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Tag: tiktok

  • TikTok honors Holocaust Remembrance Day

    TikTok honors Holocaust Remembrance Day

    On Thursday, January 27, the world celebrated International Holocaust Remembrance Day—and viral media platform TikTok has joined in to do its part in memorializing the holiday, and combatting antisemitism on the platform.

    Yesterday, TikTok officially announced that it would be offering new tools and features to combat the spread of hate speech and marginalization, as well as provide users with educational content to counter any misinformation on the platform.

    To do this, TikTok has partnered with UNESCO and the World Jewish Congress to display a new banner across the screen, which users will see when they search for certain Holocaust-related phrases. The banner reads, “Remember to consult trusted sources to prevent the spread of hate and misinformation,” a text accompanied by a link to aboutholocaust.org.

    World Jewish Congress President Ronald S. Lauder, stated that “the World Jewish Congress is proud to partner with UNESCO and TikTok in making factual and reliable information about the Holocaust available to the TikTok community,” as recorded in TikTok’s official blog post.

    “TikTok allows us to reach a new audience,” he continued, “some of whom may be uninformed about the horrors of the Holocaust and therefore be potentially susceptible to misinformation. We welcome the platform taking responsibility and leveraging its reach to stop the spread of antisemitism and Holocaust denial.”

    January 27 marks the date of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau—the largest Nazi concentration camp—in 1945. It is a day on which the whole world gathers to remember the millions of people who were killed in the Holocaust during World War II.

    However, TikTok’s decision to spread awareness about antisemitism isn’t limited to the Holocaust Remembrance Day holiday, nor to a week, or even month, after the event. According to the blog post, this will be a permanent change to the platform, implemented along with the provision of new educational reading material on TikTok’s main Discover page.

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  • TikTok testing new Video Avatar Tools, audio-only live streams, and more

    TikTok testing new Video Avatar Tools, audio-only live streams, and more

    TikTok is testing a couple of new features, and thanks to social media expert Matt Navarra (who has a great track record of revealing them) we have some inside information on how they look and what they actually do.

    TikTok experimental features at a glance:

    1. Video Avatar Tools
    2. Keyword filtering
    3. Group Chat shareable link invite
    4. Audio-only live streams
    5. Screen sharing in live

    1. Video Avatar Tools

    The first new feature is very similar to Apple’s Memoji, and will allow users to create a digital avatar based on a selfie shot. First you’ll need to choose a face template, which you would be able to subsequently edit with expressions based on your own face.

    “The feature lets you use your phone’s camera to take a selfie with a fun facial expression which your avatar will match,” wrote Navarra on his Twitter page.

    The screenshots, posted by Navarra, don’t explain the exact way this feature works, and whether it would be capable of tracking and mimicking your face in real time, or it would only be able to pre-record short video avatars/still images.

    2. Keyword filtering

    There’s also an interesting keyword filtering feature in the works, apparently. Contrary to the way most filtering options work, the TikTok keyword filtering will allow you to hide content from your feeds.

    Adding a keyword or hashtags to your filter will result in videos containing these words in the description or stickers not showing in your For You page or Following feeds. Advertisement containing these “filtered” keywords may still appear, though.

    3. Group Chat shareable link invite

    Also in the code, dug up by Navarra, lies a string suggesting that a new Group Chat feature is being developed. TikTok users will have the option to invite people to a group chat via a shareable link.

    TikTok has a Group Chat feature but you need to manually invite people by sending a video or creating a group chat in inbox and selecting the users you want to invite. The shareable link invite feature simplifies the process.

    4. Audio-only live streams

    TikTok is experimenting with the option to allow users to join live streams with audio-only, trying to hop on the Clubhouse train, even though the popularity of the app and all of its clones has plummeted in recent months.

    Twitter Spaces is a recent example and the company recently rolled out a new feature called Record and Replay, allowing users to record their conversations and make them available for anyone who wants to listen at a later time.

