WINNIPEG -- Travel Manitoba is using the popularity of a social media app to target a younger audience as it encourages people to explore the province.
The organization has started using Tik Tok as a way to reach younger adults.
Breanne Sewards, who is the editorial content specialist with Travel Manitoba, said the goal is to reach those between the ages of 18 and 22 years old.
She said what gets posted on Tik Tok is different from what they would post on Instagram.
"On Instagram, we do more landscapes and really nice imagery. We found that with Tik Tok we can really be successful with featuring local businesses," said Sewards.
She said right now they are more focused on sharing the smaller experiences, as opposed to big trips, such as visiting the polar bears up north.
She said the places they feature are just part of their team's daily lives and they try to get to new areas to showcase.
Since Travel Manitoba started focusing on Tik Tok in the summer, Sewards said they have received a strong response.
"We're really happy with it. We already have 20,000 followers." she said. "The engagement has been crazy. That's one thing that is really interesting about this audience. They are super engaged, they leave tons of comments, they tag each other, they want to go to these places."
She feels the reason why engagement among young adults is so strong on Tik Tok compared to other social media platforms is that it's "their place" and some of the other sites have already gotten old.
Sewards said Travel Manitoba will continue to use the app and she hopes it continues to have success with the younger audience.
She also has advice for other businesses that might want to use it.
"My number one piece of advice would be to actually use the app for maybe even a few weeks just on your own personal account. It can be very daunting at first to see all the tools and all the different customizations you can make to your video."
