TikTok still outpacing social media competitors
It is official, TikTok has catapulted into the third most used app after Facebook and YouTube. However, it is safe to assume TikTok will catch up very quickly to both of them, considering the massive engagement it commands in 2022.
TikTok was originally Musical.ly, and the rest is history. The once kid-friendly app featuring lip-syncing videos and dancing videos has expanded beyond its younger audience.
According to the Wall Street Journal, back in 2019 70 percent of users were 10-year-olds with smartphones in the United States who were using the app. As far as usage and time spent, TikTok has topped Twitter, Snapchat, Pinterest, and LinkedIn. This is a monumental feat, considering these other platforms have been around longer, but have had trouble growing users.
Facebook’s troubles and controversies favoring TikTok’s app For You Page and demographic growth
While Facebook has rebranded itself to Meta, it has not done well retaining its own users. In addition, an Edison Research survey showed that 36 percent of the U.S. population is over the age of 12 and using TikTok. It only trails Facebook and Instagram. It also has grown 11 percent compared to two years ago.
The survey revealed TikTok has more people using its app between the ages of 12 to 34. Moreover, Facebook was leading TikTok by 39 percentage points for this category just two years ago. Fast-forward to today, and the story has drastically changed. To illustrate the change and growth, the screenshot below will show you just how rapidly TikTok has grown in almost every metric.
Drastic changes made to TikTok’s mobile app
As far as engagement, TikTok is maintaining the lead. But now a new phenomenon is taking place with its app. It is constantly updating and affecting the performance of content creators. Below is my video about the changes. In addition, I’ve included screenshots of what’s changed about the app.
As you can see, TikTok made it easier to find your friends on TikTok instead of searching for their names or saving their videos when they appeared on “FYP.” All of these screenshots are for iOS users specifically.
Oddly enough, when you tapped on the “notifications” menu, you could see all three of these options, or select them individually. Now, it is housed in a single menu, which leads you to “All Activity.”
Another change for those of you that track and analyze data is, Analytics looks different. A series of graphs are available when you tap on “More Data.” Finally, lots of changes happening more and more. TikTok continues to attract businesses and users away from YouTube and Facebook. Can it continue to do that?