    5. Screen sharing in live streams

    This one is pretty interesting, as per the code: “Screen sharing allows viewers to see what’s on your screen in real time, including camera, audio, notification, and other alerts.”

    The ability to share your screen with friends will give TikTok creators new tools to enhance their material, new ways to make tutorials, and make live streams more interesting in general.

    TikTok provided an official statement to SocialMediaToday, shedding light on the idea behind these new experimental features:

    “We’re always thinking about new ways to bring value to our community and enrich the TikTok experience. Currently, we’re experimenting with ways to give creators tools to express themselves on TikTok.”

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  • TikTok is testing paid subscriptions to allow creators to charge for their content

    TikTok is testing paid subscriptions to allow creators to charge for their content

    A TikTok spokesperson said that TikTok is testing paid subscriptions. This new feature would allow TikTok creators to charge followers with a subscription to their content.

    TikTok’s spokesperson didn’t provide specific information about the testing and how this new feature may work. The spokesperson also didn’t provide any information about pricing or possible subscription plans.

    Currently, TikTok has a few monetization features in place to enable its creators to earn more. Fans can send money to creators via their profiles, and viewers can purchase virtual gifts using the app and then send them to creators, which they can exchange for real money.

    TikTok said, “We’re always thinking about new ways to bring value to our community and enrich the TikTok experience.”

    The Information report comes right after Instagram revealed that it had begun testing a similar subscription feature. As previously reported, Instagram’s subscription feature is currently available only to ten content creators, but Instagram said that this number would increase in time. The prices of Instagram’s subscriptions may vary from $0.99 to $99.99 per month, and creators will be able to select the prices of the subscriptions themselves. Subscribers will have access to exclusive Instagram Stories as well as Instagram Live, which is a real-time video stream.

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  • Instagram testing TikTok-like vertical scrolling for Stories

    Instagram testing TikTok-like vertical scrolling for Stories

    Instagram is working on ways it can better rival the crazy popular short-video-sharing platform TikTok, and a redesigned way to show Stories is one of them. The company announced such a feature will be coming back last year, but now, it has finally started appearing to some users for testing.

    The feature was first spotted by social media consultant Matt Navara, and it seems Instagram is currently testing for some users located in Turkey. The update brings vertical scrolling to Stories, and in order to jump to the next user’s Stories, you need to swipe down, just as on TikTok. To view Stories from the same user, you still need to tap the left or right side of the screen.

    Additionally, the update was also received in Brazil, thus making us think that the tested feature has a more global rollout, or it has been expanding to more countries.

    The new feature immediately reminds us of TikTok, and it could as well be interpreted as an attempt by Instagram to better compete with the app with steadily growing popularity. What’s more, Instagram has also been making Stories more focused on video instead of just a simple photo.

    At the moment, it is unclear when this feature will be available to all users, as it is currently in its testing period.

    The feature we reported on above is not the only attempt that Instagram has recently made to better rival video-sharing TikTok.Back in December, Instagram also tested an increased maximum duration limit for videos in Stories. When posting videos in Stories, if they are longer than 15 seconds, they would get segmented into different Stories, and Instagram is currently working on amending this. It has been testing allowing up to 60 seconds of videos in Stories without segmentation.

    And let’s not forget to mention Reels: it is the more obvious TikTok-like feature on the social media platform. Instagram has been pushing for it to gain traction and popularity and is even offering a bonus of up to $10,000 for content creators that post Instagram Reels.

    Reels actually debuted back in 2020, but it hasn’t been gaining as much attention as the rival TikTok, which continues to rank quite high across all metrics of popularity. Recently, TikTok was even crowned as the “most visited website of 2021”, at least in a Cloudflare domain ranking. By the way, TikTok surpassed Google.com in this ranking!

