A social media app that has transcended itself into one of the most prominent apps of all time in recent years will always be TikTok. The growth of TikTok is commendable. It has started a new wave of short video content which is now widely famous across various social media platforms.
TikTok provides a platform for users to express their creativity and entertain others through short-form videos. Many people find joy and amusement in the creative content shared on the platform. In this article, you will come across how TikTok has become the global sensation of all time.
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History of Tik Tok
TikTok is a social media platform known for its short-form video content. The history of TikTok is a relatively short but eventful one. The platform was launched in 2016, and it quickly gained popularity around the world.
TikTok was created by the Chinese tech company ByteDance, initially released in China under the name “Douyin” in September 2016. In September 2017, ByteDance expanded the app to international markets and rebranded it as TikTok. This was done to make TikTok a global sensation and conquer international markets.
How Douyin become Tik tok
Douyin now called Tik Tok internationally was created as a short-form video app for the Chinese market. The Chinese company, Bytedance, introduced its new app, Douyin in September 2016. The company developed the app over just 200 days, and had 100 million users within a year, viewing more than 1 billion videos per day.
Douyin is a Chinese word that translates to a shaking sound. Recognizing the potential for the app to have a global audience, ByteDance decided to expand beyond China. To make it stand out internationally ByteDance has to rebrand its whole product.
In September 2017, ByteDance introduced Douyin to international markets. The crucial step that ByteDance has put forth is to change the name of the app so that Western people can feel connected to the app. Since Douyin was a Chinese word the company rebranded Douyin as TikTok for international markets.
The name “TikTok” was chosen to represent the short and snappy nature of the platform, with “tick” referring to the sound of a clock and “tock” symbolizing the moments that users create in their short videos.
While Douyin and TikTok are essentially the same apps with the same core features, they operate on separate servers and have distinct content libraries and user bases. This is because of China’s strict internet censorship policies and regulations that require Chinese and non-Chinese versions of apps to be kept separate.
The expansion does not end here.
Although TikTok managed to create an impact in the West, the expansion does not end here. When TikTok was not introduced internationally there was an app that dominated US markets. That app was Musical.ly.
Musical.ly was a short-form video app that gained popularity, particularly among teenagers for creating and sharing lip-syncing videos, short music performances, and other entertaining content. It was launched in August 2014 by co-founders Alex Zhu and Luyu Yang.
On November 9 2017 ByteDance purchased Musical.ly for $1 billion. In August 2018 the two apps got merged into a single app called TikTok. It was reported that since the merger Tik TikTok downloads skyrocketed. They have increased by twenty-five percent in the United States, as well as twenty percent internationally.
Through this huge acquisition, Tik Tok was able to expand its user base peculiarly in the western side where Musical.ly used to dominate. Users could still produce videos between 15 seconds and one minute, but could now access a larger number of filters and effects, as well as smoother editing and publishing systems and higher-quality code.
The features that led Tik Tok become a global sensation.
Variety of challenges to try– TikTok was not just a platform to lip-sync songs, it was much wider than that. TikTok quickly gained a reputation for its viral challenges and trends. These challenges often encourage users to participate and create their versions of popular content. This creates a sense of community and engagement.
From blackout to Silhouette Challenge to lip sync challenge tik TikTok offers everything to make your day excuberant and entertaining.
Influencer and Celebrity Engagement– Due to the rising popularity of TikTok celebrities also started making videos which further multiplies the app user base. Many celebrities from various fields have joined TikTok and have gained large followers on the platform. These celebrities often use TikTok to engage with their fans, showcase their personalities, and participate in viral trends and challenges.
Continuous Development: TikTok has experienced continuous development and evolution since its launch. The aim was to keep the platform fresh, engaging, and relevant to its users. TikTok constantly introduced new features, such as live streaming, e-commerce integrations, and in-app challenges, to keep users engaged and attract new users.
Brand collaborations– With a single step TikTok benefits two parties. That step is brand collaboration. TikTok allows various businesses to advertise their product by partnering with various TikTok celebrities. Through this businesses could see a boost in their revenue as people will come across their product by watching TikTok. On the other hand, Influencers can earn money via collaborating.
Youth Appeal: TikTok’s format and content naturally appealed to younger demographics, including Gen Z and millennials. This age group was quick to adopt the platform and create a substantial user base.
How fast it has grown?
In June 2018, TikTok reached its first major milestone by surpassing one billion downloads worldwide on both the App Store and Google Play. Within two years tik TikTok surpassed two billion downloads worldwide.
In both 2020 and 2021, TikTok claimed the top spot as the most downloaded app. Its peak was in Q1 2020, when it amassed a record-breaking 318 million downloads, outside of China, marking the highest number of quarterly downloads ever. TikTok had 1.7 billion monthly active users in 2023 and is expected to reach two billion by the end of 2024
It’s important to note that despite the ban in India, TikTok remained a dominant player in the global social media landscape and continued to grow in other parts of the world. The ban prompted TikTok to adapt and address regulatory and security concerns, contributing to its ongoing presence and growth in international markets.
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