Is a major new enhancement to the famous TikTok video service offering esports betting companies a new and potentially exciting way to engage with potential future customers and their existing customer base?
It’s a good question and one that many across the entire breadth of the esports industry, not just those involved with esports betting, are asking themselves.
So why has TikTok become so important? What was the big change that offers many involved in esports this new opportunity to engage with fans and potential customers and what does all this mean for the future of esports with regards to the exposure and opportunities TikTok could provide?
In this post, we’ll attempt to answer all these pressing questions and more.
What Is So Important About TikTok?
As you are probably well aware, TikTok is a video sharing app developed in China. Most content on the very popular service, which had over one billion users by early 2021, are relatively short videos of around 15 seconds that features individuals dancing, lip-syncing and similar.
Now why are esports betting companies likely to be interested in just such an app? At first it doesn’t seem a logical fit. However, when you dig a little deeper into the facts and figures things become far clearer.
What TikTok does have which is of huge appeal to esports betting sites is a firm user base of esports target audience. Almost half of TikTok users are under the age of 34, and just over a quarter of them are aged between 18 and 24 years of age.
These cohorts make up the two most difficult generations, Millennials and the eldest of the Gen Zers (aged 18 to 23), that esports betting and industry companies are always seeking new ways to reach and interact with.
Furthermore, studies show that the average time someone spends on the TikTok app each day is a staggering 52 minutes. That means excellent coverage for companies that can utilise what the platform has to offer.
Despite all these positives, there was one problem. TikTok had a rule that only allowed videos of a maximum of 60 seconds. That was problematic for many companies who felt that 60 seconds was not long enough for them to showcase many of their options to potential users.
However, in July 2021, that all changed.
TikTok’s Crucial July 2021 Update
Apps are updated regularly and TikTok is no different but in July 2021, a major change came which could alter how TikTok is viewed within the esports industry forever.
From that update, all TikTok users could now post videos of up to three-minutes in length, rather than one minute.
Suddenly for esports betting services and similar, the chance to produce a single all-encompassing video, rather than having to break a video up into 60-second chunks, was possible.
Add to this the artificial intelligence system used by TikTok to match an individual with advertisers and businesses that are most likely to match their interests and suddenly, there is a ready-made market waiting for esports betting services and the like to access.
Reciprocity
Pleasingly for esports fans, TikTok has shown a real willingness to engage with the esports community. The company has partnered up with FIFA 21-team Tundra. We have also seen major tournament organisers such as ESL and game designers Riot Games use the platform extensively.
It will allow betting services to recycle some of their older, but still relevant YouTube videos, as well as creating bespoke content for the service which will appeal to the demographic and which, thanks to the way TikTok’s algorithms work, will be targeted at an audience most likely to be interested in what the sites has to offer.
Add to that TikTok’s seamless integration of business services and the ability for it to generate revenue, all makes it hugely appealing for esports betting companies, and indeed anyone engaged in esports.
With a growing base of users, many of whom fit the esports demographic perfectly, betting companies are likely developing their own TikTok presence and advertising as we speak.
And if they are not, then they risk missing out on a huge opportunity.
