I remember joining TikTok some time in April 2020, when it was blowing over the internet. A lot of people started using it due to quarantine idleness to entertain one another and create content to express themselves or their talent, it could either be cooking, dancing, artistry work, start up business etc. I believe TikTok made a positive path in solving people’s problems such as making people have more confidence in themselves when leaving positive comments on the content they create. It has united people from all over the world, It has made it faster for individuals to get noticed for example, uploading a video of your small business and getting views from all over the world, showing people life hacks, singing or dancing and lands you a contract with a big company. I believe it has also created a safer space for individuals to be themselves, show their passion and creativity. It has also made people feel less lonely.
TikTok gets funding through advertising, their business model is based on advertising. People get over 100Million views and get so many people’s attention from different parts of the world, so most people use TikTok to boost their business and in order to run an ad through TikTok you have to pay TikTok. I believe TikTok was originally formed in china from a company called ByteDance. I remember this app called musical.ly and it was exactly like how TikTok is, making short video clips to share with friends. When TikTok was released, I thought they only changed the name but it was like an upgrade and a different goal from the former app, musical.ly. Right now TikTok is not fully owned by China anymore, 15% of it is owned by the U.S. I couldn’t really find an old pitch from early years but I found a slide deck from 2019. https://s3-prod.adage.com/s3fs-public/2019-10/20191008_TikTokDeck_Watermarked.pdf
Hello Jennifer,
I definitely agree with you that Tiktok has solved many people’s problems, especially during quarantine! We were all very bored being stuck at home all the time, but Tiktok has helped solved our problem our boredom because there are so many types of short videos you can find there, whether it be cooking, dancing, or others. Since there is a huge range of videos you can find on there, it attracts a huge audience because you can easily find something that interests you. Not only that, but Tiktok has helped us connect with a lot of people all over the world, and it’s crazy that you can connect with so many people with just one app!
Overall, great work Jennifer!
Hi Jennifer,
I really appreciate that you talked about your own experience using TikTok.
I have myself downloaded back in the summer, I only used it for an hour. I found it too toxic. Toxic in a way that it give people another tool to get into a rabbit’s hole. Not for me but I am impressed with their business model.
Maybe you can post some inspirational videos … and I am only half joking! You are 100% correct that social media has evolved into this negative zone for users and avoiding it is easy. But just like on Instagram, there is some positivity to be found!
not only can TikTok be used for entertainment use, but also as a way to gain more exposure and people use this to grow their following and their businesses. like you said, they can run ads but I think most businesses use TikTok organic reach to really allow people to connect with them.
Hey Jennifer! I agree that Tiktok creates a safe space for many people to express themselves. When used strategically it has helped smaller brands grow their following drastically. I’ve seen this one company make a few TikToks previewing their home goods and decor products that aren’t even out yet and the comments all say they can’t wait to purchase although equally as many people are confused about what they’re even selling. Although I understand my For You page is curated, the fact that I’ve seen this one company multiple times, can recognise their products now before it’s even launched and have never seen it on any other platform, it proves how valuable TikTok can be for businesses to gain exposure.