Tiktok vs Instagram: 5 Reasons Brands Should Treat TikTok Differently

Tiktok vs Instagram: TikTok, the equivalent of short-form video clips on steroids, has been continuously growing since its launch. With over 1 billion monthly users and a user growth rate that’s almost double that of Instagram, TikTok users are more than eager to engage with new products and become brand ambassadors.

It’s no secret that TikTok has a grip on today’s popular culture. The power of short-form video, combined with TikTok’s emphasis on discovery and innovation, makes it one of the strongest competitors in social media. Even Instagram, via its emphasis and push on Reels, understands the leadership role TikTok has commanded in today’s crowded attention economy.

So, what makes TikTok different from Instagram, or any other social platform for that matter?

TikTok is still in its infancy despite being the fastest-growing social channel ever

TikTok has exploded in popularity – making it the perfect platform for brands looking to branch out into new social channels and find new brand ambassadors. Unlike Instagram and Snapchat, TikTok’s audience is not yet saturated with branded content — meaning your brand could become huge on a platform before the audiences of other major apps are even considering trying it out. 

When you’re at the beginning stage of a new channel, there are still plenty of opportunities to make waves and go viral — but only if you take action now.

The question is no longer whether or not your brand should use TikTok, but rather how you can begin using it immediately to become one of the most influential brands on the app today and build a TikTok ambassadors army.

TikTok’s audience has a craving for UGC of new things

Since its inception, Instagram was born out of keeping up with friends and family whereas TikTok has been about discovering new music, dances, trends, products, and more. As such

TikTok already hosts over a million videos of creators sharing a wide variety of content. The app — which, unlike Instagram, started as a video-sharing platform — is an ideal place to reach people not just through their smartphones but through the TV, laptops, and desktops they use at work. Because of its huge audience and receptive nature to brand advertising, TikTok is quickly becoming one of the most effective places for e-commerce retailers to promote their products and find brand ambassadors. 

Also, Tiktok videos are authentic with stunning raw footage (unlike professional videos) that shows viewers what the product looks like in real life. It also allows viewers to discover what similar products look like before making a choice. In fact, TikTok notes that 49% of users say the app is their go-to source for product discovery. Furthermore, it allows retailers to include other popular trends in to their ads. They can integrate themes relevant to their users and be able to capture more consumer audiences by doing so.

Short-form video is the most engaging content on the internet

Video is the most engaging content on the internet. It’s why Instagram is pushing into it and why TikTok remains king of video platform apps; In fact, 95% of TikTok users claim they remember the brands they see in video UGC more than any other content type. And it’s just like reading a really good headline — videos are so multi-sensory that people truly engage with them, whether you’re watching product demos or lip-syncing your favorite memes. And there’s a TikTok marketing secret element to this engagement: because users move around to interact with different videos, brands can reach them wherever their device goes — even if you’ve already captured their attention.

TikTok impressions and engagement rates vastly outperform Instagram

TikTok has already proven to be the go-to video platform for fun and profit. With more than 500 million monthly active users, TikTok marketing is a powerful choice for social media and advertising campaigns — particularly when it comes to engaging youth audiences. The viral nature of TikTok is largely due to its democratic algorithm; anyone can have an impact on the app with their UGC content, unlike Instagram, where branded posts are prioritized at the expense of true engagement. The average engagement rate on TikTok roars above 1,000% whereas on Instagram, it’s a mere 3%. 

For example, Kylie Jenner posted the same TikTok as a Reel and the following happened:

  1. The TikTok got 23.5M views at an 89% impression rate
  2. The Reel got 1M views at a 0.5% impression rate (despite having a larger following on Instagram)

Products like The Pink Stuff, CeraVe, and Zara Jeans all repeatedly sold out their products in the US due to the extraordinary degree of UGC raving about those products. The Pink Stuff, a random affordable cleaning product, garnered 111 million likes on #ThePinkStuff.

TikTok is an imperative component of UGC strategy, and LoudCrowd is ready to assist

With an engagement rate that is 100x the rate of Instagram, TikTok UGC coming from your customers should be viewed as far more valuable. TikTok is growing by leaps and bounds — UGC has become a key component of online engagement and brand reputation. LoudCrowd helps you obtain priceless content from your TikTok ambassadors, turning that UGC into marketable e-commerce products across social media channels. With LoudCrowd, it couldn’t be easier for you to capitalize on your users’ creativity!

We recommend for your programs: 

Immediately add on TikTok marketing! Reach out to your client strategist to get the add-on

Set easier reward tiers for TikTok than Instagram (because the content is far more valuable and typically harder to create) 

Place an emphasis on TikTok in your program communications 

Allow members to repurpose content between TikTok and Reels 

The time is now! TikTok is still relatively unsaturated, people are highly engaged, and they’re ready to talk about and share the products they adore. It’s a no-brainer. 

TikTok Analytics vs Instagram Analytics Comparison

When it comes to analyzing the performance of your content, both of the tools offer powerful insights into the content you’re creating on their respective platforms, but there are some key differences between them.

TikTok analytics provide an in-depth look at the performance of any given video, showing detailed information about how many people watched it, how long they watched it for, and how much engagement it achieved. It also provides insights about the demographic of people who watched it, allowing you to tailor your content to your audience more accurately.

Instagram analytics provide similar insights into the performance of your posts, but with a greater focus on engagement. You can see how many people liked, commented on, and shared your posts, as well as how many times they were viewed.

TikTok analytics is believed to be better than Instagram analytics because they provide more comprehensive insights into user behavior. For example, TikTok analytics show users how many times their videos have been viewed, how many views were organic vs. paid, how many likes and comments they received, and even how many followers they’ve gained or lost over a specific period of time. Additionally, TikTok analytics allow users to compare their performance against other influencers in their niche. This makes it easier for users to find the best content creation strategies for their intended audience.

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