If you work in marketing, you probably reacted to the latest Adobe study with a heavy sigh and a slight sense of dread. Nearly half of U.S. consumers now use TikTok as a search engine, a number that’s jumped 20% in just two years.
You can already hear the request coming down the hallway: “So, when are we starting the TikTok account? We need to be making video content.”
It feels like one more channel to feed, one more algorithm to chase, and one more reason to feel like you’re falling behind because you don’t have a dedicated videographer on standby. But before you start filming transitions in the breakroom, take a breath.
This isn’t actually about TikTok. It’s a story about how search behavior is changing. For a long time, “searching for something” meant typing keywords into a white box and scanning blue links. Today, it means people look for brands on Instagram. They’re consulting ChatGPT. They’re scouring Reddit threads for the “real” answer before they ever touch a brand’s website. TikTok is just the latest platform to be absorbed into the messy, non-linear way people discover, evaluate, and decide.
The question worth asking isn’t “Should we be on TikTok?” It’s more fundamental: Do you actually know where your audience is looking for answers right now?
In this post, we’ll break down what the data actually says, help you figure out whether TikTok belongs in your strategy, and — if it does — what it takes to show up there in a way that’s worth the effort.
Don’t Panic-Pivot Just Yet
Before you rewrite your entire content calendar and start spending money on Ring lights, it’s worth reading past the “TikTok is the new Google” headlines.
Yes, nearly half of U.S. consumers are using TikTok to search. But that same study found that Google, Reddit, and ChatGPT still rank significantly higher when it comes to trust and overall usage. For most people, a TikTok video is one stop on a longer discovery journey, not the final destination. Think about how you actually shop: you might see a 15-second video of a new coffee maker on your FYP, but you’re still going to Google the reviews and check Reddit for opinions before you hit buy.
It’s also worth looking at what people are actually searching for. The top categories—recipes, beauty advice, and restaurant recommendations—tell us exactly what kind of itch TikTok scratches. People go there for the “show me how” and “is this actually good?” It’s peer-level authenticity that polished brand content usually struggles to hit.
If you’re a boutique, a skincare brand, or a local bistro, this search behavior is genuinely relevant. Your audience wants to see what you’re selling before they commit. But if you’re a nonprofit, a school, or a B2B organization, the urgency is significantly lower. Your audience might be on TikTok to watch someone restore a vintage rug, but they probably aren’t using it to find a strategic partner or a grant application.
The data points to a real shift in behavior, but it doesn’t point to the same to-do list for every organization. The brands that win won’t be the ones on every platform — they’ll be the ones who know exactly where their audience is already looking.
So, Do You Actually Need to Be on TikTok?
Maybe. But the answer has less to do with what TikTok is doing and more to do with your organization. Before you pull the trigger on a new handle, there are three questions worth examining:
- Is your audience actually searching for you there?
“TikTok is for Gen Z” is a tired trope that gets less accurate every day. The more useful question is behavioral: does your specific audience use social media — and TikTok specifically — to research things in your category? There’s a real difference between an audience that uses social media to stay connected and one that uses it as a primary search tool. If your people are finding you through LinkedIn, events, or direct relationships, a TikTok presence probably won’t move the needle, even if your audience has the app installed. - What would they realistically search for?
If someone in your target audience opened TikTok right now, what would they be looking for? More importantly: if you give it to them, does it actually lead back to your business goals? It’s easy to create “content people want to see”—everyone loves an office prank or a satisfying “day in the life” montage. The harder question is whether that content actually drives your business forward. If they’re looking for a quick tutorial, a look at a product in action, or a community story that builds trust, you have a bridge to build. You can turn that search into a lead or a sale. - Do you have the capacity to show up consistently?
A neglected TikTok account isn’t neutral. It’s a billboard that tells anyone who finds you that you aren’t paying attention. If you can’t commit to regular, intentional content, it is genuinely better not to start than to start and stall.
As a general rule, B2C brands with a visual or lifestyle element have the strongest case — arts organizations, food and beverage, retail, and wellness brands all map well onto how people actually use social search. For nonprofits, schools, and B2B providers, the case is usually weaker, with exceptions. A youth-serving nonprofit or a performing arts group can find traction because their work is inherently visual and human.
But remember, there is a cost to doing Tiktok badly. Thin content or videos that feel like repurposed press releases won’t just fail to perform. They can actually undercut the credibility you’ve spent years building everywhere else.
If the Answer Is Yes: How to Actually Get Found
It just requires a shift in how you think about “discovery.” TikTok rewards the same things it always has: authenticity, specificity, and getting to the point. Here’s what that looks like in practice:
- Write captions like search queries, not ad copy. When someone searches TikTok, they type the way they talk: “affordable museums in Philadelphia” or “best STEM programs for kids in Delaware” Your captions should use that same natural language. Skip the vague, poetic teasers or the keyword-stuffed marketing speak. Use the exact phrases your audience uses when they’re looking for a solution.
- Lead with the answer. TikTok is not the place for a slow burn or a “wait for it” reveal. If your video is about a new exhibition opening, say, “Here’s what it’s like inside the new [Exhibition Name] exhibit” in the first three seconds. Naming the experience immediately tells both the algorithm and the viewer that they’ve come to the right place.
- Say your keywords out loud. TikTok’s search function is smart. It reads your captions and processes your audio. If you’re only putting keywords in the text overlay and not saying them naturally on camera, you’re leaving discoverability on the table. Talk the way you want to be found.
- Niche down further than feels comfortable. TikTok surfaces specific content. “Marketing tips” is a crowded, competitive abyss. “Marketing tips for small arts nonprofits” is a conversation. The more precisely you speak to a specific person with a specific problem, the more likely you are to show up in their results.
- Topic consistency beats posting frequency. This is the most counterintuitive part for brands used to thinking about “volume.” On TikTok, an account that posts twice a week about one clear subject will almost always outperform an account that posts every day about ten different things. The algorithm needs to learn what you’re an expert in and so do your followers.
Not Every Trend Is Your Trend (And That’s Okay)
The organizations that win at content aren’t the ones with a presence everywhere. They’re the ones who show up in the right places consistently enough to be remembered. Maybe for you, that’s TikTok. But maybe it’s a well-maintained LinkedIn presence and a blog your audience actually enjoys reading. The answer is different for every organization, and figuring out which one is yours is worth more than any individual platform trend.
If you aren’t sure where your brand should be living right now, reach out and let’s chat. We’d love to help you find the right place to land.