17 Mar What is TikTok?

Posted at 09:00h in TikTok, TikTok Marketing by

TikTok is the newest viral video app to capture the attention of the younger, mainly Gen Z, demographic. With its quick rise to popularity, there are a lot of questions marketers have about this platform. We will dive into how TikTok came to be and how the platform operates.

Image source: https://www.tiktok.com/en

  • Late last year, TikTok surpassed 1.5 billion downloads, making it the third-most-downloaded app outside of gaming in 2019.
  • TikTok has drawn comparisons to the previous short-form video app, Vine. TikToks can be up to 15 seconds long.
  • People watch TikTok content to be entertained, so make sure your content is humorous and/or helpful. Have fun with it!

Background on TikTok

TikTok originated from parent company ByteDance out of China. It was first known as Douyin in 2016. TikTok merged with musical.ly in 2018 to bring us the app that we know today. Late last year, TikTok surpassed 1.5 billion downloads, making it the third-most-downloaded app outside of gaming in 2019.

Image Source: https://www.bytedance.com/en/

TikTok has drawn comparisons to the previous short-form video app, Vine. TikToks can be up to 15 seconds long. However, you can string together multiple clips for up to 60 seconds in length. Be prepared for loud and bold content on the platform as soon as you log in.

Getting Started on TikTok

Creating an account is easy. Download the app from the Google Play or App Store and then tap the Profile tab to sign-up via your email address, phone number, or other social account. One thing to note is that by default, TikTok accounts are public, if you want to make your account private you will need to adjust the settings by going to the three dots in the top corner of your profile.

After your account is setup, your feed will default to the “For You” stream. This is a stream of content served up based on algorithms similar to Instagram’s Explore page. The other feed option is the “Following” feed for those you have accounts you have selected to see their content.

You can choose to interact with TikToks in a variety of ways. The heart indicates liking a video. The speech bubble allows you to comment and the arrow pointing to the right enables you to share a video.

Creating Content on TikTok

To create a TikTok, the plus button at the bottom of your screen will open your camera. You can choose to add the music before or after you record a video.

Source: Hurricanes TikTok

After you recorded your video, it is time to add the effects. The Effects are on the left side to browse. Effects categories include trending, interactive, beauty, funny, animal and more.

On the right side of the recording screen is a Beauty button and Filters. Filters help guide you based on if your content is portrait, landscape, food or trying to set a specific vibe.

Finally, one of the most important features is the timer. This will allow you to film videos without continuously holding down the record button.

Considerations & Takeaways for TikTok

  • People watch TikTok content to be entertained, so make sure your content is humorous and/or helpful. Have fun with it!
  • Leverage the special effects and music—these things make TikTok unique to other channels.
  • If you are jumping on a trend, make sure it is timely and use the appropriate hashtag to make sure your content is seen.

Want to Learn More about TikTok for your Brand?

Now that you are up to speed on what TikTok is, you might be questioning if it is right for your brand. For additional insight on who is using the platform, brand watch-outs, best practices and ways to activate influencers, watch our on-demand webinar on “What Marketers Need to Know about TikTok” .

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