TikTok has taken the world by storm in recent years, and it’s not hard to understand why. With over one billion active users, the viral video-centric social media app has been a hit with viewers and creators for many reasons.
Why is TikTok good, exactly? We will go over all of the ways TikTok has helped people across all age demographics, interests, and occupations. The tremendous impact this platform has requires a closer look to understand what attracts people to keep coming back.
Why Is TikTok Good?
Whether you have a brand and are looking to leverage TikTok to make money, or are someone who is looking to enjoy quality content, you will be pleased to hear there are many reasons why you should be using TikTok.
Viral Challenges
TikTok became immensely popular at first due to dance challenges taking off on the app. The beauty of TikTok lies in the fact that anyone can start an account with zero followers and see one of their videos blow up overnight to a million views or more. A lot of this is due to viral challenges getting picked up and amplified by the app’s highly-sophisticated algorithm.
“What is a TikTok challenge?” you may ask. Here’s how it works:
- A TikTok user created a unique challenge video that becomes popular on the app
- Other creators start making their own videos related to the challenge
- Duets and Stitches are made by creators collaborating with one another, further magnifying the viral and popular nature of the challenge
Whether you have a dance, comedy duet, or some other challenge you want to create a video for, you are bound to enjoy plenty of views and a high engagement rate.
Helpful Algorithm
TikTok’s algorithm is designed in a way where going viral is much easier than on competing platforms. Likes, views, comments, and shares are all taken into account to determine how much the algorithm will push someone’s content. The higher quality your content, the more the algorithm will help you.
Whether you are just starting out on TikTok or have been on the platform for a while, the app’s algorithm will net you a higher engagement rate than you are used to on platforms like Instagram and Facebook. Getting in good with the algorithm helps as well, which means jumping in on viral and popular challenges.
Greater Awareness of Social Issues
Given that TikTok is a place where people from all walks of life and from around the world share their experiences, being on the app helps broaden your horizons. There are many social issues that creators are vocal about, which helps spread awareness about them.
If you are on Tiktok, you will become aware of issues you may not have even known were being experienced by people. It will help you develop greater understanding and empathy for those suffering injustices, constraints, or calamities. Becoming exposed to the experiences others from different backgrounds and circumstances have helps us mature as humans into seeing things from different perspectives.
Greater Sense of Community
Although over a billion people are using TikTok, you can feel like you are included when you’re on the platform. This is thanks to communities forming within TikTok based around specific interests. As you connect with others, you will see more people from communities you are in following you and engaging with your content.
The best way to become a part of a community on Tiktok is to engage with content that revolves around specific types of topics. You can also create your own content on these topics and begin using specific hashtags that make their rounds within that community. Before long, you will have formed close bonds with a community you feel aligned with.
Quality Content for All Ages
You are allowed to use TikTok if you are 13 years old or older. This has led to teens and adults of all ages using and enjoying the platform. Content that interests specific age groups and generations is plentifully available to view.
While 60% of TikTok users are between 16 and 24 years old and 80% are between 16 and 34, there are also older users as well. TikTok has always been adopted more by younger people, so most of the content does appeal to them. However, there are even seniors on the platform enjoying content relevant to them and their interests.
Powerful Search Engine
Most people don’t immediately think of TikTok as a search engine, yet it is. In fact, it is one of the most popular search engines today for videos. The adoption of the app as a de facto search engine is so great that nearly half of Gen Z users are using TikTok instead of Google for their search needs. This underscores just how popular the app is to use as a search engine.
Although Google and other search engines will always have their place for brands to leverage, TikTok being used as a search engine means creators should optimize their videos for search engine optimization (SEO) to gain greater discoverability.
Ecommerce Powerhouse
Businesses are a major presence on TikTok due to the ease of which they can reach their target market. Users are regularly discovering new products that spur them to make purchases after viewing appealing TikTok videos of the products in action. There are even viral hashtags like #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt that are used for showing off impressive products. In fact, this one hashtag alone is so popular that it gets billions of views every month.
TikTok Shop is a built-in feature that is the social media app’s marketplace. Although still relatively new, and primarily focused on apparel and beauty products, TikTok Shop is growing so big that it is already generating tens of billions of dollars in revenue annually. This shows that TikTok is quickly becoming the go-to app for not just social media video content, but also eCommerce, search engine usage, and more. Additionally, the added benefit of influencers collaborating with eCommerce brands to get more products sold provides a win-win for creators and businesses.
Brands Express Their Creativity
Videos on Tiktok are expected to be awash with creative expression. They are generally light, entertaining, and uniquely creative. A touch of comedy into TikTok content has proven to be quite effective in attracting more followers and seeing higher engagement with branded content.
Humans are relational beings who value and benefit from authenticity and the feeling of being connected to others. Brands can do both on TikTok to help them feel more connected to them in a way that eventually results in them becoming paying customers. Short-form video content done in a creative and unique way helps brands stand out amid an increasingly crowded field.
Increasingly Popular Social Media Platform
TikTok has grown a great deal since its inception in 2016, and continues to do so. In fact, TikTok boasts nearly 5 billion downloads on Apple and Android app stores. That is an impressive feature considering other social media apps like Snapchat and Twitter have less. With short-form video content dominating the social media landscape, it is not too surprising TikTok has climbed its way to the top.
To give some perspective into just how popular TikTok is getting, consider the following stats:
- Adults in the United States are collectively on TikTok 73.8 million hours on TikTok annually
- A TikTok user is almost 1.5x more likely to purchase newly-released technology products over the coming half year.
