Brief History
TikTok first launched in September 2016 under the name Douyin in China. It was created by Zhang Yiming, founder of ByteDance, as a short-form video sharing app. The initial purpose of Douyin was to allow users to create and share 15 second videos set to music and other audio clips. In 2017, ByteDance launched a version of Douyin for markets outside of China under the name TikTok. TikTok gained major popularity globally and by 2018 had been downloaded over 100 million times worldwide. As of 2023, TikTok has over 1 billion monthly active users globally and is one of the most popular social media apps.
Core Functionalities
Some of the core functionalities that make TikTok unique include:
Short Videos – Users can record and upload short videos up to 60 seconds. Longer videos can also be uploaded and split into multiple parts. This focus on bite-sized video content makes TikTok easy to use and ideal for sharing viral moments (Source).
Filters & Effects – TikTok provides a vast library of filters, effects, stickers, and AR lenses that users can apply to their videos. This allows creativity and customization for a more polished, engaging video (Source).
Duets – The duet feature allows users to record reaction videos alongside someone else’s video, splicing the clips together side-by-side. This facilitates engagement and collaborations between users.
Stitches – Users can embed parts of other videos into their own using the stitch feature. This builds on existing trends and concepts organically.
User Demographics
TikTok has found great popularity among younger users, especially teens and young adults. According to Backlinko, as of December 2022, 32.5% of TikTok users were aged 10-19, and 29.5% were aged 20-29. Only 13.9% of users were aged 30-39. In the United States, research from Searchlogistics indicates 60% of TikTok users are under 30.
However, TikTok has seen growth in older demographics as well. Over the last few years, the proportion of users aged 30-49 has steadily increased. Now, about a quarter of TikTok’s users worldwide are 30 or older.
Geographically, TikTok has found immense popularity in Asia, especially China and India which make up most of TikTok’s userbase. The United States is another key market. As per December 2022 statistics from Backlinko, the top 5 countries by market share were India (44.8%), United States (8.4%), Turkey (6.8%), Russia (3.4%), and Mexico (3.1%).
Content Types
TikTok is known for its wide variety of content. Some of the most popular content types on the platform include:
Dances: TikTok has become a hub for viral dance challenges and choreography. Dances like the Renegade and Savage became international sensations thanks to TikTok. Dancing is one of the app’s most recognizable genres. Popular dancers like Charli D’Amelio and Addison Rae have amassed millions of followers through dance videos.
Comedy: Sketches, stand-up bits, parodies and more make up TikTok’s comedy scene. Comedians can find massive audiences on TikTok, with funny videos routinely going viral. Many top creators like Brittany Broski and Wesley Strober focus on humorous content.
POV: “Point-of-view” videos allow creators to act out relatable scenarios from a first-person perspective. POV content spans from slice-of-life moments to scripted sketches. POV is a versatile style that connects creators directly to their audience.
Challenges: TikTok challenges invite users to record themselves attempting viral stunts or copying popular dances. Participating in challenges is a great way for creators to join trends. The app has birthed challenges like the Silhouette Challenge and Mugshot Challenge that accumulate millions of video entries.
Virality
TikTok’s algorithm makes some videos go viral through trending sounds, hashtag challenges, and collaborations. Videos can suddenly explode in popularity by utilizing popular audio clips or songs that are currently trending on the platform. TikTok creators try to capitalize on trending sounds by making videos using the same music in hopes of being promoted by the algorithm (Source).
TikTok also creates viral hashtag challenges, where they promote a specific hashtag and encourage users to make videos using it. Often these challenges are tied to dance trends or meme formats. Successful challenges like #posechallenge or #wipeitdown have resulted in millions of video creations and views (Source).
Collaborations between top creators can also drive virality, as fanbases combine to push content wider. Live duets and stitching other videos allows creators to build on each other’s content and ideas. TikTok makes it easy for creators to leverage others’ content and networks for their own gain.
Monetization
There are a few main ways for creators to monetize their content on TikTok.
One of the most popular is through influencer sponsorships and brand partnerships. Brands will pay TikTok creators to promote their products or services in TikTok videos. The more followers and engagement a creator has, the more they can charge for these sponsored posts. According to Sprout Social, nano-influencers with 5,000-20,000 followers can charge around $25-100 per sponsored post, while mega-influencers with over 1 million followers can charge $2,000-10,000 [1].