    Nevertheless, that doesn’t stop Instagram-owner Meta to continue developing its services and enriching the user experience with new features. One particularly good feature that Instagram has recently announced and is planning to implement soon is a version of the chronological feed that vanished in 2016. Basically, Instagram will have three different options for your main feed: one dubbed Home (which will be the current one), one dubbed “Favorites”, and one dubbed “Following”. The latter will allow people to scroll through the posts of only the creators they have followed and view them in chronological order.

    For many people that would be quite handy as many users don’t like getting post recommendations from people that they don’t follow in their feed instead of the content of people they like and want to see more of.

    Another recent feature that Instagram is working on is called “Edit Grid”, and it will allow you to arrange the posts in your profile to your liking, regardless of the date the photo was published.

    Of course, all these features are currently in testing or under development and an official global release date has not been specified.

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  • TikTok videos coming to screens in gyms, bars, and restaurants

    TikTok videos coming to screens in gyms, bars, and restaurants

    Atmosphere, a streaming TV service for businesses like restaurants and gyms, announced its partnership with TikTok. The new collaboration will bring carefully selected TikTok videos to businesses around the world in the form of a new channel on Atmosphere’s platform.

    Dan Page, TikTok’s Head of Global Business Development and New Screens, said about the new partnership, “By partnering with Atmosphere, we’re excited to make it easy for people to experience TikTok together by bringing the joy and creativity of our platform to new screens, venues, and audiences.”

    Atmosphere’s ad-supported streaming platform provides entertainment content to over 19,000 businesses worldwide. Some of these businesses are restaurants, bars, gyms, and doctors’ offices. Atmosphere also works with Westin, Taco Bell, and Texas Roadhouse, so if you are a customer of these restaurants, you will also be able to watch Atmosphere’s carefully curated TikTok videos during your meal.

    Leo Resig, CEO and co-founder of Atmosphere, said in a statement, “Everyone is constantly on the go and on their phones, so we developed a hyper-entertaining streaming TV platform with Atmosphere, which elevates the vibe of any business. This is a win-win for the business and their customers as well as advertisers, who are having a harder time connecting with an unreachable TV audience. ”

    Atmosphere offers a streaming TV platform for businesses worldwide that has more than 64 TV channels. Atmosphere’s platform gives access to various entertainment content like video compilations, sports, lifestyle, and art. More than 20 million unique visitors every month, according to Atmosphere, watch its TV platform.

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  • TikTok ranks as the most visited website for 2021

    TikTok ranks as the most visited website for 2021

    TikTok was the most visited website this year, according to the 2021 Cloudflare domain ranking, part of its Cloudflare Radar service. After August 10, TikTok became the leading website for most of the days of 2021, especially in October and November.

    Here is the ranking of the 10 domains, which we have visited most in 2021:

    1. TikTok.com
    2. Google.com
    3. Facebook.com
    4. Microsoft.com
    5. Apple.com
    6. Amazon.com
    7. Netflix.com
    8. YouTube.com
    9. Twitter.com
    10. WhatsApp.com

    In the 2020 Cloudflare ranking, the winner was Google, which comes as no surprise when the data includes not only traffic to Google.com, but also the most popular Google services like Maps, Translate, and News. Last year, Facebook, Amazon, and Netflix were also ahead of TikTok, which was at 7th place back then.

    But in 2021, TikTok’s generated traffic skyrocketed. In September, TikTok said that more than 1 billion people visit the site every month. This year, TikTok’s app also became the world’s most downloadable app. It surpassed even the Facebook app, which was the one that held that title.

    Cloudflare, a security network that enables secure access to websites, released its Cloudflare Radar service in September 2020 to show the public how we use the internet. Cloudflare Radar monitors internet usage and traffic. Cloudflare Radar also displays new internet trends and provides information on cyberattacks that Cloudflare has detected. For more information about Cloudflare Radar, visit Cloudflare’s site.

  • Spotify is testing a TikTok-like video feed

    Spotify is testing a TikTok-like video feed

    Spotify wants to become more TikTok-like… sort of. Apparently, the music streaming service is testing a new feature called Discover for its app. The feature will allow artists to post vertical videos to their songs and allow listeners to discover new songs more easily.

