While TikTok is newer to the world of social media, there’s no denying its popularity – especially with younger generations. Although TikTok content is more specific with its narrow focus on short, viral-ready videos there are many ways brands can still see success.
However, in order to know if TikTok makes sense for your brand, you need to understand some basic TikTok stats such as demographics and user behavior that can inform what opportunities exist for your brand.
This is why we’ve put together a list of 17 TikTok statistics all marketers need to know for 2021. Take a look to see if you need to get serious about putting together a TikTok strategy for your brand.
1. TikTok has 689 million monthly active users
While TikTok doesn’t nearly have the reach of social media giants like Facebook and Instagram, it is rapidly distinguishing itself with it 689 million monthly active users.
However, this statistic doesn’t include users that are based in China, the home country of TikTok’s parent company ByteDance. This is due to the fact that the Chinese version of TikTok is called Douyin, and its 600 million daily active users users are tallied separately from TikTok’s users.
This means that in total, TikTok and Douyin have 1.29 billion active users across the globe.
2. 62% of TikTok users are between ages 10-29
62%–over half–of all U.S. TikTok users are aged 10-29, proving that the younger generations are the most avid TikTok users. This segment includes Gen Z and younger Millennials, so it’s an important cross-section of social media users.
If your business targets this age group heavily with their products or services, TikTok is probably going to be a great platform for you to use in order to reach your audience. Just make sure you get creative with your content and use trends effectively and authentically.
3. 65.9 million monthly active users are located in the US
The majority of TikTok’s users are actually outside the US, which is a significant difference from most other social media platforms. However, the US still boasts about 65.9 million monthly active users. This means both global and US-based businesses can get a lot out of marketing on this platform.
4. The top TikTok user has 111 million followers
The top TikTok user is Charli D’Amelio with over 111 million followers at the time of this writing. The second most popular TikTok user is Addison Rae with 78 million followers.
Charli D’Amelio posts mostly TikTok dance videos and viral trends that her followers love, along with partnering with major brands for influencer campaigns. If you’re interested in trying influencer marketing to reach younger generations, TikTok influencers could be perfect for you.
5. TikTok users spend an average of 858 minutes on the app each month
Studies show that TikTok users are spending around 858 minutes a month and 46 minutes a day scrolling through videos on the app. Because these videos are a maximum of one minute long, that is a lot of consumed content. This means your brand has plenty of potential to show up in users’ feeds as they scroll.
6. In January 2021, TikTok was the second most downloaded app in the world
There’s no denying that TikTok’s popularity is here to stay. In the first month of 2021, it was the most downloaded app across the globe with nearly 62 million installs.
17% of those installs came from China and 10% came from the United States. TikTok was the number 1 downloaded app in the Apple app store and in fourth place on the Google Play store. Overall, these new installs mean that interest remains high, and new users are consistently trying out the platform.
7. Children ages 4-15 spend an average of 80 minutes a day watching TikTok videos
Are you marketing a product for even younger generations than Gen Z? Kids love TikTok, too! In fact, children between the ages of 4 and 15 spend an average of 80 minutes each day (80-160+ videos) watching TikTok content. This means you can easily share content that relates to younger viewers and reach your desired audience – just be sure to create the kinds of content kids and their parents love.
8. TikTok generated $1 billion in revenue in 2020
TikTok generated an estimated $1 billion in revenue throughout 2020 from sources like ads run on the platform. The app as a whole is valued at around $50 billion. TikTok’s growth is expected to continue in 2021, meaning options for brands to use paid ads on TikTok are only likely to increase as a revenue source for the company.
9. 69% of US teens are on TikTok
We’ve already mentioned how popular TikTok is with younger generations, but this statistic proves it. More than 2 in 3 US teens were engaging at least monthly with the platform as of Fall 2020. This makes it the perfect platform for brands who are targeting teens and young adults.
Start creating relatable content that resonates with teens – but first, be sure to do some scrolling through the platform to get a good idea of the content types your target audience creates and enjoys.
10. 29% of US teens say TikTok is their favorite platform
So not only do more than 2/3 of US teens use TikTok, nearly 1/3 of US teens say it’s their favorite social media platform. This means they’re likely spending more time on TikTok than any other platform, giving you an even bigger opportunity to reach them. Plus, this number only increased throughout 2020, growing from 13% in spring 2020 to 29% in the fall.
11. TikTok is available in over 150 countries
The micro-video platform is available in more than 150 countries across the globe, giving brands access to target demographics from all around the world. Global brands should especially take advantage of this platform and the reach it has to offer.
12. US influencers see high engagement rates on TikTok
If you’re looking to create an engaged community and audience around your brand, TikTok is the place to do it. With studies showing an engagement rate of nearly 18% with micro-influencers on the platform, TikTok has a significant lead on Instagram’s 3.86% and YouTube’s 1.63% engagement rates. This could make it the perfect place to implement a micro-influencer strategy. Similarly, the report also showed influencers at larger scales still had the highest engagement rate on TikTok.
13. 68% of TikTok users have watched another user’s video
On any social platform, some users download the app or create an account without ever actually following up and using it. However, statistics show that 68% of TikTok users have at least watched another user’s video on the platform, showing a strong engagement rate where a majority of users are actively viewing content.
14. 55% of TikTok users have uploaded their own video content
While 68% of TikTok users actually watch content, only a little over half of all TikTok users have actually uploaded their own videos to the platform. This shows that the largest majority of the audience may enjoy simply consuming content on this platform than actually creating their own videos, but there’s still a large user base willing to actively create video content..
15. 37% of users have a household income of $100k+
TikTok’s userbase shows a few different trends in income level. About one-third of TikTok users bring in $100,000 of household income each year, but as noted in MarketingChart’s review of the data, may reflect an overall economic skew in the US population. On the opposite end of the spectrum, 18% of users report a household income under $25k, likely due to the younger users of the platform. As some of our other stats in this article show, brands will need to fine-tune their focus, such as targeting older Gen Z and younger Millennial users who are tuned into the platform and also more motivated to purchase based on social media content.
16. 58.8% of TikTok users are female
Brands with a focus on a target audience of women are in luck on TikTok. TikTok’s user base skews female, with 58.8% users identifying as women.
That doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t be on TikTok if you target men with your products or services. Because the ratio is close to just half of the userbase, there’s still plenty of opportunity for a wide variety of brands and audiences to connect.
17. 90% of TikTok users access the app everyday
In another tribute to TikTok’s highly engaged community, 9 in 10 users log onto TikTok multiple times every day. It’s always important to see an engaged and active user base on a platform that you plan to market on, and TikTok definitely has that to offer.
Start creating your TikTok strategy
Ready to start marketing on TikTok? Putting together a solid video marketing strategy is the perfect way to get started. Keep these TikTok statistics in mind as you begin creating your content so you know exactly who your target audience will be.
This post 17 TikTok stats marketers need to know in 2021 originally appeared on Sprout Social.
