An Introduction to TikTok

What is TikTok?

While you might be potentially shunned for not knowing what TikTok is, because it’s so new, it’s understandable to a degree. With all the different social media apps out there now, it’s hard to tell the difference between them all.

Knowing the difference can be helpful, though – especially if you want to make money from social media. Let’s talk about what all the fuss is about with TikTok.

What Was Musical.ly?

So, to answer the question ‘what is TikTok?’, we have to talk about Musical.ly. This is because Musical.ly was TikTok once upon a time. It was launched in 2014 and started getting pretty popular.

It was then bought by ByteDance, a company based in China, for $1 billion. Guess what? ByteDance already owned another app called TikTok. Both apps were reasonably popular, just in different locations.

Eventually, ByteDance decided that it was in the interest of all involved to combine the two apps, which brings us to the TikTok of today. And no, if you’re wondering, not a lot changed when the app officially became TikTok, apart from a few filters and tools.

What Is The Length of TikTok Videos?

So, how long are TikTok videos officially supposed to be? Well, if you want to grow your TikTok optimally, as you probably know from growing other social media platforms, there’s a difference between how long they can be, and how long they should be.

TikTok videos CAN be up to a minute long, but nobody advises that you run the tape for this long if you want to become popular and get lots of followers. Apparently, the optimal length that TikTok videos SHOULD be is 15 seconds.

Remember, our lovely younger generation doesn’t have the biggest attention span. This means that if you make a longer video, they’re probably going to get bored before it’s over, and keep scrolling.

What Do People Do on TikTok?

TikTok Video

We’ve talked a little bit about the kind of content that TikTok is comprised of, so you should know by now that video is where it’s at. However, there’s a lot to explore within this medium, and it’s worth knowing that TikTok is pretty specialized when it comes to the type of content that people like.

The most popular type of video content on TikTok right now appears to be lip-syncing. This is when people will choose a song that’s popular to play over their video and then lip-sync to it. The idea in itself is pretty simple, yet it’s already proven that there’s a lot of talent out there within Generation Z.

How Do I Use TikTok?

Working out how to use TikTok might take a little bit, but once you’ve got it, you won’t look back.

Because TikTok was designed from the beginning as a mobile-friendly app, you might notice that all of the videos on this platform are vertical, as opposed to what you see on YouTube. If you like someone else’s video, you can show your admiration through giving a heart.

Once you’ve got the TikTok app on your phone, you can open it and start looking at people’s content straight away – literally. Videos will begin to play as soon as you open the app, so have a look around to find ones that fit within your interests.

Lastly, if you want to upload your own TikTok video, press the home button that you’ll find at the bottom on the left.

What’s With TikTok Challenges?

If you haven’t heard of the term ‘TikTok challenge’ yet, then you really have been out of the loop. Not only do Generation Z love to create lip-syncing videos on this popular video-sharing app, but they also like to challenge others to do the same.

Teens challenge their peers to create TikTok videos through hashtags. They are also using Tools for TikTok to promote it further.

However, it’s not only teens that are doing this – brands are, as well. Brands like Levi’s created their own hashtag, #inmydenim, and encourage their audience to post content showing them in their favorite pair of Levi’s jeans.

Final Thoughts

So, there you have it – hopefully, some solid answers to your questions around TikTok. The reason why TikTok has proven to be so popular, especially among Generation Z, is because it brings a new flavor to the table.

Nowhere else can you upload videos that can be seen by your followers, friends, and family on such a scale. Just think of it as Instagram for videos. It’s a powerful platform that’s only set to become more powerful, so make the most of it.

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