The emergence, evolution and rise of the Internet, new technologies and, simultaneously, social networks, have gained prominence in recent decades. Social networks and digital platforms are currently a widely used channel for the dissemination of informative, entertainment, cultural or educational content and offer direct communication between creator and receiver, as users can follow other users and thus see everything they publish or upload to their profile and/or pages.
Tik Tok is an application of videos of all kinds that adjusts its algorithm to the tastes of users, thus showing, on the main page, videos related to the preferences and interactions of each one. The platform is one of the most recent additions in relation to social networks and has acquired great popularity and relevance in a short time since in 2020, due to the pandemic, it was already positioned as one of the social networks with the most users despite having been launched in 2016 in China and in 2018 in the rest of the world, after merging with Musical-ly - a very similar Chinese social network.
Tik Tok is a social network used to create, watch and share videos that are quick and easy to edit, to which music, audio, text and filters can be added, which are stored in a gallery on the platform itself and can be created by users. Although at the beginning they were short videos that were limited to 15 seconds, and then extended to one minute and then three, they can now be up to 10 minutes long.
Tik Tok stands out for being a video service, unlike other widely used applications such as Instagram, Facebook, Twitter or Snapchat, where the predominant formats are photos and/or text. One of the main characteristics of the social network is that the original sound of users' videos can be "reused" to create new videos, so that not only videos become viral, which can be of all kinds, whether entertainment, dances, recipes, humour, education, etc., but also audios or songs.
It was launched as Douyin in 2016 in China and a year later internationally as Tik Tok by ByteDance, which in late 2017 merged the social network with Musical.ly, a platform with a similar format that was launched in 2014. "As a result of the merger, TikTok had easy access to the teen market that previously belonged to Musical.ly," says Maryam Mohsin (2022).
The Tik Tok homepage is made up of two tabs, the first tab on the top left, called "followed", which shows videos from the profiles of all the people you follow, and the second tab on the right, called "for you", which shows content from profiles that, for the most part, you don't follow but that Tik Tok thinks you might like, based on information it has gathered.
The app has 1 billion active monthly users and almost 43% are between 18 and 24 years old, according to the Digital 2022 report (We Are Social, 2022). The number of users increased significantly in 2020, due to the pandemic, and has continued to grow steadily.
More and more companies like gloogs.com selling activities and events are also incorporating this social network of great relevance nowadays.
Understanding TIK TOK as a Social Network
The digital age has seen the rise of various social networks that have revolutionized the way we communicate and share content. Among the most notable is “TIK TOK as a social network”, a platform that has gained immense popularity in a short span of time. Tik Tok is a video-based application that tailors its content according to the preferences of its users, showcasing videos that align with their interests and interactions.
The Rapid Growth of TIK TOK as a Social Network
Launched in 2016 in China and internationally in 2018, Tik Tok quickly became a global phenomenon. Despite its relatively recent entry into the world of social networks, by 2020, it had already positioned itself as one of the most used platforms, with a significant boost in its user base due to the pandemic. The platform’s merger with Musical.ly, a similar social network, further expanded its reach, particularly among younger audiences.
Unique Features of TIK TOK as a Social Network
Tik Tok sets itself apart from other social networks with its focus on video content. Unlike platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, where photos and text dominate, Tik Tok is all about videos. These videos, which initially had a limit of 15 seconds, can now be up to 10 minutes long. Users have the freedom to create, watch, and share videos that can be easily edited with music, audio, text, and filters.
One of the standout features of Tik Tok is the ability for users to reuse the original sound from other videos to create new content. This feature has led to the viral spread of not only videos but also audios and songs. The content on Tik Tok is highly diverse, ranging from entertainment and dance videos to recipes, humor, education, and more.
The User Base of Tik Tok
As of 2022, Tik Tok boasts 1 billion active monthly users, with nearly 43% of them between the ages of 18 and 24, according to the Digital 2022 report by We Are Social. The platform’s user base has continued to grow steadily, with a significant increase in 2020 due to the pandemic.
The Tik Tok homepage is divided into two tabs: “followed”, which displays videos from the profiles you follow, and “for you”, which shows content from profiles you may not follow but might be interested in based on your previous interactions.
With its growing popularity and wide reach, more and more businesses, like gloogs.com, are starting to leverage Tik Tok to market their products and services. As such, Tik Tok is not just a platform for entertainment and socializing, but also a valuable tool for businesses to reach their target audiences.
