ELI5: TIKTOK EDITION
For those unfamiliar with “ELI5,” it stands for Explain Like I’m 5, a phrase for breaking down something that may seem complex.
Here’s the ELI5: TikTok edition, where we’ll share a few key basics about the platform, just in time to keep up with your Gen Z and Millennial family members in the new year.
What is TikTok?
TikTok is the hottest social media app in the US, #2 in Apple’s App Store ahead of YouTube, Twitter, and Snapchat. In October, we wrote about TikTok surpassing Instagram as the 2nd favorite social media app among teens, only behind Snapchat. But that said, it’s not just for teens. In fact, 67.5% of users are 20 or older.*
TikTok at its core is an entertainment destination for short form video content. From comedy, gaming, and sports to DIY, cooking, fashion, and pets, there is a TikTok niche for all.
The TikTok app is broken out into two sections: “Following’ and “For You.” The Following page is exclusively for accounts you follow, like friends, family, or favorite influencers. The For You page (FYP for short) is the bread and butter of TikTok where the almighty algorithm shows you content it thinks you’ll like. And it’s always right - TikTok is so popular because it shows you what you want before you know you want it. So what is TikTok? It becomes whatever you want it to be.
By the Numbers
Let’s take a closer look at some TikTok stats to really see its impact in the US. As of Q2/Q3 2020:
Monthly Active Users: 100M
Gender Distribution: 41.2% Male, 58.8% Female
Age:
10-19: 33%
20-29: 30%
30-39: 16%
40-49: 14%
50+: 7%
App Opens: 8x per day
Average Minutes Per Day: 52 minutes per day per user
Creation: 83% of users have posted a video
These numbers only continue to grow (and age up) as TikTok’s popularity rises and it becomes more deeply rooted in our culture and media.
Top Creators
You’ve heard of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Will Smith before, right? They have a combined TikTok follower count of 74.3M. That’s pretty insane. Ever heard of Charli D’Amelio? Well, she’s a 16 year old from Norwalk, Connecticut who has 104.4M followers, almost 30M followers more than two of Hollywood’s biggest stars combined.
To put her influence into perspective, she gets an average of 18M views per video whereas the series finale of Game of Thrones had 13.6M viewers. While Charli’s 18M views aren’t unique users, her footprint on culture and social media shouldn’t be understated. This is the power of TikTok and the power of its content creators - their influence reaches millions and millions. Below are some other top TikTokers:
Addison Rae (72.9M followers)
Zach King (54.2M followers)
Bella Poarch (50.5M followers) - Creator of the most liked TikTok ever, with 43M likes and 532M views
Spencer X (50.5M followers)
Dixie D’Amelio (47.4M followers) - Yes, Charli’s sister is a TikTok megastar too
Brent Rivera (35.4M followers)
James Charles (33.2M followers)
Now you’re armed with basic knowledge of TikTok, know how influential it is and how powerful its creators can be. Interested in learning more? Join one of our TikTok 101 Webinars for a 30-minute crash course for marketers. In the meantime, download the app and start TikToking!
