If you haven’t developed a TikTok marketing strategy, you’re already behind.
It’s easy to dismiss TikTok as a playground for Gen Z, viral dances, and fleeting memes.
But it’s fast becoming a search engine in its own right, reshaping how UK consumers discover new products, evaluate brands, and decide what to buy.
If TikTok isn’t a key part of your digital marketing strategy, you’re missing something essential.
Based on real performance data and audience behaviour from active campaigns, we’ve seen first-hand how TikTok is reshaping search habits and speeding up decisions across demographics.
Here, we’ll share our exclusive insights gathered from GWI to help you understand the shifts TikTok is driving right now and what they mean.
1. TikTok is where discovery happens.
If you think TikTok is just another social feed, think again. It’s fast becoming the UK’s default discovery engine, where potential customers are using content to decide what to buy, where to go, and which brands are worth their time.
What this looks like:
- 34.9% of UK TikTok users use the app to see what’s trending (index 169.8)
- 32.6% look for inspiration for things to buy, do or visit (index 150.9)
- 25% use it to find products to purchase (index 160.6)
That’s a significant share of users engaging in high-intent, pre-search behaviour, before they ever turn to Google.
What this means for your brand: TikTok is a top-of-funnel environment where emotional connection and brand salience are built. The goal is not just to appear, but to be remembered when buying situations arise.
2. Culture-first content earns attention.
TikTok users are actively plugged into culture. They’re creators, not just consumers. And they over-index in real-time, socially driven behaviours.
What this looks like:
- +113% more likely to follow influencers
- +52% more likely to watch live streams
- +51% more likely to avoid missing out (FOMO)
This is a culture-hungry audience that values immediacy, connection, and relevance. Brands that bring culturally relevant, timely content win attention and earn credibility.
What this means for your brand: Forget polished promos. Instead, focus on creator-led storytelling, live formats, and content that participates in culture, rather than interrupts it. Authenticity beats perfection here.
3. The path to purchase now runs through social.
TikTok is flipping the traditional marketing funnel. Discovery doesn’t follow need; it creates it. And increasingly, social platforms are the first stop in the research journey.
What this looks like:
- +171% index for researching products on social networks
- +203% on vlogs
- +175% on mobile apps
- +157% on video sites
Meanwhile, traditional brand websites and search engines under-index. If your strategy is still built around Google, you’re planning for yesterday’s buying journey.
What this means for your brand: Your TikTok content is your storefront. Build shoppable, social-first experiences that drive discovery and decision-making in the same place.
4. This is your next customer: urban, female, and under 35.
TikTok in the UK isn’t niche. It’s mainstream. And it’s shaping brand perceptions for the buyers who matter most.
What this looks like:
- 63% of users are female (vs 51% of the general population)
- 67% are under 35 (39% are 16–24; 28% are 25–34)
- They’re concentrated in major cities like London, the Midlands, and the North West
What this means for your brand: This is a commercially powerful audience forming long-term brand memories now. Speak to urban, lifestyle-savvy sensibilities, but keep your appeal broad to engage light and heavy buyers alike.
5. Values matter if they’re genuine.
TikTok users care about brand behaviour, but they won’t take your word for it. They want evidence and expect brands to prove what they stand for through content, not just messaging.
What this looks like:
- Valuing brands that listen to feedback (index 92)
- Expecting social responsibility (index 91)
- Preferring brands that support local suppliers (index 78)
- Wanting data transparency (index 78)
What this means for your brand: Skip the platitudes. Use TikTok to show your values in action, via employee stories, behind-the-scenes videos, and real customer voices. It’s proof over polish.
If you’re not there, you’re not considered.
Mental availability is built long before purchase. And right now, TikTok is where that memory-building is happening. Without a clear TikTok marketing strategy, your brand risks missing key discovery moments that shape buying decisions.
TikTok is now a powerful search engine, a shopfront, and a community space all in one. Whether it’s TikTok SEO, TikTok Shop marketing strategy, or simply showing up where your audience is already looking, this is now a core part of how UK consumers explore, evaluate, and buy.
The brands that treat TikTok as a central part of their digital marketing strategy, not a sideline , are the ones building trust, awareness, and long-term growth.
We can help you stay ahead.
Need to know how to develop a TikTok marketing strategy that actually converts? Our digital marketing experts can help.
From optimising your TikTok SEO to creating content that aligns with your wider goals, we’ll build a strategy targeting your audience, your goals, and your bottom line.
