Lessons from how Media Trust’s TikTok Charity Academy transformed TikTok for The King’s Trust
In 2024, Media Trust joined forces with TikTok to launch our TikTok Charity Academy, a free three-week online training programme designed to empower 100 charity professionals to boost their strategy, confidence and creativity on the platform. Among the participants was The King’s Trust, who were curious about engaging young people on the platform.
While many charities prioritise platforms like Facebook, X and Instagram, TikTok – with over 150 million monthly active users in Europe – offers a powerful platform for youth engagement. Embracing this opportunity for growth, The King’s Trust (formerly The Prince’s Trust), one of the world’s leading youth charities, decided to sign up for this bold, new training.
Carol Marcicano, Marketing Manager at The King’s Trust, said “Taking part really sped up the learning process. It helped us get to grips with the unique aspects of TikTok and work out what content would reach our audience.
Special shout out to Academy trainer, Oli Hills, for breaking down TikTok culture in a way that felt approachable. He had a knack for answering questions before they were even asked, making the learning experience both engaging and practical.”
Being on TikTok has given us the power to be more visible, thanks to the TikTok Charity Academy.
Initially, The King’s Trust joined the TikTok Charity Academy just looking for a solid TikTok strategy, a way to further reach youth audiences. But they walked away with much more. The sessions inspired the team’s creativity, encouraging them to experiment and take bold steps with their content. Connecting with other charities also sparked new ideas and built a sense of shared purpose.
Carol said “One of the standout aspects of the programme was the personalised and community-driven approach. Communications from Media Trust felt genuine and inclusive, making me feel part of a supportive community. And the watch parties (where everyone shared their TikTok ideas) was brilliant for learning how to make memes and fun content that was relevant to the sector.”
Having easy access to the slides and other resources meant Carol could quickly share materials with the rest of her team, even if they could not attend the sessions.
Learning any new platform is a challenge, but the programme helped us move forward with confidence.
The King’s Trust journey with the TikTok Charity Academy highlights the power of embracing new platforms and bold ideas. By focusing on creativity and community, The King’s Trust is making a lasting impact. This approach is already paying off, with their TikTok delivering engaging content every day to over 41,000 followers, amassing over 243,300 likes and videos reaching a cumulative 91 million views.
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