TikTok has been one of the fastest-growing social media platforms in existence—so your brand needs to pay attention to it. Especially (as you’ll find out shortly) because TikTok has such a large presence of younger generations, it’s important for brands to learn how to use this marketing channel properly.
Not only do brands need to pay attention to key TikTok stats like demographics and usage, but they also need to pay attention to their TikTok analytics. All of these things can help inform a brand’s TikTok strategy so they can better target their ideal customer.
To help you create a TikTok marketing strategy that will work for your brand, we’ve compiled a list of 28 TikTok stats marketers need to know in 2023. Let’s dig in.
Table of contents
TikTok stats that are changing the social media landscape
TikTok is already making waves in the social media world. As we mentioned, it’s been the fastest-growing social media platform so far, reaching 1 billion users the fastest of all other social networks.
To stay ahead of the competition, having a TikTok tool to level up your strategy is only the beginning. To truly take advantage of the platform, you need to understand stats and trends that show how powerful TikTok has become for brands and their users.
1. TikTok was the #1 most-downloaded app in Q1 2022
TikTok saw the most downloads in Q1 2022, surpassing Instagram for the top spot of the quarter. It has generated over 3.5 billion downloads total, becoming the fifth app of all time to hit this threshold—and the only one not owned by Meta.
2. TikTok is the highest grossing non-game app
Based on Q1 2022 revenue from both the App Store and the Google Play store, TikTok generated $821 million in consumer spending. This spending is based on revenue generated directly through the app stores.
3. 34% of adults have an unfavorable opinion of TikTok
TikTok is one of the more controversial social media platforms, with one-third of all U.S. adults having an unfavorable opinion of the platform. This is compared to 37% of adults who have a more favorable opinion of the platform, becoming one of the only social networks with nearly equal favorability.
4. TikTok is #4 on the Apple Store’s top free apps
TikTok is currently fourth on Apple’s top free apps. Not only that but its parent company ByteDance’s newest app, CapCut, is currently listed at number two.
TikTok user statistics
Let’s take a look at the data revolving around TikTok’s platform and its users.
5. TikTok has over 1 billion monthly active users
TikTok’s newsroom announced in September 2021 that TikTok had hit the 1 billion MAU milestone. They have not released any user data since this announcement, but it’s safe to assume that the platform likely has more monthly active users at this point.
6. The U.S. has the largest TikTok audience of any country
The United States has the largest collection of TikTok users globally with 113 million monthly unique users. However, the Chinese version of the app Douyin has 600 million monthly active users based in China.
7. More Gen Zers use TikTok than Instagram
TikTok is quickly becoming the most popular app among those in Gen Z. Gen Zers are currently using TikTok more often than Instagram, and predictions show that they will be using TikTok more than Snapchat in the next few years as well.
8. @khaby.lame is the most-followed TikTok user
The top five most-followed TikTok users are:
- @khaby.lame — 154.7 million followers
- @charliedamelio — 149.8 million followers
- @bellapoarch — 92.8 million followers
- @addisonre — 88.9 million followers
- @mrbeast — 75.7 million followers
9. 40% of TikTok users don’t have a Facebook profile
While most TikTok users do have presences on other social media platforms, Facebook and Twitter aren’t often one of them. 40% of TikTok users aren’t on Facebook and 63% aren’t on Twitter.
TikTok usage statistics
How are TikTok’s 1 billion users actually using the app? Let’s look at some of the data surrounding the usage of the platform.
10. TikTok was the most-downloaded mobile app in 2022
TikTok was the most-downloaded mobile app globally in 2022. The app generated 672 million downloads, well ahead of the second-place app Instagram with 548 million downloads.
11. Kids spent 62% more time watching videos on TikTok than YouTube
TikTok is increasingly becoming more popular with younger generations. We mentioned Gen Z, but it looks like Gen Alpha is following the same path. Kids spend 62% more time (about 23 more minutes per day) watching videos on TikTok than on YouTube.
12. 29% of users access the app daily
Out of TikTok’s 1 billion or so monthly active users, nearly one-third of those users access the app to watch video content each day.
13. The average user spends 95 minutes per day on the app
According to the same study, the average TikTok user is spending 95 minutes per day watching TikTok videos.
