TikTok is now one of the top social media platforms for teenagers and the second most popular app overall in the US.
A new survey by Pew Research Center shows that TikTok’s meteoric rise during the last two and a half years has altered the social media landscape entirely.
Two-thirds of teens aged 13 to 17 say they regularly use TikTok, which puts it second only to video sharing platform YouTube.
While 16% of teens say they log into TikTok “constantly”, the once dominant Facebook appears to have fallen out of favour.
Back in 2015, 71% of teens said they used Facebook but this has plunged to just 31% in the latest study.
Social media marketers looking to engage younger audiences should also try to manage accounts on Instagram and Snapchat, which are used by 62% and 59% of teens, respectively.
Content optimised for mobile is key too, as 95% of teens say they access the internet on smartphones, which is a marked rise from the 73% figure from 2015.
The main takeaway from the study, though, will be how quickly TikTok has cemented its place at the social media top table.
The app, renowned for its short, engaging video clips, didn’t even feature in Pew Research Center’s study seven years ago.
With its recent surge in popularity, it’s no wonder that consumers and SEOs alike are starting to use and view TikTok as a search engine.
While TikTok soars, two other platforms that have seen a decrease in usage among teens since 2015 are Twitter, which has fallen from 33% to 23%, and Tumblr, down from 14% to 5%.
