What’s TikTok? All the things You Have to Know in 2022
When TikTok burst onto the social media scene again in 2018, it was inconceivable to foretell what a dominating pressure it will turn into. However what’s TikTok, precisely?
In the present day, with over 2 billion downloads globally (and counting!), TikTok is the world’s seventh-most popular social platform, however as a result of it’s the app of selection for the hyper-influential Gen Z, it’s obtained an outsized affect on the cultural zeitgeist. TikTok is to thank (or blame, relying in your perspective) for culinary trends, a brand new wave of famous dogs, 2000s nostalgia, and Addison Rae’s acting career.
In different phrases? It’s a pressure to be reckoned with — and one which’s always evolving.
TikTok lately elevated the utmost video size from one minute to 10 minutes, which has proved to be a smash hit: TikTok movies over a minute lengthy have acquired greater than 5 billion views globally in complete. (Enjoyable details: in line with TikTok, “Longer movies are hottest in Vietnam, Thailand, and Japan whereas TikTok customers within the US, UK, and Brazil interact with longer movies essentially the most.”)
Not solely is TikTok experimenting with longer content material, it’s additionally experimenting with bigger content material. Amongst TikTok’s different current improvements? TikTok TV, an app for SmartTVs that places TikTok movies right into a big-screen context so the entire household can get pleasure from somebody trying to clean his car with a leaf blower from the consolation of the couch.
In the meantime, beta-testing for TikTok Shopping is in full swing (sizzling on the tail of Instagram Shops), permitting choose manufacturers to promote instantly by way of their TikTok accounts.
However we’re getting forward of ourselves: all these updates don’t imply a lot if you happen to don’t know what TikTok is within the first place. So let’s apply a metaphorical reverse impact and get again to the fundamentals, lets? Your crash course to TikTok begins…. now!
What is TikTok?
TikTok is a social media app centered around short-form videos.
In some ways it’s a bite-size version of YouTube, with videos ranging between five and 120 seconds in length. TikTok calls itself “the main vacation spot for short-form cellular movies” with a mission to “encourage creativity and produce pleasure.”
(Audacious! We like to see it.)
@allieent Questions I’d like to ask Tony Hawk #tonyhawk #tonyhawkproskater #vancouver #thrasherskatemag
Creators have entry to an assortment of filters and results, in addition to a large music library.
Tracks on TikTok have excessive meme potential, and it’s turned the app into one thing of a hitmaker.
Lil Nas X’s jam “Outdated City Highway” is the very best instance of this. Whereas lassoing some close to 67 million plays on TikTok, the one trotted to #1 on the Billboard Sizzling 100, the place it stayed for a record-setting 17 weeks.
Critically, TikTok makes content material discovery central to its expertise. The For You Page delivers a bottomless stream of movies curated by the TikTok algorithm. The video feed performs the minute the app opens, immediately sucking viewers in.
Whereas customers can observe their favourite creators, they don’t should for the feed to be stuffed mechanically with curated clips. It’s a bottomless buffet of content material.
No surprise 70% of users spend an hour or extra on the app each week. Can’t cease, received’t cease!
What’s a TikTok account?
A TikTok account means that you can log in to the TikTok app to create and share short-form videos utilizing filters, results, and music clips.
Earn sufficient consideration and engagement, and you possibly can be eligible for TikTok’s creator fund at some point. (Cue up a “Present me the cash!” sound clip for when the time comes.)
If you happen to want some assist getting began, right here’s our beginners guide to making TikTok videos. Please don’t neglect about us whenever you’re TikTok well-known.
Logged in along with your TikTok account, you’ll be capable of work together with different customers’ movies, by commenting, sharing, and liking content material. You too can observe different creators to see extra from them on the For You Page.
Your habits as you employ your account will impression the TikTok algorithm, dictating what sorts of movies from different customers pop up in your For You Web page.
Trying to find “cute canine vids”? Commenting on content material tagged with #skateboarddads? You’ll begin to see extra of the identical in your feed.
TikTok vs. Musical.ly
Slightly historical past lesson: TikTok is the worldwide model of China’s Douyin app, which was launched by ByteDance again in 2016 as a short-form video social media platform.
Additionally out there on the time was one other Chinese language short-form video instrument, Musically, which was thriving because of a enjoyable library of filters and results. Between its launch in 2014 and 2017, Musical.ly managed to amass greater than 200 million customers, with a powerful foothold within the U.S.
ByteDance acquired the company later that year to merge with TikTok and create one short-form video celebrity app to rule all of them.
RIP, Musical.ly; lengthy reside TikTok.
What’s the most appreciated video on TikTok?
TikTok is an app the place new creators and stunning content material can go viral, because of an algorithm that promotes discovery and fosters a universe of unique challenges and trends.
On the time of writing, a lip-synching video by creator Bella Poarch holds the title of Most Favored Video. Posted again in August 2020, earned 55.8 million likes.
@bellapoarch To the ? ? ? #fyp
On a platform with hundreds of thousands of movies of fresh-faced folks mugging for the digicam to music, why did this explicit video pop off?