Statista broke that down a bit more and found that:
- 30% of users watch for less than an hour each week
- 19% for 1 hour
- 19% for 1-2 hours
- 15% for 2-5 hours
- 11% for 5-10 hours
- 6% for 10+ hours
14. Users spend 19.6 hours on TikTok per month
When it comes to monthly usage, TikTok users are spending nearly 20 hours on the app each month watching, interacting with and posting video content.
TikTok audience and demographics statistics
So who are these users? Here are a few stats on TikTok’s social media demographics.
15. 25% of TikTok’s U.S. users are aged 10-19
A full quarter of TikTok’s user-base is between the ages of 10-19. Children aged 12 and younger are part of Generation Alpha (born in the early 2010s) but the rest are part of Gen Z, further proving that younger generations are big on this app. 22.4% of TikTok’s users are 20-29, 21.7% are 30-39, 20.3% are 40-49 and 11% are 50+.
16. 54% of TikTok’s users are women
TikTok’s users are split almost evenly by gender, with 54% being women and 46% being men. (There is no data on users of other genders.)
17. The top three countries of TikTok users are the U.S., Indonesia and Brazil
TikTok’s most popular countries (other than China, where Douyin reigns supreme) are the United States with 113 million users, Indonesia with 110 million users and Brazil with 82 million users.
TikTok advertising and marketing statistics
If your brand is going to have a presence on TikTok, you need to understand statistics around marketing and advertising on TikTok.
18. 18% of marketers are using TikTok
Shockingly, only 18% of marketers are using TikTok. With such big opportunities for brands on TikTok, more marketers should be making this platform a priority.
19. Bytedance generated $38.6 billion in ad revenue
Bytedance, the parent company of TikTok, got the third spot in the global ranking of media companies’ ad revenue for 2021, generating $38.6 billion in total.
20. Ad revenue was expected to increase by 26% in 2022
Projections showed that TikTok’s ad revenue (already third in 2021) was expected to increase by 26% in 2022. We don’t yet have the data on the exact increase—but TikTok has obviously been successful in its advertising endeavor.
TikTok engagement statistics
How engaging is TikTok? Is going viral on TikTok the only way to get engagement on your videos? Let’s look at some TikTok stats surrounding its overall engagement rates and more.
21. TikTok is the most engaging social media platform
With an average engagement rate of 4.25%, TikTok is by far the most engaging social media platform. In second place was Instagram with an average engagement rate of just 0.60%.
22. TikTok’s engagement rate is decreasing by 28% per year
Although TikTok is still the most engaging platform, it may not stay that way for long. As it stands, TikTok’s average engagement rate has been falling by about 28% each year.
23. TikTok influencers see an average engagement rate of 15.86%
Considering working with an influencer? Do it—their engagement rate is more than triple the regular engagement rate at 15.86%. And in the U.S., TikTok influencers see an even higher engagement rate of 17.99%.
TikTok for business stats
Should your brand be on TikTok? How can TikTok affect brands? Using TikTok for business can have many advantages, but first, it is essential to understand how your target audience uses the platform.
24. 55% of TikTok users have bought something after seeing the brand on the app
TikTok users are shopping. More than half (55%) of users have made a purchase after seeing a brand on TikTok. Create a consistent presence on TikTok to start generating more sales from your viewers.
25. 50% of TikTok users have bought something after watching a TikTok Live
According to a TikTok study, half of its users have made a purchase directly due to watching a TikTok live from a brand or about the purchase. Live shopping is a major trend that can help you increase sales.
26. Macro-influencers charge between $151-793 per post
Macro-influencers have between 100,000 and 1 million followers. Their average rate per brand post falls between $151 and $793. Mega influencer rates start at $1,034 per post.
27. The top three brands on TikTok are TikTok, Netflix and NBA
TikTok is the top brand on its own app with 62 million followers. Netflix is in second with 23 million followers and NBA comes third with 15 million followers.
Use these TikTok stats to inform your strategy
Ready to create an effective TikTok strategy for your brand? Keep these TikTok statistics in mind as you begin creating your content so you know exactly who to target and how to go about it. Then check out Sprout Social’s TikTok management tools to support your TikTok marketing efforts.