Around the end of 2019 it finally became clear that Tik Tok was shaping up to be a legitimate challenger to Facebook’s social media dominance. At the same time many already predicted Facebook would roll out some kind of clone that would allow them to hold on to users and crush another competitor.
And here we are in 2020 with Reels tackling Tik Tok head on. But even after a direct attack from the incumbent, and a chaotic legal battle with the United States itself, Tik Tok still remains.
Why?
I believe that Tik Tok has survived because it manages to create a feeling of social connection that outclasses the existing social media giants. Elements of Tik Tok’s core design have either intentionally or unintentionally unlocked a social experience that previous platforms have failed to generate and maintain.
Lower Cognitive Load = Higher Connection
One of the most salient parts of Tik Tok’s unique design is the scarcity of information available at any given moment. When you open the app you see content right away, no list of users or friends, just content. This content occupies all onscreen real estate, telling a subtle story about what is most important on this network. The only relationship that matters is between the viewer and the content, while the social graph (the data that powers most social networks) is mostly obscured.
On Instagram and Twitter every piece of content comes with some social information, showing who else ‘liked’ a post and how this content is performing. At every point of engagement, viewers are reminded that they are part of a potentially large crowd, being seen by and associated with others viewing the same content. Your feed on these platforms doesn’t reflect your true personal interests, but your interests when tweaked, evaluated and defined by the presence of a social group. This ‘social proof’ was once the primary value-prop of social media, but Tik Tok has uncovered a new success strategy.
By lowering the salience of social information, Tik Tok reduces the cognitive load that sometimes stems from social media usage. On Twitter your decision to retweet an article or share a picture is weighed down by the social calculus of predicted performance, follower preference and the public nature of your “successes” and “failures”. Tik Tok’s design reduces the relevant information present during any single interaction and let’s users choose the level of social complexity they want to experience. Overall, the layout asks one very simple question - Wanna keep watching this or see something else?
Lowering Psychological Barriers To Creation
Let’s consider two scenarios.
Imagine someone asked you to write a book that they could sell in their bookstore.
Before finishing it you would probably want to make sure the book had an engaging title, something that let readers know what they’re about to read . You would consider the book cover and what type of people went to that bookstore. You would have to take into account the different kinds of readers who might pick it up. Which genre fits your style? Is this a children’s book or a young adult drama? Is the content appropriate for all ages?
Now imagine someone gave you a glass bottle and said:
“Put a letter in here and I’m going to throw it into the ocean. I promise the right person will receive it”
Which one feels easier to do?
Tik Tok offers creators a “message in a bottle” where regular social media presents users with a “book store” and it’s this change of context that changes everything. As a creator, you can focus on what you want to express without being reminded about the larger challenges of the attention economy. Even if at the core Tik Tok ran on the same content distribution algorithm as Facebook (it doesn’t), users would still experience reduced creative pressure due to the information that is hidden from view.
First-time creators are finding success on Tik Tok and we can already see new kinds of content flourishing. This new content is more personal and specific which unlocks a positive feedback loop between creators and fans. When something feels like it was made just for you — in that moment — you take a closer look at the content and potentially build a closer relationship with the creator.
