Experienced marketers will often dismiss any new, hot app as a flash in the pan – just because a new platform gets the spotlight at SXSW, that doesn’t mean that it’ll be an useful tool for marketers’ long term management.
There is plenty of precedent for this – while Snapchat, for example, was initially announced as the next big thing for marketers hoping to reach young audiences. However, most of initial brand adopters have given up it because of its difficult-to-measure ROI, usability issues and high advertising costs. But TikTok, a short video app initially launched by Chinese company Bytedance in September 2016, and beloved by teenagers (and younger) around the globe, may well be worth a second look.
A recent New York Times report entitled “How TikTok is Rewriting the World” explored some of the ways the app stands out from other platforms, notably through its calls-to-action for digital denizens to become content creators, and its addictive entertainment value for extremely young audiences.
What is TikTok?
TikTok is an app for making and sharing short videos. The videos are tall, not square, like on Snapchat or Instagram’s stories, but you navigate through videos by scrolling up and down, like a feed, not by tapping or swiping side to side. TikTok is, however, a free-for-all. It’s easy to make a video on TikTok, not just because of the tools it gives users, but because of extensive reasons and prompts it provides for you. You can select from an enormous range of sounds, from popular song clips to short moments from TV shows, YouTube videos or other TikToks. You can join a dare-like challenge, or participate in a dance meme, or make a joke. Or you can make fun of all of these things.
And it’s grown, fast – while TikTok, which is known as ‘Douyin’ in China, has more
than 300 million monthly active users, and 150 daily actives, in China, it’s also now added more than 26 MAUs in the US, who are spending, on average, 46 minutes per day in the app.
So, what content is TikTok’s burgeoning young audience most interested in? In a word: Fun!
Hashtag challenges and lip synch contests have become the platform’s vernacular, and Bytedance has put a heavy focus on artificial intelligence, meaning that the algorithm learns quickly and is custom-tailored to each users’ individual tastes. This enables TikTok to churn out an almost endless stream of interactive content every time a user logs in.
By nature, the platform is extremely interactive. TikTok invites content consumers to join in the fun and create their own videos rather than taking a backseat (although sitting back to watch is perfectly acceptable). There also isn’t much pressure for users to build a large following – at least not in the same way that Facebook, Instagram and Twitter have quantified influence.
Why TikTok becomes a successful mobile app?
- Solve a problem
• The app is used for passing the time and interacting with others.
purpose - Easy to Use
• The app is easy to use, which is available for different age groups. - Update Frequently
• To keep consumers engaged, the app updates weekly and introduce new features for users. - Built for Native Platform
• The app provides a platform that users can share interesting things with friends and family. - Kind to Phone Battery
• The app has consumed little battery power. - Free
• Looks like fee has won. The app profits from advertising sponsors and
provides value-added services.
After reading my blog, do you think TikTok is a successful mobile app? If you have some different idea, please don't hesitate to make comments and contact me.
TANG XIAOTING 
Hello, I’d always been curious about Tiktok’s approach on marketing and you brought it up! In today’s world where things can be distributed within a very short period of time, I found it really amazing how Tiktok has suddenly made its way to the global social media stage. From my point of view, Tiktok has noticed people’s tendency and perceptions of user-generated contents that nowadays people tend to consume contents on social media that are not too lengthy but catchy and attractive. This is where Tiktok has distinguished itself from other large scale social media platforms, becoming the most download iPhone app worldwide in 2018. Thank you for sharing this entry, it is interesting!
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Thank you for your comment. I am happy to share the information about Tiktok with you. Tiktok makes full use of the fact that nowadays people tend to consume contents on social media that are not too lengthy but catchy and attractive. Tiktok is also a communication tool that connect with their friends and family.
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That is a really successful App in China, which has a huge amount of consumers who can spend a whole day watching videos by TicTok. Some brands find opportunities on TicTok then they put their advertisements on it, which can bring them many benefits because the big data can help them to reach their target audience. I am looking forward to seeing more successful App like that can help people.
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Thank you for your comment. Tiktok is a successful mobile app in Asia, which really have a large number of users. There are more and more mobile apps launching, which shows mobile app becomes a part of people’s lives. Companies devote themselves to create more practical and interesting apps. I am also looking forward to seeing more successful apps like that can help people.
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TicTok is a software I like very much in my life. As a user, I can sit on the sofa and brush up on its video. As a mobile marketing software, in addition to seeing the normal advertisements, we often see some advertisements related to this video below the video when watching the video. However, such advertisements will not affect the video viewing, sometimes This saves us the trouble of finding the same product from the video.
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Thank you for your comment! Tiktok succeeds in attracting customers’ attention and updating frequently, which keeps it fresh and varied. However, launching video advertisement is the way that Tiktok mainly benefits from. The advertisement is moderate and relevant that customers can enjoy short video.
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Hi, Emma, l am glad to see your opinion of the moblie marketing, and I am also a loyal user of tiktok. I really like this software. I appreciate its preferences so that customers can see what they like. In terms of mobile marketing, it also interspersed with various advertisements in various short videos to attract customers to download.
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Thank you for your comment! Tiktok is a successful example that shows mobile app changes our lives now. Through mobile marketing, companies can add brand awareness more economically. So we should pay more attention on it.
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