TikTok is the video-sharing social network that has kept many practicing dance moves, laughing at pet videos, learning new recipes (or even Microsoft Excel tricks) — in short, spending many, many hours scrolling on our phones. The platform has become a phenomenon around the world, communities have been coming digitally together around common interests, one of them being books!
In the past, we've explored the use of social media among readers in our #AmReading research series. At the time, Snapchat, Pinterest, Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram were the main players in the social media game. While those platforms remain popular, TikTok has risen up the social media ranks.
TikTok has an estimated 850 million monthly active users.
In the US alone, at least 100 million people actively use the platform.
In the US, 62% of users are between 10 and 29 years old.
Users spend an average of 52 minutes per day on the app.
Content tagged with the hashtag #books has more than 1.6 billion views, #booksoftiktok, 15.4 million views, #bookworm, 1.7 billion views, and the list continues.
With stats like that TikTok is a platform where you can reach book lovers — AKA potential book buyers, library-goers, and indie bookstores supporters. Some big publishers are already using the platform and are going viral.
How to TikTok for bookish purposes
TikTok, like all other social media platforms, offers tons of marketing opportunities for business owners, including but not limited to ads. But where should you start?
1. Study the platform: Download the App and spend some time using it. Check your competitors' accounts — what are they doing, which hashtags are they using, what's trending? But more importantly, think about your target audience, is it young parents interested in reading material for their kids? Teenagers hoping to find their next read? Fiction aficionados? Fantasy lovers?
2. Create content: Be prepared to have fun and be creative. Engage your team in the process, and together create videos that:
get you likes, shares, and followers;
strengthen awareness about the book/bookstore/library/author you’re promoting;
invite viewers to visit your other social media platforms or website; and
are authentic and fun!
Remember, you don’t need to invest lots of money and resources. That’s actually part of the beauty of this platform: most of the content that does well on TikTok is raw, genuine, not overproduced. To give you an idea of what we’re talking about, here are some book-related videos that have lots of views:
emeliaevangeline shares an idea for a potential upcoming book
kellyygillann recommends books to her followers
epic_reads (a Harper Collins platform) reminds us of the random things we all use as bookmarks
a.pocketful.of.stars shares their library adventures opening a very old (and spooky) book
guinnessworldrecords shares a video of the tallest stack of Guinness World Records books arranged by folks from the bookstore Russell Books in Victoria, BC, Canada.
3. Up for a challenge? Challenges can be a fun and engaging way to connect with others on the platform. Some brands choose to incorporate giveaways, prizes, and incentives, but that’s not necessary. This compilation of TikTok book challenge videos is a great example of a fun, easy, non-awkward way to engage with TikTok users.
4. Have fun! Enjoy the process and learn from others, like these librarians who've found ways to create awesome content even during the pandemic.
Need more inspiration? Here are some bookish TikTok accounts that users love, and here’s a compilation of TikTok videos all about books! Need more reasons to give TikTok a try? Here are some quick facts that might convince you:
Author Kathy Ellen’s TikTok has more than 77 thousand followers
Penguin Teen TikTok has more than 200 thousand followers and 6.2 million likes
TikTokers are promoting content about bookstores
Media outlets are picking up stories about TikTok and readers
Sales and library circulation data of Cooking titles during the first quarter of 2024.