Another monetization method is receiving virtual gifts during TikTok Live streams. Fans can purchase coins to send gifts to their favorite creators during live videos, and TikTok pays creators a percentage of the gift value. Top creators can earn thousands per week from live gifts.
TikTok also offers a Creator Fund that pays creators for high-quality videos. Creators must have at least 10,000 authentic followers to be eligible. According to TikTok, the fund will grow to over $1 billion in the US in the next 3 years and be distributed to “thousands of creators each month.” In 2021, the average payout per video view was around $0.02 [1].
Algorithms
TikTok’s algorithms play a major role in determining what content users see, particularly on the For You Page (FYP) which shows recommended videos. The FYP algorithms take into account a variety of factors to personalize recommendations and maximize engagement, including:
- User interactions – Content you like, share, comment on
- Watch time – Videos you watch all the way through
- Searches – Keywords searched in the app
- Device settings – Language, country location
- Follow graph – Who you follow and their interactions
TikTok tailors the FYP based on each user’s tastes and aims to surface “the most interesting and relevant videos” first. The FYP algorithm also detects trends and viral content to recommend popular and timely videos to users. According to Sprout Social, the FYP algorithm is constantly learning and adapting based on user behavior (https://sproutsocial.com/insights/tiktok-algorithm/).
Criticisms
TikTok has faced criticism on various fronts, with two major areas being addictiveness and data privacy concerns. Many have argued that the TikTok algorithm is designed to keep users on the app for extended periods of time. Features like auto-play of videos and the “For You” page that serves up an endless stream of personalized content contribute to addictive tendencies, especially among young users (UK’s National Cyber Security Centre reviewing TikTok risks).
There are also ongoing concerns about how TikTok handles user data, particularly with its parent company ByteDance being based in China. Critics argue TikTok may be sharing data with the Chinese government or using it for surveillance. TikTok has continually denied these allegations, but suspicions remain. Leaked audio from TikTok meetings revealed discussions about China having access to US user data (TikTok App Risks Ban by United States). Overall, fears around potential data mining and security risks present an ongoing public relations challenge for TikTok.
Comparisons
TikTok is often compared to other popular social media platforms like Vine, YouTube, and Instagram due to some overlapping features, but it also has some unique aspects.
TikTok is similar to Vine in that they both focus on short form video content. However, while Vine limited videos to 6 seconds, TikTok allows videos up to 3 minutes long. TikTok also includes features like duets, stitches, and green screen effects that allow for more video remixing and engagement than Vine offered.
YouTube is also focused on video content, but videos on YouTube tend to be much longer than TikTok, often 10+ minutes. TikTok’s short form videos cater more to bite-sized entertainment. However, both platforms rely heavily on algorithms to determine which videos go viral.
Instagram and TikTok both allow users to build a following and share photos/videos. But while Instagram focuses more on polished content and influencer culture, TikTok tends to feature more raw, behind-the-scenes style videos. TikTok also makes use of hashtags and viral challenges in a way that sets it apart from Instagram.
Overall, while TikTok shares aspects with other social platforms, its fusion of short form video, powerful algorithms, and community challenges makes it a unique platform in the social media landscape.
Classification
TikTok is primarily considered a social media and entertainment app focused on video sharing. Social media apps allow users to interact with each other by sharing content, commenting, liking, etc. TikTok takes the short video format popularized by apps like Vine and allows users to create, edit, and share 15-60 second videos. The app’s algorithms are designed to quickly determine a user’s interests and preferences to serve them relevant, entertaining, and engaging video content. This makes TikTok part video editing tool, part social network, and part entertainment hub.
Unlike platforms like Facebook or Twitter that focus on photos and text, TikTok is oriented around short-form videos. While you can share text posts, the app is designed for shooting, editing, and sharing creative videos, often set to music. This makes it more similar to entertainment and video sharing platforms like YouTube or Snapchat. However, the short video format, viral nature, and addictive algorithms set TikTok apart in the social media landscape.
Overall, TikTok combines elements of a social network with powerful video creation tools and a dynamically served feed of entertaining content. This unique fusion is why it has become one of the most popular apps in the world and has inspired copycat features on platforms like Instagram and YouTube.
