By Jonathan Baker Generally, we tend to think of TikTok as a “young person’s” social media platform. Images of happy teenagers and twenty-somethings snapping smiling selfies of themselves usually come to mind. Guess what? We were wrong. The appeal of TikTok knows no age limit. (Marketers, take note.) It’s Not Just a Young Person’s Platform A recent e-Marketer article presented eye-opening findings from CivicScience about TikTok’s appeal—across all generations. While younger users of the platform focus on socializing, their parents (and even grandparents) are utilizing TikTok to browse and shop products and services among favorite brands. The title of the e-Marketer article—TikTok adoption skyrockets among older consumers, proving their enduring buying power—summarizes this appreciation among everyone from Baby Boomers to Millennials, as facts and figures reveal… Steadily Rising Statistics The graph below shows that younger TikTok users are still in the lead. This is not surprising. Note that the slightly older age group, however, are at a close second place, followed by 35-to-44-year-old users and then 45-plus year-olds. Image Credit: e-Marketer Despite being in “last place,” usage of TikTok among these older users has increased 1,200 percent within the last six years! Think of the untapped marketing opportunities. Time to Target Older TikTok Audiences Marketers who have zeroed in on trying to reach younger users (read: consumers) should apply more love to older age groups. Consider: TikTok users, from the age of 25 and up, are more financially stable. And this stability, generally, will increase as these users grow older. This means more disposable income and more buying power. In fact, these more mature consumers have already been purchasing via social media. Take another glance at the graph. Then continue reading… Time and Engagement Pay Off Since 2023, approximately two-thirds of Baby Boomers made purchases via digital platforms. Additionally, 32 percent of users aged 45 and above stated that social media had some degree of influence on their purchase decision-making. Despite being “late bloomers” to social, findings show that older users spend more time on their platforms of choice than younger counterparts. Studies from YouGov reveal that on an average weekday, a combined 53 percent of Baby Boomers and Generation X spend anywhere between one and five hours engaging with social media. (Conclusion: Brands have more time to make their presences known, especially on TikTok.) Takeaway The moral of this blog is to go beyond presuming how a certain marketing method will appeal to only one specific age group. Yes, younger TikTok fans are still a vital audience but this platform—as well as other social media sites—has become increasingly popular among older users. Don’t they deserve to see their favorite brands here? Have you missed the opportunity to promote your brand on TikTok? Don’t worry. The Social Meda at EGC have the expertise to craft a presence that will make your products and services stand out—to any age group. Visit our Social Media Mastery page for more details.
