TikTok has exploded in popularity in recent years, becoming one of the most used social media platforms globally. With over 1 billion monthly active users, TikTok presents an enormous opportunity for brands to increase their visibility and connect with younger audiences.
As an innovative automaker with a strong brand image, Tesla capturing the interest of TikTok’s massive userbase could significantly boost its brand awareness. However, Tesla’s CEO Elon Musk has voiced skepticism about TikTok in the past. This begs the question – does Tesla have an official presence on TikTok?
In this article, we’ll examine Tesla’s broader social media strategy, analyze the rising importance of TikTok for brands, and determine whether Tesla has joined the platform. We’ll also look at the potential benefits and risks for Tesla having a TikTok account.
Tesla’s Social Media Presence
Tesla has a strong presence across major social media platforms including Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. According to Not A Tesla App, Tesla’s social media dominance continues to surge in 2023 with over 36 million followers across their platforms (source).
On Twitter, Tesla’s main account @Tesla has over 21 million followers. This is one of Tesla’s most important social media platforms, where they share company news, product updates, interact with customers, and more. Tesla CEO Elon Musk is also extremely active on Twitter with over 136 million followers, providing an additional promotional boost for Tesla (source).
On Instagram, @Tesla has over 7 million followers where they showcase beautiful photography of their vehicles, behind-the-scenes content, and updates on new products. Instagram serves as a visually engaging platform to highlight the sleek aesthetics of Tesla’s brand and products.
Tesla’s YouTube channel has over 1 million subscribers and is used to share official company videos including product launches, educational explainers, behind-the-scenes content, and more. YouTube allows Tesla to connect with audiences through dynamic video content.
The Rise of TikTok
In just a few short years, TikTok has become one of the most popular social media platforms in the world. As of 2023, TikTok has over 1 billion monthly active users worldwide (Source). That’s nearly 15% of the global internet population using TikTok every month. The app saw massive growth in 2020, amassing 689 million new downloads that year alone according to Sensor Tower estimates (Source).
TikTok’s growth has been explosive. The app’s monthly active user base has grown over 800% from January 2018 to today. Much of this growth has come from younger demographics, with over 50% of TikTok’s global audience being under the age of 34. India, China, the United States, Indonesia, and Brazil represented TikTok’s largest user bases as of Q4 2022.
Several factors have fueled TikTok’s astronomical rise. Its short video format resonates strongly with younger audiences. Powerful recommendation algorithms keep users engaged for hours at a time. Features like duets and stitches help content go viral rapidly. The app has also benefited from global lockdowns, school closures, and increased smartphone usage during the COVID-19 pandemic. As TikTok continues gaining users worldwide, it solidifies its place as a leading force in social media.
TikTok for Brands
TikTok has become an important platform for brands looking to reach younger audiences. According to TikTok’s Business Center, over 1 billion people use TikTok every month. With its popularity and engaged user base, many companies have started using TikTok as part of their social media marketing strategy.
Brands use TikTok in creative ways to promote products, engage with audiences, and participate in trends. Popular content types include short-form videos, behind-the-scenes footage, challenges, branded effects and lenses, influencer campaigns, and hashtag challenges. Trends like outfit changes, cooking demos, unboxings, and dance challenges allow brands to showcase products in fun, entertaining ways.
For example, Chipotle launched the #GuacDance challenge which became TikTok’s highest participation branded challenge at the time. Brands like Guess and Louis Vuitton use TikTok for styling videos and fashion content. Automotive brands often post test drive videos and highlight unique car features. Ultimately, brands aim to entertain rather than directly sell to audiences on TikTok.
Does Tesla Have a TikTok Account?
No, Tesla does not currently have an official TikTok account. There is no verified Tesla profile on the platform, despite the company’s large and active presence on other social networks like Twitter and YouTube.
Some users have created unofficial Tesla accounts on TikTok trying to mimic official branding, like @teslamotorofficial, but Tesla has not claimed or endorsed any TikTok profiles.
There are also popular hashtag pages like #tesla and @tesla where users post Tesla-related content. However, these are not run or managed by Tesla itself.
As of 2023, Tesla has yet to create an official branded account on TikTok, despite the platform’s popularity and ability to reach younger demographics. The company so far has limited its social media focus to platforms like Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
Fan Accounts
Although Tesla does not have an official brand account on TikTok, the platform is home to many popular fan accounts dedicated to the automaker. Some of the most prominent Tesla fan accounts include:
- @tesla.flex – With over 3 million followers, this is one of the largest Tesla fan accounts on TikTok. It features original Tesla-related videos and has a relaxed, fun style.
