One of the main taboos regarding TikTok is that it is only an “app for kids” or “they just dance” or “has pure garbage content”. Of course, all this content abounds, in the end, it is an entertainment platform, more than a social network, as they themselves have confirmed in their training.
But not everything has to be black and white. It may be that we need to see the other side of the coin. Remember that not all books, just because they are books, are valuable; Not all the content on television, because it is TV, is bad. The same thing happens on Tiktok: not everything is as they paint it.
The most downloaded App
According to firm data Sensor Tower, during the first quarter of 2022, was the most downloaded app in the world, with more than 3.5 billion downloads. The growth of this social network has been unprecedented: it was the first network to achieve 1 billion active users in just 5 years, when it took others like Facebook 11 years. And I know that TikTok has already arrived in an era where social networks predominate and that could make it easier, but no, the more you offer, the more difficult it will be to get chosen and in this case to have active users.
Tiktok is no longer a social network for “kids”
The figures are interesting: 40 percent of its users in the world are over 30 years old, according to the agency’s study Rebold. Although the highest percentage is between 19 and 29 years old, with 35% and 28% being under 18, the increase in the “older” segment has been exceptional. In other words, the Chinese app has ceased to be a sanctuary for the youngest, to become a refuge for all generations.
Changing the way we consume content
The new format of short videos came to revolutionize digital communication. We are facing a generational social network such as Myspace, Facebook or Snapchat. The algorithm is also new: it suggests relevant content based on your tastes or even your mood. The Washington Post talks about the danger of the algorithm since it knows us perfectly and knows practically what we are thinking. This algorithm has tried to replicate itself first with the failed Lasso and now with Instagram reels, but without any success.
breaking taboos
Once inside the application, the algorithm has to learn from what you are interested in seeing, what you are consuming and your activities. Everything counts: the likes you leave, the time you spend watching certain videos, the comments, what you share, what you search for: everything. And you can “train” the algorithm to learn anything you want: all topics exist on this social network: gardening, cooking, crafts, manners, etiquette, how to split a bill, chess lessons, pet care or even marketing videos. digital. The platform has been so concerned about “education” that even one of the biggest Hashtags within the platform is #LearnInTiktok with more than 68.1 billion views or the almost namesake “Learn With Tiktok” with 17 billion views. All -or almost all- the topics are explained on Tiktok. There is even a very famous sticker that is used on WhatsApp that says: “There is a Tiktok that explains it”, because you can find: tutorials, explanations, classes, hacks, answer questions, etc, etc, etc. All this in order to learn.
TikTok is changing the rules of the game
For the first time in history, the greats of the game tremble: Tiktok is already consumed more than YouTube. Facebook reported loss of users and, for the first time in its history, advertisers are considering moving their investments to other platforms thanks to its poor results. “Tiktok has become the most influential social network of the moment, the one that sets trends and where you can position yourself organically more easily,” said Dave Gaona, TikToker and digital strategist, as well as a good friend. Later he adds: “With a single organic Tiktok that I launched, I sold more digital marketing courses than with half the monthly investment on other platforms and Tiktok Ads have a much higher ROI than FB or IG, including Google.”
This only indicates one thing: the change in the social media regime. From education, entertainment, trends and how to sell in the digital world.