What brands can do to empower communities
 on TikTok

With a global community of over one billion people, there is a diverse audience on TikTok. But it's not just about the numbers; it's also about how people feel when using our platform. At TikTok, we empower our community to create and consume lots of different types of content, enabling unlimited discovery that isn't dictated by who or what you already know.

To better understand the role TikTok plays in supporting diverse communities and how brands can leverage the platform to empower these communities, we conducted a study of our audience in the United Kingdom, United States, Italy, Germany and France. Read on to find out what we learned.

The unique pillars supporting diversity on TikTok

Representation

TikTok enables unique and authentic narratives to be heard – 56% of the TikTok community feels that TikTok is the most inclusive platform for storytelling, with millions of people sharing their points of view each day. For example, Ugandan creator @Angellasummernamu challenges mainstream thinking by giving users a closer look into her reality of living in a rural Ugandan village and @thistrippyhippie uses conversations and skits to raise awareness of the reality of living with Tourette's syndrome.

Education

Education and learning, which is at the core of TikTok's content, helps promote awareness and inclusivity. That might be why 67% of users feel they have learnt a lot about different people and cultures on TikTok, thanks to creators like @mitreden, who shares the lived experiences of marginalised groups – those who identify as having identity markers that are marginalised e.g. gender, ethnicity, ability, sexuality or religion – and @genderfenderbender, who provides practical everyday advice on how to be a better ally to these groups.

Community

72% of the TikTok community feels it's easy to connect and bond around shared life experiences on the platform. This sense of community creates digital kinship among users and enables them to connect over specific topics, interests and experiences. To give you a glimpse of this in action, TikTok creators @sarahdawnofficial and @arthurbaucheron are igniting conversation for distinct groups: people with keloid scars and people with disabilities.

Collaborative creation is also helping communities shape a shared identity. Using the #voiceactingchallenge, @iamwavez brings together emerging voice actors who are marginalised in the industry to share their love of anime and promote their talents.

Influence

TikTok has become the platform where communities rally together to change behaviour and redefine industry standards. With hashtags like #MidSize gathering over 3.2 billion video views and creators like @beccyihx changing the conversation around skin texture, it's no surprise that 65% of users feel communities on TikTok have the power to create change.

Where brands fit in

So, how should brands engage with these communities on TikTok? According to our study, 69% of users would like to see brands take real-world action in support of marginalised groups. So, for brands to show that they truly care, they need to take a position.

Users of the platform don't just want to see brands engage during key events and moments; 70% want to see brands supporting marginalised groups all year round. An always-on approach is thus key to understanding and representing diverse communities on TikTok, building trust and making meaningful change.

With that in mind, here are four recommendations to help you keep diversity and inclusion at the heart of your TikTok strategy:

1. Increase representation by working with diverse creators year-round.

Virgin Media partnered with Carers UK to share the experience of young carers in their own words, including Nat who talked about the struggle of balancing full-time work with caring for a loved one.

2. Educate your audience by sharing stories about cultures and perspectives that aren't often represented.

Red Bull partnered with @kahlilgreene, a popular history and politics creator, on a video teaching the history of Go-Go as an important part of Black cultural history.

3. Build digital kinship with a community by getting involved or creating challenges that encourage marginalised groups to share their stories.

Channel 4 encouraged individuals to celebrate their differences in a Branded Effect Hashtag challenge #AltogetherDifferent with a custom sound "Tell me you're different, without telling me you're different."

4. Rally together by inviting other causes, brands, partners and customers into your campaigns and share the changes you're making.

Dermalogica launched their Candid Conversations campaign, which focused on the skin positivity movement, partnering with creators within the space who proudly showed their skin imperfections.

As industry expert Serhat Ekinci, Managing Director of diversity and inclusion driven agency OMG UNITE, says: "Our purpose at OMG UNITE is to diversify brands' marketing approaches to be inclusive of all, and it is no surprise that TikTok’s research validates that this is what their community wants. The importance for brands to use their power to stand by marginalised communities, representing and supporting them authentically to drive equity and inclusivity is clear."

Khartoon Weiss, Global Head of Agency & Accounts at TikTok, adds: "People come to TikTok as a safe place where they feel seen, heard and supported. Our community wants brands to champion unsung narratives, partner with and promote creators from underrepresented backgrounds, and give others scale to tell their stories. Our community wants brands to bravely take on issues facing certain groups, educate the world on biases, and showcase stories which challenge stereotypes through inclusive content. When communities feel empowered by brands, then they will empower them back."

At TikTok, we take pride and responsibility in providing diverse communities a platform to be seen and heard. To learn more about what we're doing to empower our audience and how your brand can get involved, read about how we're celebrating the LGBTQIA community, empowering #BlackTikTok and our ongoing commitment to diversity and inclusion. And to stay informed of future initiatives, sign up to the TikTok for Business newsletter.

References

TikTok Marketing Science Global, Diversity on TikTok 2022, conducted by Flamingo Group.