- Approximately 40% of adults in the US are using TikTok as a search engine, with Gen Z being the biggest adopter of this TikTok use-case.
- TikTok is regularly one of the top 3 most downloaded apps within Android and Apple app stores
Numerous Ad Styles
TikTok understands how to help brands with their advertising. One of the ways it demonstrates this is through their many ad formats. These include ads that are within user feeds, branded hashtags, branded effects, and several more.
The dynamic range of ad formats ensures a brand can design an eye-catching ad that will attract more prospects, who will hopefully become paying customers. It is yet another way TikTok shows how it is willing to help the creators who help it be as popular as it is.
Music Streaming Platform
Music is a mainstay of TikTok videos, thanks to an extensive library of Trending Sounds. Given viral videos often include songs from aspiring music artists, songs often become viral sensations after appearing in trending videos. In fact, songs that came out years or decades ago can suddenly get a second life thanks to TikTok.
It can be said that TikTok doubles as a music streaming platform. Users and brands can browse through the vast TikTok library of music, and if you live in countries like Brazil and Indonesia, you get to test out TikTok Music. This experimental feature released in select countries for the time being provides music streaming and download capabilities of music integrated into the platform. Creating content becomes even more enjoyable with this greater integration of music into the app.
News Source
As yet another sign that TikTok is becoming an all-in-one app, a growing plurality of users are getting their news from TikTok. This is especially true for US users of the platform. Currently, around 1 in 4 American adults get their news from TikTok videos, with the majority being between the ages of 18 and 29.
Legacy news organizations have already been grappling with the shift away from newspapers and TV news channels as the internet has become more popular as a news source. Now, they must face an even more varied news landscape that includes social media platforms like TikTok. The appeal comes from the fact that alternative media and citizen journalists report on what is going on from either firsthand experience or with perspectives that are unlikely to be heard from traditional news outlets. Additionally, short-form videos have proven to perform much better than longer news segments that were historically popular in the past.
User-generated Short-form Content
The cornerstone of social media is user-generated content (UGC). TikTok has excelled in creating a platform that emphasizes short-form videos above all else. This is especially appealing in a world where attention spans are decreasing and peoples’ attention is being taken in many different directions.
UGC has been a boon for brands looking to promote themselves to a wider audience. It has also become instrumental in marketing campaigns that leverage the star power of influencers. If you are looking to create UGC for your brand, consider the following tips:
- Keep your videos on-brand and engaging
- Being expressive with your creativity to create unique videos
- Tag any collaborators who helped with the videos
The level of creative freedom brands get to enjoy on TikTok is even more than on other social media platforms due to the expectation of content being more casual on TikTok. This allows you to let your brand’s personality shine to its fullest.
No Professional Recording Equipment Needed
The barrier to entry for becoming a TikTok creator is very low. There is no need to have the latest professional camera and recording equipment. In fact, most creators simply use their smartphones to record their videos. However, you could also use a laptop, DSLR, or even webcam to record content.
Some creators also enhance their lighting by getting ring lights, as well as external microphones. However, none of these are absolutely necessary, but if you want to increase the quality of your videos they are quite affordable.
Small Accounts Still Get Great Engagement
On most social media platforms, it will prove challenging to get any meaningful engagement starting out. However, on TikTok this isn’t true. You could get a great deal of engagement on your posts even if your account is small or you’re just starting out.
As long as your content captures the attention of users who come across it (and quickly), you will start to see remarkable engagement on your videos. Once you’ve hooked someone, they are likely to follow you for more similar content, so be sure to find your style and run with it once you see it is attracting the audience and attention you desire.
Videos Don’t Need to Include You
Brands don’t always need to include their spokesperson in every video. What you can do is encourage others to be in your videos to speak about your product, or even demonstrate it. You could also include animations viewers can watch while you or someone else narrates over them.
A brand can keep its audience engaged with a dynamic range of content instead of every video being of the same person talking. This will ensure your viewers don’t get bored, and keep coming back to see your latest content.
TikTok Analytics Provide Valuable Data
There is a wealth of analytics data provided by TikTok to content creators. You will get to view the number of views, likes, comments, and shares on your videos. Additionally, you can determine the engagement rates on your videos, which can help you understand what content strategies work well and which ones could use some tweaking.
As you monitor your engagement, you can prompt your audience for comments, questions, and other means of engagement. Not only do these interactions increase your engagement rates but they provide you with insightful information that will help you make more compelling content in the future.
Small Learning Curve
Even though after you first log into TikTok it may seem chaotic and overwhelming, you will quickly feel comfortable with the layout and For You feed. It is easy to get started on TikTok and understand how to use it. Creating content is a breeze, and the feature-rich platform allows you to add filters and other elements to your content easily.
Unlike other social media platforms, TikTok does not artificially reduce engagement in the hopes you will pay it to boost your reach. Instead, it works by making sure content people are sharing with others is being pushed farther and to more people. This is how a new account can wake up to millions of views overnight.
Conclusion
Why is TikTok good? We gave you 18 reasons why this popular social media app has taken the world by storm. It is beloved by both regular users and brands alike, and continues to grow. If you are a content creator or brand looking to maximize your success, TikTok is the go-to platform. Thanks to a nearly non-existence learning curve and a very rewarding algorithm, you should see impressive success very quickly.
