TikTok’s #flowertok provides an unmatched way to reach new flower-loving consumers while delivering more target audience, consumer trust and views than other social media apps.

By Tonneli Grüetter

From NYC to KC, it’s time for florists everywhere to start taking TikTok seriously.

First released in U.S. app stores six years ago, in September 2016, TikTok quickly gained in popularity among teens. This community experienced rapid growth, and TikTok became one of the top downloaded apps just two years. Fast forward to the first quarter of 2022, when the app claimed to have 1.4 billion users across 154 countries—1 billion of which were active monthly users. Some sources estimate that the number of TikTok users will reach 1.8 billion by the end of this year.

Initially, TikTok made a name for itself as the premier place to upload dance and lip-sync videos. It was a center for youth culture and the perfect escape for the new generation desperately seeking alternatives to already saturated platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. In the beginning, videos were short and, honestly, quite shallow, but just like the teens who made the app popular, the depth of content on this platform has grown up. A highschooler who may have downloaded the app six years ago, in its first wave, is a child no more. Now in their mid 20s, the early adopters of TikTok are rapidly approaching major life events. It is estimated more than 75 percent of current TikTok users are over age 20—prime age for floral purchasing power.

To learn more about the growing world of TikTok and specifically #flowertok, we talked to two very different florists to get their perspective on what makes the app special for floristry. First, we spoke with Rachel Cho (@rachelchofloral on TikTok), of Rachel Cho Floral Design in Long Island City (Queens), N.Y. Cho is a celebrated designer whose work has graced the tables of top celebrities including musician Billie Eilish. Since joining the app in early 2021, this big-city florist has seen incredible growth in her audience, which now weighs in at a whopping 136,500. On her profile, you will find a variety of real-life moments including behind-the-scenes work and stunning floral designs, as well as light-hearted personal tidbits. Her top performing video, a tutorial on poppy conditioning, currently boasts 7.5 million views (at the time this article was written in mid-August). 

When asked about advice for florists just beginning with the app, Cho told us, “Just put yourself out there! It’s not just about pretty pictures; it’s more about interesting content. People love to hear stories, see behind the scenes, see how things are done, learn hacks, etc. Jot down ideas, focus on your point and build your content around that point. Make sure your point comes quickly though; the first one to two seconds is the most important to keep them watching.” 

Excellent advice! For Cho, the reward has been more than just views; her business has seen real bookings generated by her TikTok presence, a trend we expect to see continue growing well beyond 2022.

Next on our journey to understand #flowertok, we spoke with a young florist in America’s heartland about how TikTok has helped her change the trajectory of her corporate floral design business. Lexi Nardini (@lex.n.lilacs on TikTok), of Kansas City, Mo., has been making videos on the app for just six short months and already has 50,000 followers supporting her floral work—a level of rapid growth which is nearly impossible on other apps more favored by florists. For Nardini, one of the greatest joys of the platform is sharing her lifestyle as a florist. As our industry continues to grapple with an aging workforce and the expected future shortage of florists, we found this detail of her inspiration to be especially heartwarming. On her channel, subscribers can peek into the florist lifestyle through her video series titled “Day in the Life of a Florist.” On these videos, you can see hundreds of thousands of views registered, but even better are the streams of comments. You don’t have to scroll for long before seeing a viewer proclaim “dream job!” or ask “omg, I wanna be a florist so bad, any tips? Is starting in a grocery store a good idea?” 

While it is undeniable that Nardini is doing great work as an ambassador of floristry, we mustn’t close the book there. In her comment threads, you will also find hundreds of viewers declaring themselves as local to her area and asking where to find her floral work for purchase—the kind of marketing results every online business aims to achieve. For Nardini, who has always dreamed of devoting more of her business to wedding work, this opportunity has opened doors to her key demographic and provided a stable stepping stone from the world of corporate flowers to her true passion.

For florists looking to gain valuable bookings for parties, engagements, showers, weddings and other types of events, it is essential to meet your customers where you can reach them best: more target audience, more consumer trust, more views—something TikTok is delivering magnificently! So, we challenge you to hold your reservations at the door and download TikTok today, before the floral category forges its stars in stone. Still in its infancy, #flowertok has a relatively small base of creators raking in big-time views and authentic engagement with flower consumers, leaving room for a new generation of floral creators to rise. The question is: Will you be brave enough to join them? 

MYTH BUSTING TIKTOK

Myth: TikTok is just for kids.

Fact: More than 75 percent of TikTok’s roughly 1 billion users worldwide are over age 20. That’s prime demographics for floral purchasing power!

Myth: TikTok users are based mostly overseas.

Fact: Approximately 78 million TikTok users (7.8 percent) are based in the U.S., and an additional 8 million (.8 percent) are in Canada.

Myth: TikTok users don’t have much disposable income.

Fact: More than 90 percent of TikTok users have annual household incomes greater than $25,000.

Myth: TikTok is just a place to watch pointless videos.

Fact: TikTok has an engagement rate 14 percent higher than Instagram among micro-influencers and 16 percent higher than YouTube.

Myth: TikTok is hard to monetize.

Fact: Fifty percent of TikTok users have bought something after watching TikTok LIVE videos, and users are two times more likely as users of other social apps to recommend the products or services they find on the app.