When you think of TikTok, what do you see when you try to picture the average user? If it’s a young woman dancing in front of the mirror, then you would be absolutely correct.
However, just because 80% of TikTok’s users are between 16 and 34 years old, does that mean that businesses with an older target audience would be wasting their time?
Read on and let’s find out!
Do old people use TikTok?
You would be amazed by the number of people aged 50 and over who are currently using (and loving) TikTok…
Of the 1.53-billion users, approximately 11% are over the age of 50. Now, while that might not seem like a big number, you’re still looking at an awful lot of people.
Older TikTok users aren’t your average seniors
Another important consideration is that most of the older TikTok users aren’t actually your ‘typical’ seniors. They are far more comfortable with technology and have a variety of different interests that might surprise you.
The good news is that using TikTok’s analytics tool, you can take a deep dive into your demographic and see what kind of content is best resonating with them (if indeed they are on the platform at all).
If your older audience are active and tech-savvy, you could be in luck!
Again, the TikTok users over 50 are a different breed of senior; these people are far more active and tech-savvy. If this sounds like your target demographic, then it may well be worth investing in this social media platform.
How to convert an older audience on TikTok
Assuming that your demographic quite fits TikTok, here are some tips on how to convert an older audience on this platform:
- Don’t be too ‘salesy’: they’ve been about a bit and can see through overly ‘salesy’ adverts. Lead with value instead.
- Make it relatable: while many marketers on TikTok are targeting a younger demographic, if you tailor your content to your demographic and make it highly relatable, you’ll have a far better chance at resonating with them and growing your audience.
- Give them the facts: this demographic don’t have time to waste and so you should treat them like the intelligent and discerning consumers that they are: give them the facts and try not to be condescending.
- Make your content fun and educational: older demographics tend to be more interested in educational content than they are entertaining, but that doesn’t mean you can’t strike a balance between the two.
- Make the buying process easy: we use the term ‘tech-savvy’ rather loosely here. Just because this demographic is certainly more comfortable with technology, you still need to simplify your CTAs and make it practically effortless to sign up!
- Make it personal, understand their values, and use tasteful humour: remember, just because TikTok has a reputation for being quite ‘silly’ and ‘childish’, there are older demographics who use it and they want to be treated with respect. So, understand their values, use tasteful humour, and try to personalise your messaging as much as possible.
Conclusion: It’s hyper niche but it’s worth exploring
For the best results, it might be worth investing in a social media marketing agency with significant experience advertising on TikTok, and remaining up to date with the latest digital marketing trends. If you’re feeling a little out of your depth with the amount of research involved with successfully monetising the platform, it can definitely save you a lot of time and effort!
Again, the older demographic on TikTok is smaller, but it is certainly well worth exploring. There are a variety of different tools that you can use to gain more insights into their behaviour, likes, and dislikes, but if you put the time in and position your brand accordingly, TikTok can indeed be incredibly valuable for businesses who have an older audience
