. However, there are some positive aspects that TikTok offers for small businesses and merchants.

What are the advantages?

One is the reach. TikTok has a huge user base with over one billion active users worldwide. The platform is particularly popular with the younger target group, which presents a great opportunity for many companies.

TikTok content can also go viral quickly and easily, which can lead to tremendous reach and visibility. If a TikTok video is well received, it can go viral in a very short period of time, creating a powerful marketing effect. For this to happen, however, it's important that companies aren't afraid to get in on current trends.

Especially for companies that can score with creativity, TikTok is just right. It's a platform that excels in creative and entertaining content. Companies can stand out from the competition here with original and innovative ideas.

What are the challenges?

Along with the many benefits, there are also some challenges that should be considered when using TikTok as a marketing tool for small businesses and merchants.

Creating high-quality TikTok content requires time and resources. Small businesses and merchants need to ensure they have enough capacity to produce content regularly and consistently.

TikTok is not suitable for all industries and audiences. Businesses need to ensure that their target audience is represented on TikTok and that their content is aligned with the platform and users.

TikTok is a social media platform where it can be difficult to maintain full control over how content is used. Companies need to ensure that their content is used in an appropriate context.

Overall, it can be said that TikTok can be an interesting option for small businesses and merchants to reach a young and broad audience. However, businesses need to ensure that they have the resources to produce high-quality content on a regular basis and that their content is aligned with the platform and their target audience.

About the author

BASIC thinking is an online magazine and one of the widest-reach tech portals in the German-speaking world. The editorial team reports daily on social media, marketing and business topics. This article was written by Christina Widner from BASIC thinking GmbH and BASIC thinking International.