In January 2020, it was reported that the most downloaded app was TikTok, which has an estimated 800 million active users. TikTok is a social media mobile app in which users can share video content. This is the kick-off to a series to help you grow and utilize TikTok so let’s get into it.
The TikTok Trend – Summary Bullet points
- ByteDance acquired Music.ly–a social media platform that allowed users to lip-sync short videos to popular songs and share them instantly.
- By 2020, TikTok’s user base had grown not only among teens but also among users of all ages.
- The app and its community provide a variety of short videos that allow users to tell their stories as well as redefine the concept of user-generated content.
- By giving people the ability to express themselves in thoughtful and creative ways, TikTok allows culture to flourish.
- On TikTok, most of the videos are short, around 15 seconds.
- One of the most popular trends on TikTok is the “challenges” that users post. These are often to visualize lyrics from a song or test people’s reactions to common experiences.
- When someone adds their own version, a ripple effect is created as everyone else contributes their own take.
- Whether it’s a #hashtag challenge or a fresh idea, brands can convert users into ambassadors through the shared experience on the platform.
- This gives brands a high degree of visibility.
The History of TikTok
ByteDance (TikTok’s parent company) first launched TikTok under the name Douyin in China. In late 2017, ByteDance acquired Music.ly — a social media platform that allowed users to lip-sync short videos to popular songs and share them instantly — instantly giving TikTok a whole new suite of tools and an instant shot at capitalizing on its momentum with the US teen market. In 2017, ByteDance launched TikTok internationally but left the Chinese version of the app as Douyin.
According to TechCrunch, TikTok, often referred to as Musical.ly’s killer, started off with Musical.ly’s users lip-synching to their favorite music videos. Most of its user base continues to simply upload lip-synching videos. However, the platform’s most talented, enthusiastic, energetic people have stuck around, and it is these social media “influencers,” those with more original content, that have cemented their popularity on the platform.
TikTok’s Rapid Growth
By 2020, TikTok’s user base had grown not only among teens but also among users of all ages. TikTok is mostly used by 16- to 24-year-olds, who make up 41% of the total user base. We can reasonably assume that the 24 to 30 age group makes up another large share of the audience, although we don’t have any evidence for this. The only additional statistic we know about concerns gender: 56% of TikTok users are female.
Ever since TikTok’s popularity increased, more and more people have been sharing videos on the platform. They aren’t just singing anymore — you can also find skateboarders, comedians, pranksters, dancers, teachers, and craft lovers sharing their talents via the app.
The Community of TikTok
The app and its community provide a variety of short videos that allow users to tell their stories as well as redefine the concept of user-generated content. By giving people the ability to express themselves in thoughtful and creative ways, TikTok allows culture to flourish. On TikTok, most of the videos are short, around 15 seconds. But users can also create and share 60-second videos.
TikTok users create these short video clips and combine them with special effects, filters, captions, and music. To make sure followers can discover their videos, TikTok users categorize them and use the hashtags that are specific to each video category.
TikTok Basics
One of the most popular trends on TikTok is the “challenges” that users post. These are often to visualize lyrics from a song or test people’s reactions to common experiences. When someone adds their own version, a ripple effect is created as everyone else contributes their own take.
TikTok has turned basic video techniques, once considered cheap and simple, into an art form. It has introduced this new style into the world, thereby creating a viral video craze among highly engaged, passionate users.
TikTok provides intelligent content discovery for users, so they can discover new content based on what they like, as well as keep track of their favorite content creators. Whether it’s a #hashtag challenge or a fresh idea, brands can convert users into ambassadors through the shared experience on the platform. This gives brands a high degree of visibility.
Outside of other social media platforms, TikTok gravitates more toward creative trends than mundane daily events or food pictures. TikTok users are engaging with hashtags, following trends, and sharing video tricks. Perhaps most importantly, TikTok users are creating content for a race for likes and follow that is extremely beneficial for brands that advertise on the platform.
TikTok says its mission is to be “the leading destination for short-form mobile video. Our mission is to inspire creativity and bring joy.” It is certainly making an impact globally and is here to stay.
