Saving the world one TikTok at a time

TikTok has recently launched itsir ‘TikTok for good’ initiative. The platform is looking to inspire and encourage a new generation to have a positive impact on the planet and those around them. Many organisations have been able to use TikTok to their advantage by activating supporters and raising awareness around specific causes.

Take #EduTok, the platform’s most popular ‘for good’ challenge to date, which has encouraged a huge number of users to create both educational and motivational content around a variety of themes. A staggering 8.8 million videos have been created within this challenge, with over 48 billion views.

And in partnership with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, TikTok launched a global campaign to raise awareness of climate change. Using in-app special effects, filters and stickers, users drew attention to the warnings around climate change and called on people to better protect our planet. An incredible 384 million video views were achieved as a result.

It’s important to recognise that whilst TikTok has a huge audience, it may not necessarily be the right approach for your organisation. The platform’s content mostly appeals to Gen Zers, so if your audience doesn’t directly target a younger crowd then this is your first sign that it may not be for you.

Secondly, you’ll need to consider if your subject matter is well suited to the platform itself. Whilst you just need a smartphone to create TikTok content, making it a very cost-effective way of video marketing, you also need to remember that your content needs to be both engaging and original. Creating this sort of content sadly isn’t possible for all organisations as it often won’t match too well with their product or service offering.

TikTok has a future in education and awareness if used correctly, as it can easily bring together people from all over the world. ‘TikTok for good’ can allow charities and organisations to thrive and reach new audiences, whilst also helping to raise awareness and motivate new supporters.

But whilst the platform’s initiative offers a lot of potential new opportunities for purpose-driven organisations, it’s important to remember that all marketing channels you choose to use should closely align with your organisation’s strategy and goals. So if TikTok just isn’t the right fit, don’t force it.

If you’re interested in finding out if and how ‘TikTok for good’ could work for your organisation, chat to us and we’d love to see how we can work together.

*Douyin and TikTok have since evolved to become two separate entities.