TikTok Time for Comms
TikTok might be known for stunts, pranks, and quirky dances, but the social media platform should not be dismissed as a youthful timewaster. With an audience of 1 billion people, it has the potential to be the communications epicenter of the future. The Covid-19 pandemic forced us into a national lockdown, affecting communications both socially and in the workplace. Businesses had to enhance their communications capabilities, and technology proved it could make us feel closer, even when apart.
Over the past two years, business etiquette has evolved due to the pandemic. We see a shift to more casual communication in business through applications like Microsoft Teams, Zoom, and LinkedIn. A business cannot be effective without communication, and this can be just as powerful online.
How Have Our Styles of Communication Changed?
Our busy lives and need for instant gratification are exemplified through the popularity of short videos and visual imagery, commonly utilized by applications like TikTok. As online audiences crave short and visual content, the future of communications lies in short visual engagement for more memorable and effective communication. Mary Keane-Dawson, Group CEO of Takumi, explains that visual images reach the brain faster than text, creating greater engagement with viewers.
With this change in social media consumption, platforms like Facebook and Twitter face great competition. Mark Zuckerberg acknowledges this through his implementation of Reels and increased focus on short-form videos. These Reels recreate the instant, fast-paced videos TikTokers consume. Facebook risks losing its grip in the changing digital market as its ageing user population contends with constant advertisements juxtaposed with TikTok’s instantaneous videos.
The Arising TikTok Phenomena
Owned by Chinese company ByteDance, TikTok began as three different apps. Originally called Musical.ly in 2014, ByteDance owned Douyin, a similar service. In 2018, ByteDance bought the app, beginning the social media sensation. TikTok’s influence extends beyond entertainment into politics. It was initially banned in India in 2019 after a court ruled it should be removed from app stores due to claims of spreading pornography. This decision was later overturned, but similar claims followed, such as US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s assertion that TikTok was among a group of Chinese applications ‘feeding data directly to the Chinese Communist Party’.
Using Social Media for Better Business Communications
The power of TikTok lies in its algorithm, which tracks the content users spend more time watching and curates a similar feed. Beyond trendy dances and catchy songs, TikTok can be a great tool for communication, both internally and externally. Currently still a form of entertainment, it will be interesting to see where the app goes or if it will be quickly overtaken in the cut-throat world of social media.
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