- @teslamodel3 – As the name suggests, this account is all about Tesla’s Model 3 vehicle. It has nearly 300,000 followers.
- @teslatokofficial – Boasting over 100,000 followers, this account aggregates and reposts the best Tesla TikTok content.
- @modelxplaid – Dedicated to Tesla’s high-performance Model X Plaid, this smaller but quickly growing account has 50,000+ followers.
These fan accounts showcase owner experiences, new Tesla models and features, behind-the-scenes factory footage, and more. They allow TikTok users interested in Tesla to find and share compelling content about the brand.
Tesla TikTok Content
Tesla-related content is hugely popular on TikTok, with hashtags like #tesla and #model3 racking up billions of views. Some common themes and trends for Tesla content on TikTok include:
Showcasing Tesla features and technology like Smart Summon, Autopilot, and Ludicrous Mode. For example, this video demonstrates Smart Summon: https://www.tiktok.com/@teslamotors/video/6793117525441406470
Tesla delivery and ownership stories, from the emotional moments of taking delivery to maintenance tips and cost breakdowns. This video documents the delivery process: https://www.tiktok.com/@hunterpkmn/video/6732849957237060358
Reviews, reactions, test drives and comparisons, especially showcasing performance. For example: https://www.tiktok.com/@teslamotorsclub/video/7041450348457347078
DIY projects and accessories for customizing Teslas. Like this Model 3 lighting mod: https://www.tiktok.com/@teslamize/video/6877347768174434054
Memes and entertainment focused on Tesla vehicles and culture. For instance: https://www.tiktok.com/@davincij15/video/6877200689885011718
Benefits of TikTok for Tesla
There are several key potential benefits for Tesla if the automaker were to establish an official brand presence on TikTok:
Increased brand awareness – TikTok has over 1 billion monthly active users globally according to Sprout Social, making it a powerful platform for spreading brand awareness. Having an official account could significantly expand Tesla’s reach.
Engaging new demographics – TikTok skews young, with 41% of its users between 16-24 years old. This presents an opportunity for Tesla to connect with younger consumers.
Viral potential – TikTok’s algorithm favors viral content. Creative and entertaining branded content by Tesla could spread rapidly on the platform.
Behind-the-scenes content – TikTok enables brands to showcase company culture and products in fun, authentic ways. Tesla could give inside looks at its manufacturing plants, products, employees, and more.
Influencer marketing opportunities – Tesla could collaborate with popular TikTok creators to produce co-branded content which exposes Tesla to new audiences.
Community building – An official TikTok presence allows direct engagement with consumers. Tesla could foster a community around its brand and products.
Risks of TikTok for Tesla
While TikTok offers opportunities for brands to reach new audiences, it also poses some potential risks that Tesla would need to consider before joining the platform.
One major concern around TikTok is brand safety and negative associations. As a platform geared towards younger users creating short viral videos, TikTok trends can often be unpredictable. There have been instances of dangerous challenges going viral that brands may not want to be associated with. Tesla would need to closely monitor content and trends related to their brand.
TikTok’s ownership under the Chinese company ByteDance has also led to data privacy concerns. There are ongoing questions around how user data is handled and secured. This could present reputation risks if issues were to arise. Tesla would need assurances around data practices.
Additionally, as an emerging platform, TikTok is still working to improve brand safety controls and content moderation. There have been some high-profile cases of harmful content slipping through the cracks. Tesla would need to consider whether TikTok’s current systems provide adequate protection.
While TikTok offers major marketing potential, Tesla would need to weigh the risks and put appropriate guardrails in place if they were to join.
Conclusion
In summary, while Tesla does not have an official brand account on TikTok yet, the platform has emerged as a hotspot for Tesla fans and owners to share content about the brand. Based on Tesla’s social media strategy focused on owned channels like Twitter, it seems unlikely the brand will launch a TikTok channel in the near future. However, TikTok offers opportunities for Tesla to engage with a younger demographic, highlight its products in fun and creative ways, and tap into viral trends. If Tesla ever did join TikTok, they would need to find the right balance between showcasing their innovations and maintaining their premium brand image. While there are risks, the popularity of Tesla content on TikTok suggests there is an audience eager to see more direct engagement from the brand on this platform.
