As it stands TikTok is the fastest-growing social media platform, it's been downloaded more than 1.5 billion times (that’s roughly the size of Australia, USA and Europe’s population combined). It's essentially a video app, that allows you to upload, edit, share (to multiple platforms), comment and like in mostly vertical short-form, 3 seconds to 1-minute video. 

The average minutes the app is used per month exceeds Facebook, YouTube, Snapchat and Instagram.

• There are over 1.5 million active users in Australia. Rising very quickly.

• It was founded by Zhang Yiming a 36-year-old and Chinese citizen. 

• The Chinese parent company of TikTok is called Bytedance and they acquired the app Musical.ly in November 2017. In 2018 they dropped the Musical.ly name for TikTok.

• Unlike the app Musical.ly that focussed on lip-syncing, TikTok is much broader video-based content. From dancing to pranks.

• Currently, 70% of TikTok users are between 16 and 24 years old but it’s quickly getting a broader audience.

• Users tend to spend more than 50 minutes per day on the app. It’s very addictive just as a spectator.

• The app focuses on local trends that users mimic in their own unique way.

• Similar to Instagram’s Explore page, TikTok has the ‘For you’ page where you can watch without an account. It’s made to hook you in.

• They have deals with popular music artists and it allows you to use their music to help create your video.

• There are ads on the platform but not enough to be too annoying. Most of the ads are done in a style that looks like a real video.

• For a lot of the users, the ‘aim’ is to become ‘TikTok Famous’. So if you’ve just jumped on the app and you don’t know who Charli D'Amelio is, you’ll find out very quickly. 

In conclusion, if you’re a marketer and your product applies to the demographic it’s time to take TikTok seriously as a platform and to consider advertising on it. The potential is big and people want to be entertained, TikTok is the place to entertain your audience.