TikTok’s CEO has dropped a demographic bombshell this week.
TikTok’s CEO has dropped a demographic bombshell this week.
Turns out almost half of the US population uses the social media app, and a ban would directly impact the country’s economy.
"Although some people may still think of TikTok as a dancing app for teenagers, the reality is that our platform and our community have become so much more for so many… The average TikTok user in the US is an adult well past college age."
TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew shared this and more in a prepared written testimony published ahead of a planned appearance before US lawmakers as part of a Congressional hearing about security concerns with the app, which is owned by the Chinese company ByteDance.
The hearing has since taken place, and you can watch it here for the full picture,
But first, here’s a quick walk down memory lane 📖: The now-ubiquitous app that has had social media giants shaking in their boots was first launched in September 2016 by Chinese startup ByteDance under the name Douyin (it’s still known under that name today in China).
The platform started life as a social media app dedicated to short-form videos. However, it only picked up steam in late 2017, when ByteDance acquired rival app Musical.ly, which was popular for allowing users to record and share short lip-sync videos. With the acquisition, ByteDance had ported over Musical.ly’s 200-million-account list to TikTok (Musical.ly was very popular among young people).
With this transfer of an almost pre-packaged audience, and with a slew of refined features, TikTok’s success was a no-brainer. However, it is this very audience, amplified by droves of dancing teens, pranksters and lip-sync enthusiasts, that has come to define the Chinese platform over the years, which ties into the image the public has come to have of it.
With this in mind, Chew’s statement serves to quell the stereotype the platform has acquired over time, and for good reason.
TikTok has evolved. 📈
Even prior to the CEO’s statement, a few swipes through the platform’s never-ending timeline, and you’ll realise that the app has become home to amateur and pro cooks, medical practitioners, small and large businesses, artisans, collectors, and much more. Musical.ly’s roots are still there, sure, but the platform has truly come into its own in recent years, as a veritable channel for quality content and prime business exposure.
Entire brands have been built and grown on the back of a moderately successful page or videos, and companies have taken notice. Rivals like Instagram and YouTube are doing their best to replicate that success, as TikTok's demographic continues to grow mirroring that of Facebook during its heyday.
Context aside, CEO Shou Zi Chew’s reveal is great as it will serve as a much-needed wake-up call for businesses still sleeping on TikTok as a legitimate marketing channel.