    The new Spotify Discover feature was spotted by Chris Messina in the music app’s latest iOS TestFlight beta version. The new Discover button is located between the Home and Search buttons. When you Discover, you are presented with a TikTok-style video feed of artists and their songs. You can like the song by tapping on the heart icon or hitting the three-dot button for more information.

    Spotify declined to comment on whether the new feature will make it into the official version of the app or if it will be ditched entirely. A spokesman for the streaming service gave the following statement:“At Spotify, we routinely conduct a number of tests in an effort to improve our user experience. Some of those tests end up paving the way for our broader user experience and others serve only as an important learning. We don’t have any further news to share at this time.” – Spotify spokesperson.

    The new Discover feature could prove very useful for artists as it will allow them to add a visualization to their songs without the need for an expensive music video. The feature will also allow Spotify to differentiate itself more from its biggest competitor, Apple Music, as the latter doesn’t have a video feed section.

    A couple of artists have already made vertical music videos in the past. For example, back in February and April of 2019, British singer MARINA published vertical videos for her songs Handmade Heaven and Orange Trees, which ere posted on all social media, taking advantage of the smartphone form factor. Later, Billie Eilish jumped on the new trend as well. The American music artist posted a vertical video of her hit song Bad Guy in August of 2019.

    If Spotify indeed adds the new Discover section to its app, vertical music videos could become mainstream. If that happens, Apple will probably add a similar feature to its music streaming service too.

    Spotify isn’t the first popular app to work on a TikTok-like video feed. Instagram introduced a very similar feature in its app called Instagram Reels. YouTube also introduced its own version of a vertical video feed called YouTube Shorts.

    Both Reels and Shorts proved to be quite successful, and it isn’t surprising that other big companies want to add similar features to their apps. Netflix also recently introduced a video feed to its app containing comedy content. The new Netflix feature is called Fast Laughs.

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  • Twitter makes it easier to search through subscribers’ tweets on iOS

    Twitter makes it easier to search through subscribers’ tweets on iOS

    A new search icon has been discovered by XDA on the iOS version of the Twitter app. Tapping the magnifying glass icon at the top right corner of a subscriber’s Twitter page will search through the tweets posted by this person or account. It also can be used to go through your own tweets.

    Using the new feature is a snap. Tap on the magnifying glass to reveal the search bar, and simply type in the terms of the search. In the example that we did below, our search term was TikTok.

    That brought up a tweet that we posted late Friday night related to a story about a 16-year-old girl who used a hand gesture that she learned from watching TikTok. The gesture alerted someone in an automobile behind the one that the girl was a prisoner in, that something was not right and that the teen was in distress. Thanks to the hand gesture, the cops were alerted and used a traffic stop to arrest the 61-year-old driver.

    The new feature is actually a shortcut for a feature that Twitter users running the iOS app can already do. By tapping the search icon at the bottom of the screen and typing in From:Username Term (which in the above example is PhoneArena TikTok), you’ll get the same results as if you had used the new tool.

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  • TikTok is now the world’s most downloaded app

    TikTok is now the world’s most downloaded app

    According to a global analysis compiled by Nikkei, TikTok has officially overtaken Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and every other messaging platform to become the most downloaded social media app in the world.

    Until 2021, Facebook had held that title—unsurprisingly, as it has somehow managed to keep growing over the years up to a current accumulated net worth of over one thousand billion. TikTok has proven to be something of a dark horse behind the scenes, however, growing around the world at an unprecedented rate until it’s taken over social media—and most of Gen Z’s free time.

    While YouTube has also been changing the video scene over time, with the most popular videos currently stretching around ten minutes—miles shorter than traditional TV or video entertainment—TikTok has been paving the way for something completely new: very quick, snappy videos averaging between nine to fifteen seconds.

