A younger work colleague recommended TikTok to me. Of course, I’d heard about it growing in popularity and as competition for Facebook and Instagram.
You don’t need an account to check out TikTok. Just head to the website for a taste of what’s popular.
I downloaded the app to my smartphone and set up an account. My honest first impressions and straight out of the box I thought TikTok was ordinary.
I sat through a couple of sessions watching strangers lip-sync to songs I didn’t like. I received some pretty dodgy medical advice. I watched young people prank their unsuspecting parents (and cringed). I saw lots and lots of amateurs dancing and twerking.
After a few days, I discovered the block function and soon I was blocking every third account. I had to find a better way to use Tik Tok.
Discover Your Feed
You might like to click on the Discover (microscope icon) and enter a couple of your favourite topics or hobbies. Here you can search on trending topics, users, videos, sounds and hashtags. You may like to search on your hometown and see if you can find some local talent or influencers to follow.
How to Navigate in TikTok
TikTok is fairly easy to use. The bottom toolbar covers the basics: Home, Discover, Plus button (add a video), Inbox (messages) and Me (user profile). Down the right-hand side is the information related to the user’s – their profile (click on this if you like them and want to follow them), heart (like), Comments, share the video to friends, SMS, Instagram, messages.
You may like to be aware of the ‘Not interested’ icon under Sharing. Alternatively, you can long hold a video and then click on it. You can also flag an account that has violated the terms and conditions and report it to TikTok here.
At the bottom of the main screen, you’ll find the user’s account name, TikTok video title, hashtags and then the soundtrack.
Who to Follow on TikTok
Here are some of the popular TikTok accounts that you might like to check out and consider the following:
- TikTok Top 100: https://newsroom.tiktok.com/en-us/the-year-on-tiktok-top-100
- Australia’s Top videos: https://newsroom.tiktok.com/en-au/this-year-on-tiktok-celebrating-the-community-and-videos-that-brought-australians-together-in-2020
How to Create a Video
I found it easy to create my first video. You can create videos which are 3 to 60 seconds long. I like the way you can add music, special effects and text. It was easy to stitch together two segments and publish it to my profile.
The TikTok interface is easy to work out – especially if you are already familiar with Instagram.
It took around a week to enjoy using TikTok. In small doses, I like watching the mini cooking lessons, craft projects and hacks. You might find out about products and tricks you never knew you needed to know.
TikTok out of the box is not great, but if you are prepared to spend some time to personalize your experience – you might find it a refreshing and alternative way to watch short videos.
Is TikTok just a passing fad? Who do you follow on TikTok?
About TikTok
TikTok is the leading destination for short-form mobile video. Our mission is to inspire creativity and bring joy.
TikTok has global offices including Los Angeles, New York, London, Paris, Berlin, Dubai, Mumbai, Singapore, Jakarta, Seoul, and Tokyo. https://www.tiktok.com/
