Social media, on the one hand, reflects technological and social changes, but on the other, they, in a sense, create them. Successive services gain popularity, only to eventually lose it – sometimes as a result of ill-conceived updates and poor strategy, sometimes as a result of users leaving for stronger competitors who better understand the needs of a given group. In recent years, TikTok has been the most dynamically developing social media platform. In 2021, it has become a significant threat to Facebook, which is losing its reputation, and Instagram, which is struggling to find new ways to reach its potential audience.
Although founded in 2016, TikTok is still considered a new and fresh medium. For years, TT was somewhat overlooked in the Western world, especially due to its initial focus on the Asian market. Now, TikTok is emerging from the shadows – last year was the platform's year, and this trend will continue into 2022!
Do you know that…
Bloomberg's chief economist, Jon Erlichman, quoted by Wirtualne Media, calculates that users spend one hour and 28 minutes on TikTok every day, while YouTube attracts them for one hour and 9 minutes and Instagram for 53 minutes.
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TikTok – how does it work?
TikTok is a mobile app for Android and iOS that allows users to publish short videos in various formats. In 2017, ByteDance, the company that manages TikTok, acquired the competing app Musical.ly for nearly a billion dollars. This app also allowed users to publish short videos, and its tools allowed for simple editing, including lip-syncing the video with lyrics (the platform also offered a large database of available songs thanks to an agreement with Warner Music Group and Apple Music). A few months later, Musical.ly officially merged with TikTok.
The platform's convenient and fast video editing and sharing mechanism has made it incredibly popular, especially among the youngest users of the internet, Generation Z. As a generation familiar with computers and smartphones from a young age, they consume content somewhat differently than previous generations, which had to slowly learn the online world. The average age of Facebook users is rising, so it seems natural that the youngest generation of internet users is seeking a platform for expression elsewhere – in mid-2020, according to Statista, nearly one-third of TikTok users in the US were under 20, and over 60% were under 30. It should be noted, however, that TikTok itself does not officially confirm data on the structure of its community, and such data should be considered estimates.
As a platform primarily based on mobile solutions (it is possible to use the web interface on computers, but the vast majority of users "TikTok" on smartphones), TikTok is with its users almost anywhere, anytime. It can be argued that TikTok and its mechanics have, to some extent, catalyzed the implementation of the Stories format on other social media platforms – after all, Stories were introduced not only by Instagram and Facebook a few years ago, but also – more recently – by LinkedIn and Twitter. TikTok videos are, in a sense, an extension of this form of communication – fast, dynamic, and fleeting.
Videos can be freely edited and manipulated before being published on TikTok using built-in tools and filters. The short length of videos (up to a minute if using videos created directly in the app; videos uploaded from external sources can be longer) means post-production is effortless, and watching the video itself is quick. Challenges , or various challenges—some meaningful, others less so, of course—are experiencing a resurgence on TikTok. You'll also find millions of homemade music videos, dance routines, charity events, and even videos of painful accidents and vulgar arguments. The extensive opportunities for interaction with videos posted by other users make TikTok's online life dynamic and engaging.
TikTok's Advertising and Marketing Potential
TikTok is no longer just a space for teenagers looking for entertainment. The platform is becoming an increasingly powerful tool for reaching older audiences, who are among our potential customers.
Do you know that…
According to research conducted by Get Hero and SWPS, 12,5% of adult users of the platform declared that they had purchased a product advertised on TikTok by an influencer , and 58% found ads published on TT interesting.
Source: ican.pl
Due to its large community and implemented advertising system, TikTok is an application that allows you to promote your own content and expose it to a wide audience. As a "new" medium, based on slightly different solutions , it offers enormous promotional potential, yet not yet fully exploited by marketers. However, the number of brands using TikTok ads is constantly growing. Thanks to integration with Shopify, advertisers can also easily promote their products within the app.
Do you know that…
As many as 73% of users feel a deeper connection with the brands they interact with on TikTok than on other platforms.
Source: "TikTok Marketing Science Global Community and Self-Expression Study 2021"
We described the individual TikTok advertising formats and their specifications in our blog article: dimensions of social media graphics.
TikTok offers brands two types of collaboration. The first is a traditional auction model using TikTok Ads Manager, based on principles very similar to those used by Facebook Ads Manager, for example. Another option is a reservation model, where all activities are planned and agreed upon with one of the platform's partnership managers – this solution is dedicated to larger campaigns.
Like Twitter, TikTok promotes the most popular hashtags, which the platform calls Trends. This is an excellent tool for real-time marketing and tapping into the most dynamically growing topics – in short , TikTok seems like a good place for brands to stay connected to the action.
TikTok and controversy
As is typical in the world of social media, several technological and ethical questions have arisen. TikTok has received significant fines from the US and South Korea for collecting personal data, and separate proceedings are underway in other countries. The platform also struggles to verify certain content, especially considering that a significant portion of its users are teenagers. With great marketing power comes great responsibility on social media. Verseo, aware of its rights and responsibilities, is entering TikTok, dressed all in blue! If you'd like to follow our activities, check HERE.
TikTok FAQs
TikTok is a hugely popular mobile social media app based on the short video format. The platform allows users to record, edit, and share vertical videos with added music, lyrics, filters, and a variety of visual effects.
The app is owned by Chinese tech company ByteDance. Its global success and current form stem from the 2017 acquisition of another popular platform, Musical.ly (primarily used for creating lip-sync videos), and the merger of the two apps a year later.
Initially, the app was almost exclusively for the youngest users (Generation Z, primarily teenagers). However, the platform's demographic is now aging rapidly. TikTok features a growing number of people aged 25-34 and older, as well as experts sharing their knowledge in small doses.
The platform's driving force is the "For You" homepage. Unlike older social media platforms, the algorithm doesn't rely primarily on profiles we follow. The system rapidly learns user preferences based on how long users watch and interact with individual videos, presenting them with ever-new, precisely tailored, and highly engaging content.
Absolutely. The platform offers enormous and—importantly—still relatively inexpensive organic reach potential. Even brand new accounts can achieve viral success if their content "pleases" the algorithm. Furthermore, the TikTok Ads advertising system allows you to launch paid campaigns with extensive targeting options, utilizing native, full-screen formats that don't irritate users as much as traditional banners.
Summary
The above article covers the following topics:
- Rules of operation of the TikTok application,
- The advertising potential of the TikTok platform,
- Emotional issues related to TikTok.
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