    In the beginning, most TikToks were quick, funny clips aimed at making you smile or laugh, something akin to Vine when it peaked in 2014 before it passed into oblivion. TikTok isn’t showing signs of dying anytime soon, though, and its style has expanded to include educational clips, life hacks, mini cooking tutorials, and much more.

    The possibilities have become endless, and thousands of businesses have taken advantage to advertise their products or services as well as provide entertainment.

    TikTok has even been inspiring other platforms to mimic its style, after seeing its popularity boom—such as Instagram Reels, or YouTube Shorts. Both of these have been pushed as additional short-video platforms alongside the main platform, which provide a refreshing alternative to the regular content most established influencers or YouTubers are used to posting and consuming.

    Instagram Reels is different from Instagram Stories, shown in their very own niche corner in the app, and YouTube Shorts can be found on the Shorts Shelf right near the top of the home page.

    For a while last year, we didn’t really think TikTok was going to make it in the US, after Trump had threatened to eradicate the app from the United States due to a claimed national security risk. Things didn’t quite work out the way Trump had hoped, though, and although new app downloads were banned for a while, Biden signed an executive order this year revoking all bans on both Tiktok and WeChat (another Chinese messaging app targeted by Trump).

    The pandemic served to provide a massive boost to TikTok’s popularity, as not only were most people stuck at home with limited means of entertainment, but also because many famous artists were forced to cancel shows and tours, and decided to take to this platform (and others) instead.

    I enjoy videos by artists who aren’t performing live anymore because of the pandemic. —Nina, 37, from Portland

    Interestingly, TikTok has never touted any particular safety features, and many still harbor concerns that their data may be compromised. However, that doesn’t seem to have impacted the app’s fame in the least, in spite of other apps like WhatsApp working hard to stay above competing platforms in terms of maximal data encryption and privacy. Apparently, if an app is entertaining enough, privacy concerns take a back seat for many users.

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  • TikTok is now working on an Instagram-Story-like feature

    TikTok is now working on an Instagram-Story-like feature

    TikTok was an exception to the fact all social media platforms have been getting some sort of an Instagram-Story-like feature, but this is no longer the case. TikTok will now be getting a Story-like feature too.

    Matt Navarra was the first one to reveal the company was working on a Stories feature earlier on Twitter. Currently, all the mainstream social media platforms have a form of Stories – a disappearing post that stays up for 24 hours on your account.

    The fact TikTok is developing the popular feature has been confirmed now by a representative of the company, stated The Verge. The feature will be simply called “TikTok Stories” and will work similarly to the Stories on Facebook, Instagram, or Snapchat.

    The published Stories will be visible in a newly-added slide-over sidebar in the TikTok app, and you will be able to see Stories by the accounts you follow on TikTok for 24 hours before they automatically disappear. Of course, reactions and comments to Stories will also be present. And, just like Instagram, tapping on a user’s profile picture on TikTok will load a Story if they currently have one active.

    This will be a new way you can interact with your fans, claims TikTok. You will be able to create a new Story by a “create” button that will be available on the sidebar, and as usual, you will be able to write captions, put music and text on. Quite understandably, Stories on TikTok will need to be videos and not a still image.

    At the moment, there’s no clear indication when the new feature will be released to the general public.

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  • TikTok is testing a custom paid video format called Shoutouts

    TikTok is testing a custom paid video format called Shoutouts

    TikTok creators are about to get another tool to help them make money. The top-grossing app in H1 2021 is apparently testing a Cameo-like feature called Shoutouts.

    The new format will allow TikTok users to request custom videos from their favorite creators and pay for them with in-app currency.

    The new feature is available for some creators in Turkey and Dubai but there’s no information on when Shoutouts will arrive in other countries.

    You pay upfront when you submit a request and then wait for up to three days for your creator to accept. Then, in a week or so, you should receive your custom video in your direct messages (after it’s been reviewed and approved by TikTok – this isn’t OnlyFans, guys).

    Earlier this month, TikTok announced that it will be introducing longer videos (already rolling out), allowing users to upload up to three minutes’ worth of content.

