What’s this TikTok? Many ask what we’re missing there, if anything at all.
Is it a childish, embarrassing network reserved for the younger generation, or an experiential, vibrant network with a variety of quality content?
Two billion users worldwide!
That’s the astonishing figure TikTok holds as of today, just five years after it was founded.
What began as an app for creating short video clips of various kinds — mainly for music and dance — became, in 2018, TikTok: a social network that leaves its competitors in the dust, with the highest number of downloads in the US and among the leaders in Israel, overtaking Facebook and appealing to the adult audience as well:
1.3 million users aged 25–34 and 600K aged 35–44.
These figures are very interesting to advertisers, casting directors, and industry professionals, who see this enormous exposure as a genuine advertising tool, alongside talent scouting. Castings for reality shows and commercial projects rely on social networks, and this is a basic working tool for every casting director in Israel and abroad.
What makes the social network TikTok relevant and up to date?
TikTok understood what we’ve all been consuming for a while now. Staged photos and filters — out, while short, catchy and authentic video content — in.
With TikTok’s success, Facebook (now Meta) and Instagram fell into line, and our feed now looks completely different. More prioritization of Reels (short video) over photos. The change was so noticeable and felt that prominent Instagram personalities abroad came out against the trend and criticized it sharply.
Instagram did partially respond to the calls and reduced the prioritization of video, but it recognizes the abandonment and is doing everything to fight the Chinese competitor.
While Meta requires users to pay for high exposure — something many feel in their interactions — TikTok allows exposure to broad audiences and, unlike what we knew, allows access to pages even without following a user.
As part of Instagram’s battle to prevent content creators from leaving and to keep them on its platform, it launched an initial trial with a focus group in the US allowing payment for exclusive content for subscribers. In return, Instagram highlights subscribers in comments and messages. A certainly interesting experiment that could be a revolution for influencers.
Can anyone be an influencer and content creator?
On the face of it, everyone gets an equal opportunity and starts from scratch. Anyone can become an influencer, open a camera from home, bring value and create content, without depending on others, without waiting for an audition or opportunity, and being attuned solely to what truly interests them.
In order to amass an audience, you have to persist in uploading content, and that requires investment, thought, time and focus. The viewer is mostly impatient, so the pace is high and you have to grab attention immediately.
Influencer content can span a variety of life areas: inspiration, money, humor, lifestyle, food, etc.
Or Spitz finished a baking course with her mother, and she chose to advertise the cake for sale. From there it was a snowball that rolled and turned Spitz into a web star who maintains active and accessible pages, many live broadcasts, all the way to leveraging into popular TV shows and a name known in almost every home.
Uri Vered was discovered by the agency thanks to the web, after filming viral clips with a wink and humor. He got the opportunity of his life after being cast in the series “My Nephew in Benz” on Kan 11 — something that wouldn’t have been possible through a generic approach to a talent agency.
Orel Tzabari was discovered online with countless characters and impressions, Daniel Yona is exploding with crazy exposure figures and was cast thanks to that for “Goldstar.” Dylan Dror became a children’s star and he’s only 14, the character “Tutit” (Gitit Fisher) became a TV series, Udi Kagan became a prominent comedian in the industry thanks to his web series, Tamir Bar reached “Eretz Nehederet” with a similar series — and these are just a few examples.
Are web stars taking the place of actors?
This is a question that occupies many in recent years, but the truth is that the industry has changed and there’s room for everyone.
In deep roles and quality series the follower count is uninteresting and irrelevant, and for actors, experience and character always have a place. This is unlike youth series, where the look plays a role, recognition certainly won’t hurt, and the skill of standing in front of a camera can actually serve as an advantage. Any actor who possesses talent can use the web to reach advertisers and casting directors, and at the same time generate a community, meetups, digital courses, lectures, stand-up and what not.
The web isn’t the domain of the young alone, and someone who was wise to do and internalize this is Tzipi Shavit, who became a beloved figure for new and young generations too without seeing it as beneath her dignity or apologizing — quite the opposite. Where is there a space that so allows for artistic and immediate freedom, on a meager budget?
Where do you begin?
As long as a page has value, the audience will know it, and that’s the secret of the magic. It’s recommended to start writing the clips in advance, and of course you can improvise on it while filming. Once you have a “bank” of clips for at least one shoot day, it’s worth starting.
Film something that speaks to you on a personal level, whether it’s spreading your knowledge, impressions and characters, or one consistent and coherent story. If it burns in your bones to communicate it, that will also be a trigger to continue. Only after filming a number of clips and getting feedback from close friends will you have initial raw material for continuous uploading to the web.
Some creators feel more comfortable brainstorming and collaborating, and some are better at independent work without depending on others.
Either way, the beginning is never perfect, and the idea is to change, to try, to explore on the move.
The algorithm of social networks is very structured, so you can learn and study the conduct of each platform, follow the changes, learn the habits of followers, engage with followers and comments, be attentive, and start bringing yourself to the web authentically.
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