TikTok is a popular short-form video app owned by the Chinese company ByteDance. It launched in China in September 2016 as Douyin and was introduced to the international market as TikTok in September 2017. TikTok allows users to create short videos up to 60 seconds long with music, effects, and creative tools. Videos can range from fun lip-syncing or dancing clips to humorous sketches and more. As of 2022, TikTok has over 1 billion monthly active users worldwide and has been downloaded over 3 billion times according to Business of Apps [1]. It is currently one of the most downloaded apps globally.
TikTok’s Video Format
One of the defining features of TikTok is its video format. TikTok videos are short, typically ranging from 15 seconds to 1 minute long. This allows for quick, bite-sized content that users can easily watch and engage with. Additionally, TikTok videos have a vertical orientation, optimized for viewing on smartphones held vertically.
There are several common types of videos found on TikTok:
- Dances – Users create choreographed dances, often set to trending music or songs. Dance challenges frequently emerge and spread across TikTok.
- Challenges – These involve users filming themselves taking part in a meme, stunt, or activity. Viral challenges like the Mugshot Challenge have amassed millions of TikTok videos.
- Lip syncs – Lip syncing to dialogues, songs, or audio clips is hugely popular on TikTok. Users mouth the words and often act out skits.
- Comedy/humor – Funny videos are common, including pranks, jokes, and sketch comedy.
TikTok’s short, vertical videos make it easy for users to quickly produce and consume engaging content. The platform’s format gave rise to popular categories like dances, challenges, and lip syncs.
TikTok Terminology
On TikTok, each short vertical video is called a “TikTok” while a collection of videos is called “TikTok videos”. This distinct terminology helps differentiate between the quick, individual posts that users scroll through on the app and the compilations that get shared outside of TikTok. According to an expert guide to the app, “TikToks are 15 to 60 seconds long. They’re typically lightly edited, with music and effects sprinkled throughout” (Source).
So in summary, the individual short posts are known as “TikToks”. But when users share collections or compilations of TikToks elsewhere, they are referred to as “TikTok videos”. This terminology distinguishes the quick mobile-first posts from the longer form content.
Posting a TikTok
Posting a TikTok involves either recording a video directly within the TikTok app or uploading a pre-recorded video from your camera roll. Here are the steps for each method:
To record a TikTok video within the app, tap the ‘+’ button at the bottom of the screen. This will open up the camera. You can then record a video up to 60 seconds long. TikTok allows you to record multiple clips and stitch them together in the app’s video editor.
To upload a pre-recorded video, tap the ‘+’ button and then select ‘Upload’. This allows you to choose a video from your camera roll. The video can be up to 60 seconds long. Similar to recording in the app, you can upload multiple clips and combine them in the video editor.
Once you have your video footage, you can add effects, sounds, captions, filters and more. TikTok has an extensive library of licensed music and sounds you can add to your video. You can also add text captions and subtitles. There are hundreds of AR effects and filters to choose from to enhance your video. Overall, TikTok provides powerful creative tools to edit and polish your video before posting.
When you’re happy with your video, add a description or hashtags as you see fit. Then post it for your followers and the larger TikTok community to enjoy. The key is to be creative, authentic and engage your audience.
Engagement on TikTok
Engagement on TikTok refers to how users interact with videos on the platform. There are several key metrics that measure engagement on TikTok:
Likes, Comments, Duets, and Stitches
The most basic engagement metrics are likes, comments, duets, and stitches. Likes indicate that viewers enjoyed the video. Comments allow viewers to provide feedback or participate in discussions. Duets enable users to respond to a video with their own side-by-side reaction video. Stitches allow users to clip and integrate parts of someone else’s video into their own new video.
According to Social Insider, the average TikTok engagement rate in 2024 is around 5-10% for most creators. This rate is calculated by dividing total engagements (likes + comments + shares) by total views.
Following and Followers
Having more followers and following more accounts represents another form of engagement on TikTok. Followers indicate an ongoing interest in a creator’s content. Creators can also engage with others by following them.
TikTok recommends tracking follower growth over time as an important metric. Rapid follower growth may signify rising popularity.
Sharing to Other Platforms
Users can engage further by sharing TikTok videos to other social media platforms. This expands the reach of content and signals high interest in a video.
TikTok has share buttons that make it easy to repost videos on platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, WhatsApp, and others. Viral TikTok hits often gain traction as they spread across multiple platforms.
TikTok Sounds
Music and sounds play a huge role on TikTok. Popular songs and audio clips are often used in TikTok videos, with certain snippets going viral and being reused in thousands of TikToks. Users can add music and sounds to their videos either from TikTok’s licensed music library or by uploading their own original audio.