    Shoutouts is the last addition to a slew of new TikTok features, including the recently introduced TikTok Jump – mini-widgets that creators can link to within their videos.

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  • Apple blocks TikTok’s attempt to track iPhone users

    Apple blocks TikTok’s attempt to track iPhone users

    Ever wonder how you could look up a product online and all of a suddenly targeted ads for that product pop up on your phone and other connected devices? This, not witchcraft, readers. Third-party apps and websites track your travels across the internet and also know which apps you’ve been viewing. When Apple released iOS 14.5 in May, it gave iOS users the opportunity to opt-out of getting tracked with the App Tracking Transparency (ATT) feature.
    This feature gives iPhone users the ability to decide for themselves whether they want to be tracked by third-party apps and websites for the purpose of receiving online ads. More importantly, the ATT feature allows users to opt-out of being tracked which is the option that the vast majority of iOS users have selected. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg was not pleased that Apple was giving users a way out of being tracked, but that isn’t surprising since the social media giant took in over $84 billion in ad revenue last year and 96% of iOS users had decided to opt-out of tracking in the early going.
    Another company decimated by ATT is TikTok and the popular short-form video app attempted a workaround to get around App Tracking Transparency called device fingerprinting. The latter can collect user data through the use of an algorithm and the entire workaround is called CAID for short.
    The Financial Times said that Apple was left with certain options: it could decide to look the other way and allow CAID to be used by app developers to obtain personal data, or it could block apps like TikTok from the App Store as long as the workaround continued to be employed. The latter is what Apple decided to do as it rejected TikTok updates that contained the CAID build.
    Alex Bauer, head of product marketing at adtech group Branch, told the Times that “The Chinese app ecosystem was collectively baiting the bull with CAID, under the theory that Apple couldn’t afford to ban every major app in the market. Apple called their bluff, and seems to have reasserted control over the situation by aggressively rapping knuckles on early adopters before the consortium gained any real momentum.”
    While TikTok tried to use a back door to get past Apple’s ATT, the tech giant was able to slam that door shut. The company remains serious about promoting privacy on the iPhone and its other devices.
  • Instagram is trying its best to keep up with TikTok

    Instagram is trying its best to keep up with TikTok

    After TikTok shook the social media market and fundamentally changed the name of the game, western companies quickly rushed in to grab a piece of the pie. As per usual, Instagram was quick to follow up with a similar feature with the release of Reels in 2020.

    On June 30, the head of Instagram shared a video on his Twitter page about upcoming changes in the social media platform. In his post, he mentions the addition of fullscreen mobile-first video to the app.

    We’re also going to be experimenting with how do we embrace video more broadly — full screen, immersive, entertaining, mobile-first video.

    These videos will appear in your feed in the form of recommendations, even if you don’t follow the account that’s posted them. Adam Mosseri explained the need for such changes by addressing the increasingly competitive environment in which Instagram finds itself.

    Let’s be honest, there’s some really serious competition right now. TikTok is huge, YouTube is even bigger, and there are lots of other upstarts as well.

    The days when the app was primarily photo-centric are long gone. It used to be a place where people would casually share photos of their everyday life with their friends and family. It then became a creative place for professional artists to showcase their work and promote it to a wider audience. Some would say that was the golden age of Instagram.

    In the last couple of years, however, Instagram evolved into a platform that also focuses on retail, instant entertainment, and product advertising. “We’re no longer a photo-sharing app or a square photo-sharing app,” said Mosseri. He then cemented his message, saying that “people are looking to Instagram to be entertained, there’s stiff competition and there’s more to do. We have to embrace that, and that means change.”

  • Tesla Crash Victim Lauded ‘Full Self-Driving’ In Videos On Tiktok

    Tesla Crash Victim Lauded ‘Full Self-Driving’ In Videos On Tiktok

    A Tesla car driver killed in a recent accident in California praised the automaker’s “full self-driving” features, and posted videos on his apparent Tiktok account, in which he appeared to drive with his hands off the wheel. On May 5, a Tesla Model 3 crashed into an overturned truck on a highway in Fontana, killing the Tesla driver and injuring the truck driver and a motorist who had stopped to help him.

