What are some of the visuals that immediately spring to mind when TikTok is brought into a conversation? These can range from dance videos to short-form comedy skits to even instructional videos, among others. Though TikTok initially launched in September of 2016, it wasn’t until the past couple of years that its popularity saw a surge. Now, it’s considered among the most vital social media platforms in the world, not only for the average user but any social media marketing company looking to stay on top of trends. “What is TikTok,” you may wonder? Here are a few key details to know.
This month, TikTok reaches its 5th anniversary. When answering the question, “what is TikTok,” there’s no better place to kick things off than the beginning. As mentioned earlier, TikTok launched in September of 2016. Originally known as Douyin, the platform that users around the world know today, this app was launched by China-based technology company ByteDance. Douyin saw incredible popularity in Asia. As time went on, said popularity spread to other regions, the United States included. The app’s central focus was video sharing, which would be maintained when it was released on a worldwide level as TikTok. Both apps use the same software, though they comply with specific restrictions based on region.
TikTok is among the top 10 most used social media networks in the world. As detailed in Hootsuite’s Digital 2021 Report, TikTok is one of the 10 social networks in the world today. In the report, it’s ranked at number 7, behind many of the heavy hitters such as Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram. However, TikTok has been able to outpace Snapchat, Reddit, Twitter, and other such platforms. It’s easy to see why the video streaming app enjoys the popularity it has today, especially given that it’s available in over 200 countries. As TikTok continues to climb in popularity, it wouldn’t be surprising to see it outrank many of the names above it in the years to come.
Most of TikTok’s audience are users under the age of 30. One of the tell-tale attributes that help answer the question, “what is TikTok,” is how its audience skews younger. According to the Pew Research Center, 48 percent of users in the United States are between the ages of 18 and 29. Other age brackets, such as between 30 and 49 years old, drop between 20 percent of the app’s use. It’s not surprising to see how TikTok has appealed to a younger audience. Generations consume and create content in different ways, so it goes without saying that certain platforms will be more popular with key groups. This detail may also help Internet marketing companies determine whether TikTok is the right fit for the clients they serve.
The average TikTok spends roughly 50 minutes a day on the app. To say that the app in question sees a high volume of use would be an understatement. It’s been estimated that TikTok users spend an average of 52 minutes per day on the app, whether it’s to watch videos, discover and follow content creators, or create content of their own. Though its minutes per day usage is eclipsed by Facebook, which is roughly 2 and a half hours per day, TikTok has either rivaled or surpassed other competitors. For context, users on YouTube, Instagram, and Pinterest spend roughly 40, 30, and 15 minutes per day, respectively, on these platforms.
Entertainment-focused content is the most popular category on TikTok. To the surprise of few, content that is built with entertainment in mind is the most popular form of content users consume. In fact, as of July 2020, it has amassed 535 billion hashtags, which are used to help make said content searchable. Other categories of content include, but aren’t limited to, dancing, pranks, and cosmetics. Even if your business’s focus isn’t entertainment, it’s evident that there is still an audience to be found.
TikTok’s built-in editing features can help make anyone a content creator. Anyone that’s experienced in video editing, production, and the like will attest to the effort involved. While the same applies to TikTok, its host of built-in editing features makes it among the most accessible platforms available today. Included in these features are filters that change how videos appear and special effects that can be placed over footage. TikTok offers a host of video templates for specific purposes, whether for honoring celebrations or cataloging photos that were taken during vacations, just to name a few. These are just a few ways that TikTok makes editing videos effortless.
About fishbat: fishbat is a full-service Long Island advertising agency that takes a holistic business approach to their clients’ digital marketing programs. The fishbat team understands the importance of business principles just as well as the nuances of the latest digital technologies. fishbat offers every digital marketing service available from digital marketing research and planning to brand development to website and asset creation through social media management and search engine optimization programs – all custom calibrated for both B2B and B2C businesses.
