Should You Be On TikTok?

By Corrie Pelc Advice for using the hottest

Social Media App

Nowadays, every bowling center and FEC is on Facebook, and most are on Instagram. But what about TikTok?

Adding another social media platform to your marketing mix may seem unnecessary because everyone has limited staff and time. However, TikTok offers an opportunity to reach new audiences differently.

What is TikTok?

According to Steven Saxton, content manager at digital marketing firm TrustWorkz Inc., TikTok is a short-form video platform, with videos from 30 seconds up to about three minutes in length.

“The easiest way to explain it would be like a shortened version of YouTube that is kind of bite-size, so something that people can consume quickly,” he explains. “And it’s turned into a platform like a visual Twitter — people can use it to create trends and follow trends, find out more about their favorite businesses or topics, and it grows from there.”

Industry experts report about 39% of TikTok’s global audience is adults ages 18 to 24. And the next most significant audience, encompassing approximately 32% of TikTok, is adults ages 25 to 34. In both age ranges, women use TikTok more than men.

Attracting that younger demographic was one of the main reasons Kati Manning created a TikTok account for her business, La Ru Bowling Center & Sports Bar in Highland Heights, KY. “We are very close to a local college, and I know that is a trendy platform for college-age and high school [age],” she says. “And we do a lot with youth bowling here.”

Showing the Fun Side

Saxton says the best way for FECs and bowling centers to use TikTok is to showcase what they have in their facility and how people use it. “If you want to showcase your new or refinished lanes, that will do well on TikTok because you can show it in real time,” he detailed.

Saxton notes that TikTok allows you to provide quicker updates on events and new offerings. “Instead of pushing out an article on your website or Facebook, take a 20-30 second video to say, ‘We’ve refinished our lanes, come enjoy them now.’ People can see that just as it happened.”