A Must-Read Opinion by Marketer Laurent Zahut on TikTok's Future

TikTok took the world by storm, exploding in popularity in 2020 amid the Covid-19 lockdown. With some speculation about whether it would remain as popular and the future of TikTok user activity, people are asking themselves whether TikTok is here to stay. For the following reasons, there is good reason to assume that it is here for the foreseeable future and its popularity goes beyond simply a phase.

Growth in the Pandemic

With people unable to leave their homes, TikTok became very popular during the months of lockdown. Thirsty for entertainment, the short form videos that were possible to create from the limitations of one home, lead to an unprecedented number of users downloading the app in the first few weeks of lockdown. The opportunities were sky-high, with pranks and video challenges available for everyone to take part in. By the time restrictions were eased and life returned to normal, TikTok had established its presence in the hearts and minds of creators and viewers alike.

Short form content

Tiktok has revolutionized the short-form video production scene. One of the appeals of TikTok is the short, fast-paced clips that in its early form were limited to only a few seconds making it incredibly easy to hold the user's attention for extended periods. It has proven to be so successful in fact that competition has adopted similar features, with the likes of Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts. There is now more flexibility with the duration of the clip, as the allowed time has been extended by 10 minutes, diversifying the type of content that one could post but as most individuals that are familiar with the platform can confirm, short clips being a minute or less are most commonly found.

Phones becoming more popular than TV

The use of mobile phones for visual entertainment, watching videos or movies in particular is on track to surpass that of TV watch time. This is hugely important across a few industries, not just that of social media platforms, with streaming platforms such as Netflix and Amazon Prime becoming the most popular means to watch movies and TV shows. It is safe to assume that with this, TikTok will be riding that wave of constantly growing user numbers with their short video format.

Skill-based Internal Editor Tools

Another of TikTok’s appeals and reasons for it to stay relevant is the important role its internal video editing tool plays for users. All within the app, one can record, trim, splice together, and overlay sound in moments. This lets anyone, from anywhere, become a creator with a very user-friendly and easy-to-use interface. No more needing how to use complex software or lengthy editing sessions. Furthermore, for brands or those that use TikTok for its marketing potential, the simplicity of the editing process is very cost-effective.

Geared towards going viral

From the algorithm to an endless feed, TikTok makes it possible for creators, even with a small following, to have their videos blow up in popularity overnight. This keeps the hunt to create the next viral video alive, with no particular demand for meaningful content as entertainment value is king. By using a pool-based algorithm that increases the number of users that will see the video depending on the previous pool's response, a video can work its way through the ranks and reach far more viewers than a connection-based algorithm and break out of the user's following.

Marketing Marvel

Consequently, the ability for videos to become extremely popular, regardless of account follower size, TikTok is a very important marketing tool in any online ad campaign. The engagement accounts received on TikTok compared to their counterparts on other platforms is often far higher, sometimes by a factor of a dozen or more. Brands have also seen far better engagement, as they are allowed to partake in community challenges just like any other user, leading to a better relationship with the consumer and leading to better conversion rates than that of other platforms. As mentioned before, the editing process is very simple, meaning brands, particularly smaller ones, can save money on ad campaigns as are far smaller production costs.

Cross-platform

Lastly, TikTok is well designed and integrated for a cross-platform approach from both viewers and creators. Intentionally or not, videos made on TikTok are finding their way to other platforms that allow for video sharing and are already geared towards this as they are short and landscape orientated. In addition, TikTok has always had the option to share other people's videos as well as your own to other platforms and it is as easy as sharing a video from one TikTok account to another. For brands or ad campaigns, it yet again saves on costs as there is no need for any more work.

But what do you think? Are the features that have made it so great enough to keep it relevant?

About Laurent Zahut, The Author of This Opinion

From a child passionate about dark rooms to a dedicated and innovative producer, Laurent Zahut has established himself as an active and respected figure in the French and international film industry. Expert in marketing and advertising, he has worked with the giants of the industry (Disney and Paramount, to name a few). He has also produced film posters, directed documentaries and animated shorts. Passionate about the world of fashion, Laurent now offers his extensive expertise as a consultant in entertainment and business.

This article does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors or management of EconoTimes.