TikTok marketing: From mobile phones to living room

In September 2021, the TikTok video-sharing app had an incredible 1 billion active users worldwide – and there’s no sign of a slowdown. On the contrary. According to experts, the app is set to exceed the 1.5 billion users mark in 2022.

What makes the app so attractive is that you don’t need to be famous to go viral on TikTok. Unlike other social media platforms where it’s all about how many followers you have, on TikTok someone with just one hundred followers can post a video that gets one million views.

With its business model, TikTok is perfectly in tune with the times. Young people in particular are drawn to it, with 69 per cent of active users between the ages of 16 and 24, and only 15 per cent above the age of 35. The app started life as the video portal Musical.ly, where users lip-synced to music videos, but the content is now much more diverse, ranging from fashion and food all the way to politics and comedy. One topic that has been on the rise lately is #InteriorDesign. The hashtag now has over 5.9 billion views. The platform is increasingly becoming a trend radar for the interior design industry.

It’s no surprise that social media has a big influence on interior design trends, but the number-one player Instagram is increasingly being overtaken by the wide range of content on TikTok.

It only takes one look at the video-sharing app to realise that interior design trends aren’t just discussed on TikTok, trends are born here. Tiny pet rooms, for example, are currently on their way to becoming a TikTok phenomenon. The concept refers to entire rooms designed just for our little four-legged friends – complete with suitably miniaturised furniture like sofas and tables. It’s only a matter of time before this wacky trend stages a widespread takeover of the living rooms of pet owners. But less unusual interior design trends are also spread on TikTok by private individuals and thus made accessible to an audience of billions. From romantic trends like cottagecore or goblincore to maximalism, with its oversized furniture and colour blocking , to flashbacks to past decades : the TikTok trends of 2022 reflect all home-living trends.

Interior design on social media is not a new phenomenon. Pinterest and Instagram offer a wealth of interior design ideas, advice and inspiration. But what makes TikTok so special is that it’s neither a search engine nor a conventional social media feed. The main feed doesn’t consist of people, but rather of content provided by the algorithm. For this reason, TikTok offers a unique opportunity to show people things they didn’t even know they needed – often presented by private individuals, which lowers barriers.

TikTok has made interior design more accessible and eclectic than ever before. Creative individuals who have neither degrees in design nor celebrity clientele are gaining traction by sharing easy-to-follow tips on design trends or showcasing DIY projects that have mass appeal. A “well-appointed” home is suddenly seen as achievable.

What distinguishes marketing on TikTok from the approach taken on other social media is that it offers a glimpse behind the scenes. Viewers are invited to look beyond the finished product and see for themselves how furniture is made, how interiors are developed and how designers make decisions about their choice of furnishings.

This combination of factors has made TikTok an attractive sales channel for companies. TikTok marketing is especially worthwhile for manufacturers and retailers who want to win over tomorrow’s customers today. Even if the average age of TikTok users is lower than that of their current target group, it’s worth investing some time and effort in the platform. After all, the app is not yet overloaded with advertising, and the probability of reaching potential consumers is significantly higher than in any other social media channel. TikTok offers the interior design industry the unique opportunity to present itself to its customers via short videos. That’s what the younger generation wants to see: authenticity rather than perfection.

Although the app is primarily popular with younger people, it would be a mistake to underestimate it and write it off as an irrelevant advertising channel. Marketing on TikTok – if done well – has the potential to make a valuable contribution towards the future success of a business. Even if your own target group is significantly older, it’s worth taking a closer look at the portal – because that’s where you’ll find tomorrow’s customers.

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