Rankster Newsletter #22: Is TikTok in Trouble?

The weekly newsletter that helped put Jeff Bezos in space..... 'cos we boosted Amazon sales (where is our ticket?)

In this edition:

• TikTok is Gen Z's Google....  What are your TikTok SEO metrics?

• Will TikTok be banned?....  Why I doubt it

• Are TikTok Advertisers in trouble?....  TikTok released a feature that is likely to put TikTok advertisers out of a job

• Results are in....  TikTok is the most engaging platform and cheaper than Facebook (sorry Mark 😥)

• Teacher gives an "A" for viral marketing..... The most innovative and useful teacher (I hope you are taking notes Mrs. Boulle)

TikTok Really Is Becoming Gen Z’s Google, and More on How Gen Z Gets Its News

Well, well, well, it looks like Google Search isn't the cool kid on the block anymore.

Gen Z'ers are too busy scrolling through TikTok and Instagram to bother with old-school Google. I mean, who has the time to sift through search results when you can just watch a 15-second video and call it a day?

And get this, Gen Z'ers are even using TikTok to research major news events,  14% of them are on the TikTok, compared to a measly 2% of all adults using Google. Looks like Google needs to step up its game if they want to keep up with the young and hip crowd.

News publishers are struggling to get Gen Z'ers to subscribe to their content. They need to start thinking outside the box..... 

Maybe they should start making TikToks about the news or something. Just a thought.....

Will TikTok be banned?

4 Reasons why I don't think it will be

1. Wide ramifications: A TikTok ban would have wide-ranging ramifications, and it's unlikely that the government wants to deal with that backlash (a whole bunch of angry Gen Z'ers can cause problems.....)

2. Popular among US users: Despite security concerns, TikTok is still immensely popular among US users. It's unlikely that the government would want to alienate such a large user base but likely impose further restrictions.

3. Delayed deadline: In the past, former President Trump delayed the deadline for banning TikTok due to productive talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. It's possible that future administrations will take a similar approach.

4. Limited impact on security: While some companies and government agencies have instructed their employees to delete TikTok due to security concerns, it's important to note that these concerns are not universal. For many users, TikTok is just a fun social media platform.

I think of it like this..... TikTok is the 'cockroach that can't be killed'.

I think of TikTok kinda like those pesky hijackers on Amazon..... as soon as you get rid of them, they are back 🤬

TikTok is more engaging than YouTube, Meta is the most expensive

According to the Digital 2023: Global Overview Report, Facebook and YouTube are the most used social media platforms in the world, with 2.95B and 2.5B users respectively.

However…

TikTok might as well be flypaper: The report says TikTok beats both when it comes to time spent on the platform. Users average 23.5 hours a month swiping TikTok content.

YouTube is a close second with 23.1 hours. Facebook comes in third at 19.7 hours.

Surprisingly, Instagram is fifth with 12 hours per month, while Twitter is seventh with a modest 5.5 hours.

And social media just keeps growing: The number of social media users grew to 4.76B in January 2023 compared to 2.7B five years ago. And users are staying on social media longer: two and a half hours per day on average!

But eyeballs are pricey: Matt Navarra Tweeted a breakdown of the average cost per mille (CPM) of the most popular platforms in the final quarter of last year:

• Meta: $13.35.

• TikTok: $7.43.

• Snap: $7.23.

• YouTube: $6.45.

• Amazon: $1.58.

• Google Search: $1.25 (cost-per-click).

Why we care: It’s always helpful to have a sense of where users are most engaged, and what to budget if you want to meet them there.

Facebook has the most users, but it’s also the most expensive. Meanwhile, TikTok is a worthy competitor, with high engagement and lower pricing.

So is Amazon. It reported 19% ad revenue growth and also looks like a good option.

Credit: I swiped this from the StackedMarketer crew

Go Viral, Get An ‘A’: Content Marketing Course Puts Gen Z’s TikTok Skills To The Test

Imagine this....

A university degree that actually teaches you a real skill... I am speechless (I am a former high school teacher and principal but rarely did any student leave school with any real-world experience.... it depressing).

This lecturer challenged her students....

 The challenge was simple: They’d post one video per day for 27 days and see what kind of engagement they could garner. Those that went viral got an ‘A.’ 

They got 7 million views 🤯

That's it for this week.... any questions just hit reply

Thanks for reading.

- Paul

PS.... Here are the previous editions if you want to catch up

PPS.... If you have not seen it, here is our automated Brief Builder (free for now)