Let Gen Z tell you about TikTok...

by Lydia Teasdale

As one of the fastest growing social media platforms; it’s clear that TikTok is hugely popular. Particularly with Gen Z, as 32.5% of users are aged 10-19. Born from Musical.ly, TikTok launched in 2017 and is a social media platform where users can watch and create short videos, capped at just 3 minutes long.

The key to TikTok’s popularity 

There’s no doubt that the secret behind TikTok’s success is its unique algorithm and the ‘for you’ page. Based on the users engagement with videos, TikTok builds up a picture of users interests and shows videos on their ‘for you’ page specifically tailored to their interests. As a result, everything users see on TikTok appeals to them. With unlimited videos available on the ‘for you’ page, it’s easy to see why users lose track of time and spend hours scrolling on the app. Ultimately, the constant and unlimited stream of different videos means that it’s almost impossible to lose focus or become bored.

Making a popular TikTok

Part of the magic of TikTok is that videos can easily go viral. It’s seemingly impossible to say what content works best as the experience is so different for every user. Although users can now make videos up to 3 minutes long, the fast paced nature of the app is where content performs best. Generally speaking, the content that works best is under 1 minute long, to the point, and engaging. The seemingly random success of some videos also encourages users to create their own, hoping to become social media stars like Charli D’amelio and Addison Rae, who have both made a career out of TikTok.

TikTok trends

TikTok has an exceptionally high turnover of trends; 2020 saw the increasing popularity of dance videos, perhaps because they are easy to recreate and something fun to do whilst many places were in lockdown. However, as life has returned to normality for some people, ‘day in the life’ videos and shopping hauls have become more popular. Viral haul videos also influence other trends from clothes to skincare. Whilst there are a few adverts directly from TikTok, the majority of advertising is hidden within sponsored videos. Typically, with videos only appearing on the ‘for you’ pages of people with similar interests, it’s never been easier for brands to reach their target audience - even I have bought clothes after seeing them on the app.

How does Gen Z use TikTok?

Ultimately everyone uses it differently, but many young people enjoy not only watching entertaining comedy videos but also creating their own videos as a creative outlet and a way of expressing themselves. With over 1 billion global users, there’s no doubt that TikTok will only continue to grow.