Would you believe me if I tell you that TikTok is the number one non-gaming app on the app store on the US? Or if I tell you that is the number one social media app on all platforms?
What Is TikTok?
TikTok is a social media app that presents short videos that last around fifteen seconds, users can like, comment, share, and follow users just like on a regular social media app. People sometimes think that this app only focuses on lip-syncing or dancing, but in reality TikTok is much more than that.
Users use the fifteen seconds to create anything they want, it can be comedy, scientific experiments, challenges, memes or stunts. So it's much more than just a video with some background music.
TikTok's popularity is now comparable to all the other social media like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, so there must be a reason behind the success of this app.
Who Owns TikTok?
TikTok is owned by a Chinese company called ByteDance. ByteDance was founded in 2012, and its main headquarter is located in Beijing, it was created by a former Microsoft software engineer who started the company that is now worth over US$75 billion.
ByteDance has also launched other social media apps on China, from chats and picture apps, but in 2016 they launched a short video app called Douyin, and when they saw how popular it became on China, they launched it to the world with the name of TikTok.
But TikTok had a rival at the moment called Musical.ly, which dominated the short video apps after the downfall of Vine in 2016, but ByteDance bought Musical.ly and merged the apps into the TikTok we know today.
All About The TikTok Followers
You might be wondering who are the TikTok followers, and the answer is that the average age of the users is under 24 years old. The generation Z has invaded the app and made it their own, that's why it's a little difficult for other generations to understand the humor and content of TikTok.
The people from the generation Z are going wild about TikTok because it's designed to be modern and it has every feature all the other apps already have, so it's easy for them to use. TikTok's followers have started to have influence on the world. In 2019, they made popular the song called "Old Town Road" based on its suitability for memes.
Why Is It So Popular?
TikTok presents an opportunity for users to be creative and fun, the most famous accounts are from people doing creative content like jokes and stunts. People are inspired by others to do challenges and fun things, so that's why the younger generations love it.
On the app you can also use emojis, fun filters, and great music on your videos to make the experience even better. It's also very easy to repost the content on other social media platforms. It's very easy to use and to add effects to create unique fun videos for other people to watch.
But what really helps TikTok it's the Artificial Intelligence.
TikTok's approach is a little different from other social media like YouTube or Facebook. It has a powerful Artificial Intelligence tool that is more extreme than the other social media channels. Everything that appears on your feed is strictly dictated by the A.I. and the more you use it, the A.I. learns better what you like.
You can follow people, sure, but still, your entire feed is controlled by the A.I. and you can't select the content you watch, you can just keep scrolling or watch the full screen video that starts playing. When you don't finish watching a video, the machine will understand that and it will show you less of that content, and the more you watch certain content, the more it will show you.
On other platforms like Netflix, YouTube, or Instagram, the user has the possibility to choose the content they want to watch, but that doesn't happen on TikTok, and believe it or not, that has been a key factor to the success of the app.
Just check it out yourself! And see if the A.I. is doing a great job. Start using TikTok, and you will notice that the more you watch, the more you like the videos that are being presented to you, and that is why it's so addictive.
How Does The Business Work?
ByteDance owns two versions of TikTok, the TikTok app and the other app called Douyin, that was designed for China's borders and their national censorship.
Users can also advertise their content like in other social media platforms, with influencers and celebrities. There's also an option where you can buy emojis and stickers from the app and send those to whomever you want. To buy these emojis and stickers, your money is converted into a currency that works inside the app and can be converted again into US dollars.
Not that long ago, TikTok partnered with Guess to create a campaign called #InMyDenim and it became its first ever branded content in the US
What Does The Future Have Prepared For TikTok?
Many celebrities are already using TikTok to capture the attention of younger generations, and its popularity has been doing nothing but increasing in the past two years. We are living the golden era of TikTok, and it's growing fast and big.
Their communities are growing also, and just like any other social media, influencers are starting to dominate the land.
It's amazing that young people have a bigger voice and clearer voice. TikTok has given a voice to young people, a place where they feel comfortable and can express themselves with liberty. We still have a lot to learn from TikTok and only time will tell us if this is an app that's here to stay, or if it eventually will crash down. But at least it won't catch you by surprise if TikTok's popularity increases. If you was wondering what is TikTok, by now I hope we have helped you understand, however, if you have any questions feel free to drop a comment below.
