This is part of the 2024 series of social media guides for libraries. It includes:
We’ll cover Twitter/X on Dec. 18. Stay tuned!
TikTok for libraries
The number of libraries who say they post on TikTok actually declined in 2023, according to the annual Super Library Marketing Survey. 16 percent of libraries say they use the platform to promote their library. That’s down three percentage points from the previous year.
Many libraries are prohibited from downloading the app to their library-owned devices due to concerns about privacy and reports that the app’s owners share data that could pose a national security risk.
However, a quick Google search of “Libraries on TikTok” returns 12.5 million results as of this writing. Those include news stories by NBC’s Today Show, The New York Times, and Mashable about how libraries are turning to the app to reach new audiences. That narrative is driven by recent viral TikToks from Milwaukee Library and the Cincinnati Public Library. And of course, BookTok is incredibly popular with young readers.
So, I think if your library has permission to use the app AND if your library has the time and staff to post to TikTok, it can be an effective way to market your library and particularly your collection.
How are people using TikTok right now?
Here are some stats to consider from Demandsage and SocialPilot.
- TikTok has 1.2 billion monthly active users. That’s twice as many active monthly users as Instagram. 🤔
- The United States boasts the most TikTok users, with more than 150 million active users.
- Globally, the average TikTok user spends 55 minutes a day on the platform.
- The average U.S. TikTok user opens the app 9 times a day.
- TikTok use is split evenly along gender lines.
- 70 percent of TikTok users are between the ages of 18 and 34 years old.
- TikTok is the search engine of choice for 74 percent of Gen Z respondents according to a survey done by Her Campus Media, a media and college marketing company. They prefer it over Google because of the video format and relevant, relatable answers.
How much success can we see on TikTok?
These engagement stats come from SocialPilot and Influencer Marketing Hub.
- The average engagement rate on TikTok is a whopping 4.25 percent, much higher than Instagram or Facebook.
- 92 percent of users take some kind of action after watching a TikTok, such as liking a video, commenting on it, or sharing it with others. That’s the nexus behind that giant engagement rate.
- More than a million videos are viewed every day on the platform.
- 63 percent of users follow someone new on TikTok at least once each month.
The TikTok algorithm for 2024
TikTok users have two ways to view their feeds. The Following view shows them content from the accounts they follow. The For You option shows content based on an algorithm. So, here are the ranking signals TikTok uses to decide who sees your videos under the For You option.
- Video quality: High-quality videos are more likely to be recommended by the TikTok algorithm.
- Video completeness: TikTok will place more value on your videos if people watch them from start to finish.
- Engagement metrics: Likes, shares, comments, and saves of your library videos all play a big role in the algorithm.
- Video information: The captions, hashtags, and descriptions you use for your library TikTok videos play a vital role in helping the algorithm understand the context and content of your video.
Here are four ways to get the best organic reach for your library’s TikTok videos in 2024.
Try to keep your videos around 60 seconds in length–but also experiment with video length😊.
According to Statista, the sweet spot for TikTok video length appears to be around 54 seconds. Videos that are shorter than that get marginally lower engagement rates. However, this is not a hard and fast rule. If you have the time and energy, experiment!
As of this writing, it appears that TikTok may soon expand the allowed video upload length to 15 minutes. Currently, users can upload a video that is 10 minutes long, so the jump is significant.
The increase in video upload length makes sense for the platform, because longer videos will, in theory, increase the amount of time people spend on TikTok. So, if you see the option in your feed, experiment with it to see if your followers respond to that long video format.
I’ll add a little personal story here: My 23-year-old daughter loves longer TikTok videos. She told me longer videos mean she doesn’t have to scroll, so she can listen while she’s doing her makeup. That bolded word is important. If you do longer videos, you may want to consider using spoken word audio instead of music to improve the odds that someone will engage with your long-form videos.
Always add your location to your videos, hashtags, and captions.
One of the downsides of TikTok (and all social media platforms, if we’re being honest) is that it is programmed to boost the reach of videos by showing them to the largest audience possible. That’s great for global brands. And terrible for our hyper-localized libraries.
You can either aim for lots of video views, or you can aim for views of people in your service area who could use your library. I prefer the latter.
So, for videos that are about localized services, add a location to your video. You’ll do that in the final stages of uploading, right after you add your caption. Be as specific as possible. TikTok will take that information and target people on the For You page by geography. By adding location, you’re more likely to get your videos in front of people in your service area.
If you post an entertaining video that doesn’t refer to one of your services directly, then you may omit the location. Just remember you may get more views of that video, but many of those viewers won’t ever be able to visit your library. Great for your stats (and ego), but not so great for your library’s overall goals.
Spend time on hashtags and key phrases for your captions.
Hashtags play a significant role in your library’s engagement success on TikTok. Users who watch or create a video with a specific hashtag will be more likely to see videos that use that hashtag in the future. So if someone talks about books and uses the #BookTok hashtag, and then your library also uses #BookTok, that person will be more likely to see your video.
This is particularly important because TikTok just launched a new “Customize Feed” option within your For You page settings. This new feature allows a follower to specifically tell the app what content they want to see. TikTok uses that input to customize the user’s feed.
I haven’t seen this option in my TikTok app yet, but it could be good for your library—allowing followers who love books or libraries to see your content without having to search for you. The hashtags you use for your content will be important because TikTok will use them to connect your videos to the people who really want to see them.
Likewise, including key phrases like “find something to read in Cincinnati” or “free things to do with kids in Cincinnati” in your captions will increase the chance your library’s videos will be seen by people in your area looking for your services. TikTok has increased the caption length to 4000 characters. Use that extra space to create more detailed and optimized captions for search, as Lake County Public Library does in the video below.
Respond to comments
Replying to comments may not boost the reach of your library videos in the short term. But it will incentivize people to interact with your library.
Replying to comments, even if that’s just liking a comment, builds a personal relationship with your viewers. And that relationship can lead to long-term benefits for the performance of your library’s TikTok account.
As mentioned above, the TikTok algorithm rewards content that has a lot of engagement and comments. High comment volume indicates to the algorithm that many people are interested in the content. Your replies to comments count in that volume calculation.
So, make an effort to respond and acknowledge each video comment you receive. See the example below from Palm Harbor Library.
Maybe also try…
Pinning videos to the top of your profile: TikTok may be one of the rare social media platforms where users visit a profile page. So, pin videos that showcase the overall theme of your TikTok account. Doing so often boosts views. Orion Township Public Library has pinned videos, including the one below.
Responding to videos with a video: Replies are one of the best ways to increase your engagement on TikTok. They amplify your library’s reach by getting your video in front of a whole new audience of followers.
Video replies also let your followers know that you are reading their comments and are actively interacting with them. They’re more likely to continue to comment, like, and share your videos when they know someone is paying attention.
You can also use video replies to answer questions about your library or library-related topics like Freedom to Read and library stereotypes.
How often and when to post on TikTok
TikTok recommends you post at least once a day, including weekends, for optimum performance. They will give your library more reach if you are supplying the platform with fresh, daily content.
Research by various marketing firms and experts suggests posting in the morning is best for engagement.
P.S. Want more help?
It’s Never too Early! Get Ready to Promote Your Library on TikTok This Holiday Season
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Super Library Marketing: Practical Tips and Ideas for Library Promotion 
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