Is TikTok the next big thing for Artists?
We at Jobsxdesign (@jobsxdesign) started up our TikTok presence back in November and since then have garnered a better, more consistent following than ANY other social media platform. Did we say that loud enough?! Better than ANY other Social Media platform COMBINED. While we make content for our site, the focus has been less on social – but really it is nothing to be ignored.
Content creators are on social (and sometimes social only – meaning no other web presence) and while the speed of it all may feel hard to keep up with it, it is an area that promotes community, engagement and shareable spaces.
For those of you that have yet to jump on yet another social media bandwagon, here are some of the PROs and CONs of TikTok that we have seen over the last 3 months.
PROs
User Analytics – While we believe this to be one of the most important signifiers that our content is really reaching people, engagement has spiked on Tiktok. In the last month for us we have seen 308,000+ video views, 13,000+ Profile views and a total of 34,000+ followers. Those are some great numbers for being brand new to a space, not to mention TikTok makes it easy to see your page analytics right in the app.
Reach – While this is part of our collected analytics data, the reach of TikTok gets user content out there. There seems to be a significantly more equal playing field for creators. The site has faced some more recent blacklash from creators as an influx of celebrities have joined the platform causing their content to be pushed from the main “For You” page. We saw a hit from this for a short period of time as well but it seems to be back on the upswing.
Community – TikTok is bringing together groups of people in a way that seems more fluid that other platforms. From our early use, TikTok has also felt like the most positive community we have been part of where negative comments are not tolerated and users rally around with their support of a content creator. Let’s hope this doesn’t change!
Being Yourself – One of the reasons we think TikTok feels like a more positive place to be is that users who are uniquely themselves seemed to have grown large supportive followings quickly. Young people, small businesses and people who just want to express themselves are celebrated in the TikTok community.
Growth Potential – The TikTok community is only growing and while other social platforms are sometimes linked on TikTok – the general feeling is that you are seeing the content on TikTok first. Users gravitate towards being “first” which you will see in a video comment from someone who is “first” to see your post right when you publish it. Because of this the TikTok platform continues to grow and we only see the user base getting larger and more expansive. TikTok has surpassed all other social platforms in app downloads to date.
Hashtags – Hashtags are wildly successful on TikTok with the trending hashtags being listed for you every time you post as well as post counts for every other hashtag you may want to include. The app also populates your previously used hashtags which is helpful for anyone posting regular content in the same categories.
CONs
Chinese owned Social Network – There are concerns about the fact that TIkTok is a Chinese owned social network for issues of censorship and data privacy. However TikTok says its US Operations do not censor content or take instructions from its parent company.
Young user base – There is also concern over the fact that TikTok’s main user base seems to be very young. According to Mediakix 60% of the app’s monthly active users in the U.S. are 16- to 24- year-olds. However, with the growing app downloads this user base seems to be attracting a wider audience similar to the way Facebook rose in popularity among generations.
Monetization – There is currently not a great method for monetizing your content on TikTok. After acquiring 1000 followers you have the ability to “go live” where other users can send you virtual currency that you can later cash out in the app (once the balance is over $100). There are limits on how much you can cash out per month, but only top “Popular Creators” seem to be profiting off of the live gifting. TikTok does not pay users based on views like the way YouTube does, nor has there been an influx of ads on the user platform. Typically, one ad populates when you open the app, and some users have been able to translate their following into sponsored posts or ads.
Businesses still aren’t on board – Social Media marketers have yet to really jump on this platform and see the growth potential. Only a small percentage of companies and agencies have begun to tap into the app’s potential.
Most users are on Android – Not sure if this is really a con, but the majority of platform users, almost 80% according to one stat are using TikTok from an Android device. Our guess for this is the primarily young user base where parents may gravitate more towards Androids for a young person’s first phone.
Music – Music is a Pro and Con of TikTok. Both 15 second and 60 clips are created for videos and with that music can be attached to the post. However, certain artists can be prioritized and promoted over others, while some trend organically. Another issue with music is of course licensing. If a track is not supported or a track gets removed from TikTok, the video posted with that content will be Muted. Users are able to upload their own audio which also has the potential of violating licensing laws and regulations.
Customer Support – Many users have complained about content being removed or blocked from the “For You” page even though it does not seem to violate any of the community guidelines. This process being deemed “Shadow-banning” has made even popular creators question how site content is monitored and censored. The Customer Support of TikTok is lacking in that users often receive no answers or response.
This is our short-list from the time we have been on the platform. What have you experienced with TikTok? Have you joined? What have been your impressions of the platform and your thoughts on the future of this social space?
–Jenna