It’s inconceivable to say for positive, however the mixture of a fairly face, spectacular tongue-twisting lyrics, and hypnotic digicam monitoring positive caught customers’ consideration.
Bella parlayed this fame into an entire profession as a TikTok star, with 88 million followers and a file deal. Not a foul end result from a 12 second clip of somebody bored and goofing round at dwelling.
The second-most fashionable TikTok video is a montage from artist fedziownik_art, with a jaw-dropping 49.3 million likes. Van Gogh would’ve given his different ear for that sort of publicity.
@fredziownik_art ?That is considered one of my greatest drawings #dlaciebie #tiktokart #drawing #fyp
The content material of different most-liked movies ranges wildly, from dancing to comedy to animals, however what most have in widespread is that they’re enjoyable, memorable, and fascinating.
Research up on what it takes to become TikTok famous right here.
How does TikTok work?
TikTok serves up a medley of personalised movies to every person through their For You Web page: a mixture of movies from accounts you observe and different content material they suppose will attraction to you.
It’s a seize bag — one which’s often filled with Doja Cat. Right here’s how you can become involved.
What are you able to do on TikTok?
Watch and create movies: Movies are central to the TikTok expertise. They are often uploaded or created in-app with cease and begin recording, timers, and different instruments.
Dwell streaming can be an possibility. Customers can add visible filters, time results, cut up screens, inexperienced screens, transitions, stickers, GIFs, emoji, and far more.
Add Music: TikTok’s in depth music library and integration with Apple Music is the place the app edges out all different social platforms. Creators can add, remix, save, and uncover songs and sounds through playlists, movies, and extra.
Work together: TikTok customers can observe accounts they like, and provides hearts, items, feedback or shares on movies they get pleasure from. Movies, hashtags, sounds, and results will be added to a person’s Favorites part.
Uncover: The Uncover feed is all about hashtags, however customers may also seek for key phrases, customers, movies, and sound results. Individuals can add pals by looking out their username, or scanning their distinctive TikCode.
Discover profiles: TikTok profiles present a tally of follows and followers, in addition to an total complete of the variety of hearts a person has acquired. As on Twitter and Instagram, official accounts are given blue checkmarks.
Spend digital cash: Cash can be utilized to offer Digital Items on TikTok. When a person buys them, they’ll convert them into diamonds or emoji. Diamonds can be exchanged for cash.
How do folks sometimes use TikTok?
Dancing and lip-synching: Since TikTok was born from the DNA of Musical.ly (you did simply learn the historical past of TikTok above, proper?) it’s no shock that musical actions like lip-synching and dancing are enormous on the platform.
@audaamar I’ll dance till there’s 1M ?? Я буду танцевать, пока не будет 1М ?
TikTok Developments: Also called TikTok Challenges, these memes sometimes contain a well-liked tune or hashtag. Trending songs and tags like #ButHaveYouSeen and #HowToAdult act as prompts for customers to aim dance strikes or create their very own variation on a theme.
TikTok Duets: Duets are a well-liked collaborative function on TikTok that permits customers to pattern one other particular person’s video and add themselves to it. Duets can vary from real collabs, remixes, spoofs, and extra. Artists like Lizzo, Camila Cabello, and Tove Lo have used the format to promo singles and join with followers.
@gordonramsayofficial #duet with @thatveganteacher Beef #burgers had been consumed whereas making this tiktok #ramsayreacts #fyp
Inexperienced Display results: Although TikTok options an enormous choice of filters and results, one of many most-used instrument is the inexperienced display. This impact makes it straightforward to put your self in an unique setting or share your sizzling absorb entrance of a related picture. Dive into our guide to editing TikTok videos here for particulars on making an attempt this trick for your self.
@sarahramosfanclub It’s Completely Raining Teenagers Half 2 #greenscreen
TikTok Stitching: TikTok’s Sew instrument means that you can copy and add on to different customers’ movies (if they’ve Stitching enabled, in fact). This operate lends itself to response movies or responses — simply one other manner TikTok fosters dialog through content material creation.
What are some distinctive ways in which folks use TikTok?
The fast-and-easy modifying options and interactive nature of TikTok create prime circumstances for creativity, and consequently, the app has been utilized in numerous ways in which the builders themselves might’ve by no means imagined (although “Ratatouille the Crowd-Sourced Musical” does kind of really feel prefer it’s a fever dream, no?)
Collaborations: The Duet function permits customers to remix and reply to every others’ content material — which might result in surprisingly pleasant collaborations like sea shanties or the manufacturing of a digital Broadway present.
@tomrosenthalmusic #duet with @sguerraandre right here’s me getting concerned with sea shanty Tiktok
Inventive modifying: TikTok simply means that you can mix a number of clips, making multi-scene tales (even short-and-sweet ones) a breeze, and providing the chance to get artistic with transitions, smash cuts, and results. Take a peek at our listing of creative TikTok video ideas here to get the wheels turning.
@mattchessco I hope she sees this @avani #fingersnap #jonasbluefingersnap #art #foryou
Getting interactive: Utilizing the TikTok reside stream function to broadcast in actual time is a surefire technique to interact along with your followers. Give ‘em one thing to speak about as the joys of anything-could-happen reside video fills their feed… just like the time cup-maker Mrs. Dutchie by chance used darkish glitter as a substitute of gentle glitter.
