What is TikTok?

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TikTok is one of the most popular social media platforms and is the international version of the Douyin app. It was created by Yiming Zhang's Chinese company ByteDance in 2016. It has also been available on mobile phones in Europe since 2018.

TikTok has become popular thanks to short videos of up to 15 or 30 seconds in nigeria phone number data length and challenges in which anyone can participate and create their own videos – for example, for dancing and karaoke. The TikTok app includes an easy-to-use program that allows users to record and edit videos.

The fact that TikTok primarily features videos—the best TikTok format is portrait with a 9:16 aspect ratio—is still characteristic of the platform. However, longer videos of up to ten minutes can now also be created or uploaded.

Who uses TikTok?
According to figures from statista, TikTok had 3.05 billion users worldwide at the beginning of 2024, making it the fifth most popular social media channel:

Facebook
YouTube
WhatsApp
Instagram
TikTok
According to forecasts, the number of users will continue to rise in the coming years.

By the end of 2023, one in four people in Germany (20.9 million) and Austria (2.1 million) were active on TikTok at least monthly. With a projected average daily usage time of 45.8 minutes, TikTok ranks first among social media platforms in the US – even ahead of the video platform YouTube.

TikTok has achieved this great popularity primarily through its younger target group: According to Statista , 14- to 19-year-olds in Germany are the largest user group, with a user share of almost 56 percent.

So, it's primarily Generation Z and Alpha who are enthusiastic about the platform. TikTok impresses with short, mostly entertaining videos, music, and dance. Moreover, compared to Facebook and other social media platforms, it's easier to go viral on TikTok – thanks to the special TikTok algorithm.

But more and more older people are also discovering the platform for themselves – senior women are becoming quite famous for answering questions from younger people using hashtags such as #Oldtok or #Greypride.

Good to know: Communities are crucial on TikTok. They form around specific topics such as literature (#BookTok and #BookTokAustria). Anyone looking for lunch or dinner inspiration will find it under #WhatToEat. Shopping is also a growing topic, and under the hashtag #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt, the shopping community showcases the products they've discovered and purchased on TikTok. Entertaining yet informative videos are gathered under the hashtag #lernenmittiktok.