#tiktokmademebuyit

TikTok is the hottest social media platform today. Its users are the most valuable commodity for many brands today. NPR podcast The Indicator, looked at how “TikTok made me buy it.” This episode tries to answer the question, posed by a TikTok user in the podast, “Why is TikTok so good at making me buy things?”

I love how it was explained in the podcast by Jamie Gutfreund, CMO at the influencer marketing firm Whalar. “This is not advertising. It’s discovery. People feel smart when they discover something. They’re not being sold to. They’re discovering something that has been presented in an entertaining way by somebody that they trust that’s telling them a story that they found on their own terms in their own time.”

This seems to be the best of all worlds here. We know that referrals from friends have a strong influence on our buying decisions. And while paid influencers are not our friends, they can influence. I think the playful, entertaining TikTok platform lowers users’ guards. Their defenses down, they are more open to the ideas presented on TikTok. Combine that with TikTok’s powerful algorithm (which is so good at delivering the content people like) and you have the ultimate platform for influencers. If this story is any indication, Facebook and Instagram are in trouble.

For a little in-class fun, check out the tiktokmademebuyit page. Pick one or two of the TikToks and show them in class. Ask student what makes them work? Maybe misspelling “business” so that the “ad” looks more credible?