Should you really be focusing on TikTok?

Author

Andrew Southworth
August 21, 2023

Hey music-fam!

Everyone keeps talking about how TikTok is the best social media platform to focus on, especially for music artists.

People say it has the best organic reach, and that its the platform most popular amongst Gen Z.

But is this really true?

My personal experience is that I get better organic reach on Instagram Reels compared to TikTok. For both my music and my music marketing content.

Gen Z Social Media Usage

Lets talk about which social media platforms are most popular for Gen Z users. Now before you say ‘but my audience isn’t Gen Z’, let me address that.

Gen Z goes up to 24 years old, and the current young generation often dictates what social platforms will become the trend for all ages going forward.

If you’re wondering why that is, take a look at this graph:

From Morning Consult

While 20% of adults spend less than 1 hour per day on social media, 38% of Gen Z spends more than 4 hours on social media per day.

Gen Z uses social media so much that they interact with their friends on social media more than either at work or at school combined.

Now lets dive into which platforms Gen Z uses the most.

From Morning Consult

In case thats too hard to read:

  • 88% use YouTube

  • 76% use Instagram

  • 68% use TikTok

  • 67% use Snapchat

  • 49% use Facebook

  • 47% use Twitter

  • 35% use Discord

  • 30% use Reddit

  • 24% use Twitch

  • 15% use BeReal

Not only TikTok in 3rd place, but its not even close. YouTube is dominating Instagram at 2nd place, and Instagram is dominating TikTok.

I found it shocking that TikTok and Snapchat are basically tied. I was also shocked that 49% use Facebook, considering how much people say that Facebook is “only for old people”.

Which Social Media Platform For You?

In general I would recommend picking one or two main platforms to focus on.

However one beautiful thing between TikTok, Instagram Reels, Facebook Reels and YouTube Shorts is the same video can generally work across all 4 platforms.

Then you can use a social media scheduling tool like Later to easily schedule your social media content. Later is the only reason i’m able to keep up with the social media grind, and they also have a great LinkInBio tool - check it out here.

I would also recommend leaning on your strengths and preferences. If writing is more your style, maybe focus on Twitter, Threads and Reddit. For Twitter scheduling I use something called Hypefury.

If live streaming is more your jam, then YouTube, Twitch, Kick or Facebook might be best.

The most important thing is that you pick some platforms, make great content and stick with it at a high frequency for at least 6 months. Also, pay attention to where your demographic is hanging out online.

So TikTok Is Bad?

Definitely not (well at least not form a content creator’s perspective). All i’m saying is that you shouldn’t blindly trust that TikTok is definitely the best platform for you.

I’ve spoken to so many artists that just don’t feel like they fit in on TikTok. They force it to try and make it work, but they don’t see results and it just doesn’t feel right.

If this is you, then I don’t think you should waste your time. The gold rush of blowing up on the new platform is long over, it’s just as hard to blow up there as it is on Instagram or YouTube.

But also i’ve seen some people that think TikTok is just dancing and cat videos, which is also completely false. The other day I saw this 5 minute documentary style video covering the science behind that Titanic submarine that imploded, it had millions of views.

New Content

How many Spotify streams would you need to go full time with your music? Or to make minimum wage? How about Apple Music, Tidal, Amazon Music etc? Check out this video to find out!

Recently i’ve been posting a lot on Twitter (or now X, I guess):

News

Here are some music industry news highlights from the past week.

  • Avid, the company that makes Pro Tools, was acquired for $1.4 Billion.

  • SoundExchange is suing SiruisXM for $150 Million in unpaid royalties.

  • New York City has banned TikTok on government devices citing security concerns.

  • Amazon Music has raised their prices.

  • YouTube Music is adding a shorts-like feed called ‘Samples’.

Quote of the Week

❝

It's better to hang out with people better than you. Pick out associates whose behavior is better than yours and you'll drift in that direction.

Warren Buffett

Whenever you’re ready, there are 4 ways I can help you:

  1. My courses. Spotify Growth Machine teaches you how to use Facebook ads to promote your music on Spotify. YouTube Growth Machine teaches you how to grow a YouTube channel organically and how to use YouTube ads. Fan Growth Machine teaches you how to build a website, online store and grow your email list.

  2. My ad agency. Forbid Media specializes in running Facebook conversion ads to promote your music on Spotify.

  3. Website / Store / Funnels. MusicFunnels is the best all-in-one platform for music artists to make a website, online store, sales funnels and build their mailing list.

  4. 1-on-1 consulting. You can book 1-hour calls with myself or Alex Bochel here.

My Links:

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If you’d rather just purchase the e-book, or physical book or audiobook you can do so here.

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