TikTok, formerly known as Musical.ly, is one of the most engaging social media platforms. The platform is pretty easy to use. Users film themselves lipsyncing or acting for about 15 seconds. They then get to choose effects sound bites or songs to accompany the videos. Users also have the right to upload their sound. This makes it easier to lipsync to someone else’s original video.
There are so many ways in which users make the video to entertain their followers. TikTok has grown and is still expected to grow in terms of subscriber’s in the coming years.
TikTok boasts a simple user interface. The videos on the platforms are quite hectic to produce, but with enough practice, any user can create engaging videos.
Why did musical.ly change its name to TikTok?
TikTok’s vice president Alex Zhu explained that the app represents the sound of a ticking clock, thus the short nature of the videos on the platform. The platform is aimed at capturing a lot of world creativity within a short while and also to remind users that so much can be done within a short while. Muiscal.ly and TikTok combine naturally because of their primary focus, which is providing a platform where each user has a chance of becoming a creator.
TikTok is available, and Musical.ly users have to upgrade to TikTok once. They can update the app they use.
How Does TikTok Work?
Just like other social media platforms, TokTok lets users follow other users, comment, or like their videos.
The platform allows users to choose a song that they wish to use in their video and then record themselves mimicking as the music plays. It is also possible for users to register themselves and add music later.
The app comes with several video settings to give the users the flexibility they need to create highly engaging videos. Users can shoot slow-motion songs, fast forward, time-lapse, add filters, and much more. The users can post their videos and share with their followers as much as they wish. They can also make use of trending hashtags to increase the chances of their videos being found on the search engine. Hashtags can also be used to submit the videos for a challenge on the platforms.
The app allows users to share their videos with other social media platforms such as Facebook, WhatsApp, and more. As if not enough, users can use the duet feature that allows them to connect with other users and even lipsync together.
How is Tik Tok Different?
Tik Tok users confirm that new users can become famous on Tiktok, unlike other social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, or twitter. The platform gives equal resources and chances to new users so that they can build their brand and make money.
Tik Tok CEO Jonathan Strauss, says that the platform gives new users a chance to become as big as the most prominent people on the platform.
The platform has a robust algorithm that is continually searching for new clips instead of doing away with clips from popular users. This helps keep the audience focused on the video without swiping away, and that means better earnings.
TikTok can observe video with most views. It then ranks the clips better, and this helps new users get exposure and gain following fast. TikTok is a social platform of its kind because of their ability to push content
The users can add a song to their internal playlist; this gives users an accessible library to choose from to accompany their clips. The app supports banner ads linked to a video or a song.
This platform also allows one to launch hashtag campaigns, just like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. This is an indication that TikTok is becoming a social app to reckon with.
The platform allows users to communicate regularly with their managers. Most topics of discussions include what type of video to create, how they can do better, and video ideas.
Concerns about TikTok
Just like any other social media platform, TikTok has a share of its challenges. According to its terms of use, the platform allows users who are above 13 years. Even though, the platform has quite other creeps.
Statics showed that children as young as nine years old have their names, contact numbers, name of school all exposed on their public videos. Such accounts also had several messages from older people requesting friendships; some were even asking for their home addresses and phone numbers.
TikTok keeps on putting measures in place to protect against abuse of any kind. One of the rules is that photos or videos cannot be sent via direct message.
TikTok developed a Digital well- being center where you can monitor your screen time. This allows parents to observe if their children are inappropriately using the app.
Users can flag off inappropriate content. All they have to do is press the button with three dots and click on report abuse. This has significantly helped reduce the amount of bad language and sexual content that is being shared on the platform.
What next for TikTok?
TikTok is the best joke platform today. Even though the platform is quite underdeveloped since most influencers are yet to give it a try. Content creators are also trying to find their way to the top. Most content creators love the support provided by the platform to grow their various brands. Toktok has the most active user base among all the social media platforms.
TikTok’s highest earnings are from in-app purchases that are limited to coins. People can use these coins to send virtual gifts equivalent to their actual money to their favorite TikTok influencers during broadcasts.
Most content creators can make money by directly pitching brands. Several brands have experimented with advertising on the app, and most conform that the app is a goldmine.
There is likelihood that TikTok will go huge on advertisements, just like Instagram. There is a chance that the most popular TikTok influencers are likely to earn huge as many brands continue to tap into the platform.
Conclusion
There is no doubt that TikTok has grown tremendously. The platform is now competing with large social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram. Its growth is highly attributed to its video approach. That being said, there is so much to expect from TikTok; we can only wait.