    The Associated Press news agency cited police as saying a preliminary investigation had determined the Tesla’s driver assistant system Autopilot was engaged prior to the crash.

    But in a correction issued late on Friday, police said, “There has not been a final determination made as to what driving mode the Tesla was in.”

    Since 2016 at least three Tesla vehicles operating on Autopilot have been in fatal crashes, two involving a Tesla car driving beneath a semi-truck in Florida.

    Two videos of a man driving with his hands off the wheel were posted on the alleged Tiktok account of the victim, 35-year-old Steven Hendrickson of Running Springs in California.

    “What would do I do without my full self-driving Tesla after a long day at work,” said a message on one. “Coming home from LA after work, thank god, self-drive,” said a comment on another video, adding, “Best car ever!”

    Tesla dubbed its driver assistant features “Autopilot” or “Full Self-driving,” which experts say could mislead consumers into believing the car can drive by itself.

    On its website, Tesla said its Autopilot feature does not make the vehicle autonomous, however.

    On his Facebook account, Hendrickson was shooting a video while driving on autopilot, saying, “Don’t worry. I am on autopilot.”

    Family members were not available for comment and Tesla, which has disbanded its public relations teams, was not immediately available for comment.

    Tesla Club-SoCal, a group of Tesla owners in Southern California, said on social media that he was an active member who “loved his Tesla.” He is survived by his wife and two children, it added.

    The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has been investigating more than two dozen crashes of Tesla vehicles, including the Fontana crash and a high-profile one in Texas last month that killed two men.

    Since 2016 at least three Tesla vehicles operating on Autopilot have been in fatal crashes, two involving a Tesla car driving beneath a semi-truck in Florida.

    The U.S. transport safety board said Tesla’s autopilot system failed to properly detect a truck as it crossed the car’s path, contributing to the accidents also caused

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  • TikTok, seeking advertisers, reveals info about its subscribers and how they use the app

    TikTok, seeking advertisers, reveals info about its subscribers and how they use the app

    TikTok has been seeking more advertisers for the global and U.S. versions of the short-form video app. As a result, the company has been meeting with potential advertising partners while carrying a B2B pitch book for its TikTok for Business unit. As you might imagine, the pitch deck reveals information about TikTok designed to show off the large number of TikTok users that could be mined by advertisers.

    The pitch deck has leaked online revealing plenty of information about TikTok’s audience. As of October, TikTok’s own numbers show that it’s monthly active users (MAUs) worldwide amount to 732 million. In the U.S., the MAU figure is over 100 million.

    When you consider that those figures are six months old, the numbers are much higher-perhaps tens of millions higher globally. Thanks to a lawsuit filed against the government last year, we know that from the end of July 2020 to October 2020, the app gained approximately 14.3 million monthly active worldwide users each month. If this growth continues over the next 13 months, by May 2022 the app will have over one billion monthly active users globally.

    Some of the data that TikTok is pitching to advertisers should be able to convince them to put some money in TikTok’s till. 47% of users said that they have purchased something that they saw on TikTok in the past while 67% said that TikTok gave them the inspiration to go shopping even if they weren’t planning to do so.

    The pitch deck also revealed the app’s attractive demographics with 42% of active users between 18 and 24 years old. 17% are between 13 and 17 with 22% aged between 25 and 34, 12% between 34 and 44 and only 7% over the age of 45. TikTok users continually return to the app as the average user opens TikTok 19 times a day although it isn’t clear whether this number reflects the actions of global or U.S. users.

    And as of this past January, the average TikTok user views the app 89 minutes a day. 80% of users call TikTok “the most entertaining platform.” The pitch deck is supposed to make TikTok sound like the perfect place for advertisers to spend their money and based on the numbers, many of them will do so on the app.

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