Viral sounds spreading across TikTok is similar to viral memes on other social platforms. Certain audio clips will suddenly gain popularity, with the app’s algorithm picking up on their momentum and showing the videos containing those sounds to more users. This creates a feedback loop where more people use the sound, fueling its spread. Sounds going viral is essentially like search engine optimization on TikTok – using popular audio is key for videos to gain traction.
Original audio created by users can also take off virally on TikTok just like licensed music. Users are encouraged to create and upload their own sounds through features like TikTok Sounds and the ability to add music from one’s camera roll. Sounds created organically within the TikTok community have the benefit of not being blocked by copyright rules. Overall, utilizing the right audio is an important element in creating content that resonates widely on TikTok.
TikTok Challenges
A major part of TikTok is participating in viral challenges that spread across the platform. TikTok challenges usually involve creating a video based on a specific concept, tag or song. Some of the most popular types of challenges include dance challenges, comedy skits, and hashtag challenges.
Dance challenges invite users to perform a dance routine set to a specific music track. These challenges go viral when the dance is catchy and easy enough for lots of people to recreate. Famous TikTok dance challenges include the Renegade, M to the B, and Savage Love dances.
Comedy and acting challenges see users recreate funny skits or act out certain scenarios. These challenges thrive on creativity as users put their own unique spin on the popular concepts. Popular examples are the Wipe It Down challenge and Get Ready with Me challenge.
Hashtag challenges encourage users to create videos based on a specific hashtag or prompt. The most iconic TikTok hashtag challenge was #RainDropDropTop which had users showing off outfits transitioning from wet to hot.
No matter the format, TikTok challenges allow users to show off their creativity and talents while participating in the app’s culture. The most popular challenges go insanely viral as millions of users put their own spin on the concept.
TikTok Trends
One of the most exciting aspects of TikTok is discovering the latest viral trends. TikTok trends often spread quickly through the app via sounds, hashtags, challenges, or influencers showing off a new dance or skit. Some of the most popular recent trends have included:
Viral dances – Dances set to catchy songs frequently take off on TikTok. Some popular examples include the Renegade dance, the M to the B dance, and dances inspired by Megan Thee Stallion’s song Savage.
Comedy skits and memes – Skits recreating funny situations, often relying on effects or niche humor, regularly go viral on TikTok. Memes and inside jokes among the TikTok community also emerge frequently.
Trending songs and sounds – Songs or instrumentals used in the background of TikTok videos can gain popularity through trends and challenges utilizing the sounds. Examples include songs like Mood by 24kGoldn and Save Your Tears by The Weeknd.
Hashtag challenges – Hashtag challenges encourage users to create videos around a specific theme or topic. Viral hashtag challenges have included #posechallenge, #wipeitdown, and #FlipTheSwitch.
To discover the latest trending topics, browsing trending hashtags and sounds is a great way to see what’s currently taking off on TikTok.
Influencers on TikTok
Some individual creators have amassed massive followings of millions of users on TikTok. Top influencers like Charli D’Amelio, Addison Rae, and Zach King have over 100 million followers each [1]. These internet celebrities earn significant money through sponsorships and partnerships with brands. Promoted content, live streams, and creator funds allow TikTok stars to monetize their content.
Many influencers leverage their TikTok fame to build followings and earn income on other platforms like YouTube and Instagram. Bella Poarch, for example, started on TikTok but now has over 9 million YouTube subscribers [2]. TikTok stars often collaborate with each other in videos or on external projects to cross-promote themselves. Some have recorded music, launched merchandise lines, or gotten involved in traditional media opportunities.
As TikTok continues growing, new influencers will emerge and achieve fame through viral videos. However, maintaining relevance requires consistently creating engaging content. While TikTok stardom may seem fleeting, the top personalities demonstrate social media skills and marketing savvy to transition their followings into lasting careers.
The Future of TikTok
With over 1 billion monthly active users as of September 2021, TikTok has seen meteoric growth since launching outside of China in 2017[1]. However, experts predict the platform’s growth rate will begin slowing down. According to Oberlo, TikTok saw a growth rate of 58% in 2021. In 2024, experts forecast an annual increase of 9.3%—nearly one-fifth of 2021’s rate. By 2025, TikTok’s growth rate is predicted to further slow to 7%[1].
While slowing, TikTok is still expected to see steady growth in users and engagement. Much of this continued expansion will depend on TikTok’s ability to compete with rivals like Instagram and YouTube. TikTok has already adapted features like Instagram’s Reels and YouTube’s longer video formats. Differentiating itself through innovative features and clever algorithms will be key[2].
TikTok also faces ongoing concerns around privacy and security. Critics have accused TikTok’s parent company ByteDance of sharing user data with the Chinese government. TikTok will need to address these issues to maintain trust, especially in Western markets. Implementing strict data protection policies could help alleviate concerns over TikTok’s handling of user information[2].
