by Kelly Forzaglia published for Jolt Creative, LLC March 13, 2023
"So, you’re not on TikTok. Or maybe you are but you’re just not sure how to use it, or even if it’s worth your time. Isn’t it just a Gen Z dance party overrun with lip-syncing videos and adolescent humor? Isn’t it on the verge of being banned? Isn’t it ruining our attention spans as we speak!?
These are just some of the common criticisms we hear about the highly popular video app that’s changing the world of influencers, marketing, and social media. TikTok has a mystifyingly good algorithm that can make your business or brand go viral seemingly randomly, but it’s not all just up to the social media gods. TikTok stands out from other social media apps in how it personalizes each user's experience, but there are still tons of ways to make it work for you. And we’ll break them all down here for you.
We’ll discuss what TikTok actually is, the future of the app, and why you should definitely at least have it on your radar if not be active on it. Plus, we have tons of great tips to share on how to get started, navigate it, and sustain success on the app. And if after reading you’re still not sure if launching into TikTok is right for you, check out our posts on whether it's time to hire a social media manager and the benefits of doing so. Now let’s take a look at some of the major misconceptions about TikTok.
TikTok News | FAQs
1. What Is TikTok?
The real question is what isn’t TikTok? By definition, it is a video-sharing platform from Chinese company ByteDance (called Douyin there) that merged with another popular app, Musical.ly, in 2017, thus forming the wonderful world of the entertainment-driven social media app, TikTok. In practice however, TikTok is used by creators and internet users in all industries to share their skills, brands, or unique content via short-form videos set to music or sounds, ranging from less than 15 seconds to now up to ten minutes.
2. So TikTok Isn’t Just For Dancing?
Definitely not! Our best advice is to jump on the app and check it out since each user's experience is bound to be different from another’s, but if that still seems daunting rest assured that if you do join, you won’t just be subject to videos of teens and celebrities doing the “renegade.”
TikTok’s content diversity has soared since its unveiling in 2017, and even more so during 2020 and the Covid-19 Pandemic. In the first quarter of 2020, TikTok peaked at 318 million downloads and is currently the most downloaded app in the world. You can find almost anything on TikTok these days from beauty, food, and educational content to practical how-to and life-hack videos and even health and wellness guidance. Sure there’s comedy and dancing, but there’s so much more that it's almost impossible to even list.
3. Who Actually Uses TikTok?
We’re going to start sounding like a broken record, but everyone does!
The largest concentration of users comes from the 18-34 age bracket (i.e., Gen Z and Millennials), but that’s also expected to change in the coming years as the stigma around TikTok changes.
In comparison to other platforms, content that is shared across multiple platforms also tends to perform better on TikTok thanks to its unique algorithm and easy interface. Users average 95 minutes on TikTok daily as compared to Instagram where users spend less than 30 minutes per day on the app. And over 80% of users on TikTok post content as compared to other social platforms like Twitter, where it’s estimated that only about 10% of users are responsible for a majority of the content.
4. But Isn’t TikTok Going To Get Banned?
TikTok is currently fully banned in India as well as on federal devices in Canada and the EU due to raised fears over TikTok's security concerns. Similarly, in the US, senators have introduced several pieces of legislation leading to TikTok being banned on federal devices following a concern raised by former president Donald Trump in 2020, but there is no total ban as it stands. Similarly, a slew of universities and school campuses have also banned it from being downloaded on school-owned devices over privacy concerns. However, TikTok remains accessible on personal devices and that doesn’t seem to be changing any time soon.
ByteDance has also put in an impressive amount of time and money to try and negate the claims that the Chinese government has any interference in their business. Though many senators and federal officials in the US believe that there could be risks posed to American national security by the Chinese-owned company if not banned.
According to the Council on Foreign Relations, the current solutions to these concerns include discussion with TikTok about complying with certain security and reporting protocols.
Currently, all options are under consideration but TikTok remains available to US citizens.
5. Is TikTok Replacing Search Engines?
Replacing is a strong word, but it’s certainly becoming a worthy rival, particularly with young people according to this article from the New York Times. This is in part due to the diversity of content that is increasingly being generated on TikTok, but also due to how creators can often provide more genuine content that can then be verified by commenters or likes.
For instance, if you’re seeking out restaurant recommendations or a book review, not only can you see the person and their reactions to the subject, but you can also “crowdsource” and “verify” the information by watching more videos or reading comments. This is great news for people who want to sell more or create a bigger following for their brand. Thinking of TikTok as another search engine can help build credibility and establish a community for your business in a much more organic way.
Now, let’s think about the question you should be asking:
Can I be successful on TikTok? And how?
The short answer is ‘yes.’ Anyone and everyone can be successful on TikTok, but there are a few tips and tricks to it. So, don’t be suspicious –let’s get started!
How To Get Started And Be Successful On TikTok
First, let’s talk a little bit about the characteristics of the platform and the content on it. TikTok differs from other social media platforms in a lot of ways, not just in format. The kind of content that is successful on Instagram or Facebook isn’t going to perform as well on TikTok. Understanding the qualities that make TikTok unique and popular will be a major part of your success on the app.
The World of TikTok:
Relatability
TikTok has garnered a reputation for having relatable and real content in an almost direct contrast to platforms like Instagram. Videos that are unfiltered and uncurated dominate 'For You Pages' and personal feeds on TikTok, unlike on Instagram where part of the expectation of the app is a sense of cohesion and ‘perfection.’
What this means for you:
Don’t create fluff. Angles, filters, and generic content won’t get you very far on TikTok. The way people watch TikTok shows that they want individualistic content that shows one's personality and unique identity. The more niche and personal, the better; don’t shy away from unpopular opinions, random interests, or just unique experiences you have to share.
Unpredictability
We’ve all heard that ‘going viral’ is a huge step towards success in today’s social media-driven society, and that’s not untrue. Going viral means your content has found its way onto thousands of other people’s feeds through likes, shares, or other interactions on the site. This can often seem unpredictable, and at times it may be. But the reality is that things go viral for a reason, whether it be a trend, a song, or a helpful piece of information.
What this means for you:
While we can cross our fingers after every video we publish goes up and hope that it takes a viral lap across TikTok, that’s not the most effective or productive way to generate content. Practically, creators would benefit more from staying up to date on trends and sounds while producing a consistent output of content that is diverse and relevant. Trying new things and staying up-to-date with what’s popular in the community will bring you a step closer to reaching a larger audience.
Technicality
Not all social media platforms are the same. Each one has garnered a unique identity as people use them and as they update their interfacing and algorithms. While other platforms have mimicked TikTok’s formatting (such as Facebook’s failed Lasso or Instagram’s Reels), none have achieved the specific functionality that TikTok has and which makes it so user-friendly and appealing.
What this means for you:
While you can repost TikToks to other platforms (and vice-versa), some differences in how the app operates could affect how you create and interact with content on it. Check out our guide below for a quick TikTok overview.
Quick Guide to TikTok Vocab List:
...
Read more at joltcreative.net
Comments