How ByteDance’s TikTok captured the global market share in 2 years only
It took only two years for TikTok to let hundreds of millions of mobile phone users love the expression of short videos.
Just two years ago, the global entertainment ecosystem was firmly held by giant products such as Facebook, Instagram, and Youtube. Since 2017, TikTok has disrupted the market share held by the incumbents topping several national app stores, covering more than 150 countries and regions, ranking fourth in global downloads and surpassing Instagram, making it one of the most popular apps in the world.
More importantly, TikTok has set the trend and habits of short video consumption that belongs to Generation Z. It's original immersive, short video form, product model encourages real creativity and self-expression. It provides a new entertainment experience that is different from the past, opening up content consumption habits and trends; one that meets the personality and preferences of the new generation of people such as Generation Z.
Today, TikTok’s innovation in capturing user attention and content consumption has created new brand marketing methods and commercial value.
Insights into Generation Z
Generation Z grew up and witnessed how mobile phones and early instant messaging apps. transform their lives and the market. They like to respond to new content in less than 10 seconds and are keen to express and advocate their thoughts with emphasis on truth and creativity. They strive to distinguish themselves by moving away from social norms. are activists who want to experience changes in the world and dislikes brand advertising.
TikTok growth rides on their ability to tug at the heart of Generation Z personality directly; bringing user-generated content (UGC) and authenticity right into the hands of the users on the mobile phones.
TikTok has self-defined themselves as a platform that emphasizes original, real and creative self-expression; a playground for everyday creativity and a place where quality creators are rewarded.
As a product, Tik Tok has created a vertically focused immersive short video product model that is vastly different from Facebook, YouTube, and other Professional Generated Content (PGC) on video platforms like iQiyi, Sohu, Tencent, etc.
The rise of the mobile Internet has contributed greatly to the success of a short video around the world. Coupled with the change from horizontal to vertical experience, and the appearance of a real person greatly enhances the authenticity of the content. This further increases the frequency of communication, and interaction between users further cementing the users within the ecosystem and community. Through this, TikTok has captured this trend nicely and has become the preferred platform in the users' mind.
Secondly, TikTok also reduces the threshold for users to create content. Through TikTok, users find themselves having the ability to be great story narrators. Any user can create their own videos using stitching tools, music, video effects, and topic challenges. TikTok encourages the creation of good content. Through this, both professional creator or first-time users shared the same opportunity.
Where do we see TikTok going from here
TikTok is likely going to help redefine how brands market to Generation Z and millennial.
In the era of mobile Internet, the short video is becoming a new industry engine to attract a new generation of consumers and has opened up an unusually large digital marketing market. Especially in the current 5G has begun to commercialize, the short video industry will usher in a huge outbreak.
Based on the 2019 Internet Trend Report by Mary Meeker, from 2017 to 2019, daily usage of short video apps in China increased from less than 100million hours to 600 million hours; an important stats that should not be ignored by marketers.