(Discuss breaking the web!)
However even in a daily, pre-recorded TikTok submit, internet hosting a Q&A or responding to FAQs is a good way to point out your fan membership you care.
TikTok demographics: who makes use of TikTok?
Greater than 160 million hours of video are watched on TikTok in any given minute of the day… however who is definitely making and viewing this content material?
Of the greater than 884 million people who are active on TikTok, 57% are feminine, whereas 43% are male.
There are 130 million U.S. customers over age 18. The second highest grownup inhabitants of Instagram customers is Indonesia (92 million customers), with Brazil coming in third (74 million).
Nearly all of the TikTok viewers is Gen Z, with 42% of the viewers aged 18 to 24 years previous. (The second-biggest generational cohort on the platform? Millennials, accounting for 31% of customers.)
Click on right here for extra fascinating TikTok statistics that marketers need to know in 2022.
The best way to use TikTok for enterprise
TikTok is the recent place to be for manufacturers of all stripes. You’ll discover everybody from Oreo to ASOS on TikTok today… and even old-school names like Le Creuset are getting in on the sport.
@theoreoofficial @therealsourpatchkids actually tried stealing our highlight #oreo #oreocookies #oreotok #birthday @theofficialchipsahoy @officialnutterbutter @theritzcrackersofficial @therealtridentgum
Pop over to our information to TikTok for businesses to discover ways to arrange your personal enterprise account, after which check out these methods for optimizing the potential of the platform.
Get to know the app
Earlier than you’ll be able to thrive on TikTok, you’ve gotta perceive it. Spend some critical time on the For You Web page to study what different folks and types are doing, and familiarize your self with the modifying options and results so you’ll be able to hit the bottom operating.
(Psst: we’ve obtained a primer on TikTok video editing proper right here to get you began.)
Get to know your TikTok viewers
Earlier than you’ll be able to execute a winning TikTok strategy, you’re going to want to know who precisely you’re speaking to. See our breakdown of TikTok’s person demographics above, after which discover your personal TikTok analytics to see simply who’s following you, so you’ll be able to alter your content material, tone, and targets accordingly.
Weigh in on trending matters
Whereas originality is at all times an excellent factor, the TikTok algorithm rewards accounts that faucet into trending topics, so it pays to concentrate. Utilizing trending sounds can allegedly assist your attain, too (at the least that was the conclusion we got here to in our 7-second video experiment). Hop on that bandwagon! Share your #dailyroutine, similar to Mango the seal does right here!
@oceanconnections Ever surprise what Mango’s morning routine is? #oceanconnections #nonreleasable #YesDayChallenge #dailyroutine #fyp #mango #sealtok
Go reside!
Experiment with TikTok live streams for an opportunity to point out off simply how genuine your model is: strive streaming a Q&A, host a reside procuring occasion, or construct some buzz round a brand new product launch. Right here’s our step-by-step information to going live on TikTok.
Get artistic
The short-form, quick-and-dirty vibe of TikTok makes it ultimate for experimentation. Mess around with editing tools and trending sounds to create high-energy short-form movies that signify your small business.
Create a branded hashtag problem
Thus far, branded hashtag challenges appear to be the most well-liked strategy for manufacturers on TikTok. A number of musicians and corporations just like the NFL, Sunsilk, and Universal Pictures have run campaigns. Even TurboTax is getting in on the motion.
These campaigns encourage customers to create movies round a particular hashtag, typically utilizing a particular tune or set of dance strikes.
Accomplice with influencers
Quite a lot of manufacturers have teamed up with influencers to advertise hashtag challenges, or just to advertise merchandise. TikTok even provides lists of potential creators to manufacturers.
@karencassssss #ad ✨Hyperlink in Bio!✨ ? @pluto #ad #sponsored #fyp #foryou #foryoupage #mom #asmr #tiktokcomedy
Spend money on promoting
All of those natural choices can result in success… however clearly, nothing is ever assured. (Social media is extra of an artwork than a science, you understand?) If you happen to’ve obtained slightly funds to work with, TikTok provides quite a lot of promoting choices, from promoted movies to branded lenses to model takeover advertisements. TikTok additionally launched custom sound partnerships this yr, so manufacturers can develop bespoke tracks.
Congrats on making it by way of TikTok 101! Toss that cap within the air (simply be certain that to file it and apply a cool trending tune to actually make the second pop). Able to additional your training? Dig into our full library of TikTok how-to guides and experiments over on the Hootsuite weblog.
Arrange a TikTok Store
Do you’ve gotten a Shopify retailer? Take into account establishing a TiKTok store to advertise and promote your merchandise.
With TikTok Procuring, you’ll be able to add a procuring tab to your TikTok profile. The tab will pull merchandise out of your Shopify product catalogs, permitting different TikTok customers to browse merchandise with out leaving the app and simply navigate to the creators’ on-line shops for checkout.
You probably have a TikTok retailer, you too can tag merchandise in your common TikTok posts utilizing devoted product hyperlinks.
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