TikTok has become quite the happening place.

Halfway through 2022, TikTok is the third-largest social network worldwide. This achievement is the result of a quick ascension: The site more than doubled its user base between 2019 and 2021 (eMarketer). But what fueled its explosive growth?

In early 2020, as COVID-19 forced everyone to stay home and socially distance, people began searching for new forms of entertainment and connection. TikTok not only allowed users to come together in a digital space but also gave an increasingly stressed populace some much-needed levity. The pandemic accelerated the platform’s growth by aging up its audience as well: Even though it started out with a younger demographic, TikTok took off because it began reaching older generations. In fact, according to Sprout Social, 42% of current users are aged 30–49, and that number should grow as the platform continues to build popularity and cast a wider net.

TikTok is a place where users and creators feel they have the freedom to be their true, authentic selves. In this seemingly judgment-free zone, people are comfortable taking off their masks and showing the world their creativity. Unlike the intentional personas that users often feel the need to create and maintain on other platforms, TikTok has become a place of authenticity.

It’s also a place where brands can — and are encouraged to — be themselves with their audience. But is TikTok right for your brand?

Should your brand be on TikTok?

Before I share my thoughts on the benefits of embracing the TikTok movement, let’s walk through some interesting stats regarding the platform’s consumers:

• TikTok has more than 1 billion active monthly users.

• Platform users watch around 24 hours of content on the app each month. (This surpasses the average time spent watching content on YouTube.)

• 90% of users access the app every day.

• 43% of users try something new after seeing it on TikTok.

• TikTok is 1.7 times more likely than other platforms to be the source for product discovery.

While some of these numbers are impressive, you won’t use the platform effectively with a purely statistical approach — it needs to be bigger than that. Ultimately, TikTok gives your brand a place to connect with your audience in a new, more personal way. It’s not formal. And you’re not talking at your audience — you’re becoming part of the larger community while taking a chance to show the world the lighter, more entertaining side of your brand.

TikTok effectively puts the “social” back in social media — something that almost seems to have fallen by the wayside considering how many brands operate on other platforms. TikTok saw how other platforms operated and where they fell short and took advantage of those missed opportunities. It strips away the pretense and formality and lets you have some fun. And you should have fun. Doing so makes you more relatable and approachable.

My favorite metaphor for how to approach TikTok is to treat it like throwing spaghetti against the wall. It might feel weird and uncomfortable at first, but you need to do it to see what will stick.

But wait … is TikTok right for every brand?

While you may want to consider TikTok as part of your social media strategy, it’s not necessarily appropriate for every brand. To be successful, the content you publish needs to be maintained and sustained. TikTok creators rely on visual content, and you must have a large inventory to keep your channel alive and healthy.

Ask yourself, “Do we have the assets and capabilities to post and maintain a consistent cadence?” While the most successful creators might be those who are dancers and influencers, they are also the ones going out each day to create and share something new.

Even if you’re already on TikTok, you might quickly realize you’ve used up all the content you have. You may need to seriously consider whether you have the assets and bandwidth to create new content at an appropriate consistency, or whether you should focus your time elsewhere. Think through what you would need to continue and whether doing so would be worth your investment.

For brands in the home and building category, there are plenty of ways to frequently publish fresh TikTok content. Here are a few:

• Harness the power of quick, simple and fun how-to videos that will excite your audience to try something new.

• Share before-and-after images or videos to show how your product or service can dramatically change a room or setting.

• Film and share time lapses of projects to show your team or customers in action. Pair a time lapse with fun, upbeat music, and you have a great, shareable video.