How the TikTok Phenomenon Surpasses The Long-Standing YouTube
If you go back in time just a few years, you will definitely find out that they had multiple memories of the trending YouTube era that took over the world. By either the many British YouTubers, PewDiePie vs. T-Series, or many more that left us sleepless and eager for more. Well, this didn’t last forever, as a new chief got into town and somehow everyone forgot about YouTube. In the last two years, YouTube has been living in the shadow of a new rival, TikTok. In no time, TikTok was able to surpasses YouTube and win over millions of users, particularly from younger generations. However, a veteran can never give up, and so can YouTube.
The competition between TikTok and YouTube is becoming more intense day by day, with many efforts from YouTube to advance and win over its users again. In this article, we will explore this new rivalry and decide whether or not TikTok can surpasses YouTube.
A Brief History of YouTube
There is no doubt that YouTube is one of the oldest and most popular video streaming platforms in the world. Like every successful platform, YouTube was the idea of three colleagues who formerly worked at PayPal in 2005. Chad Hurley, Steve Chen, and Jawed Karim had the idea of a platform where people could share videos online. However, you’d be surprised that YouTube wasn’t the first platform to do so, as Vimeo came before it. You’d also be more surprised to know that the whole idea of YouTube was to be a dating app where people could share videos of themselves and find the perfect date. But luckily, this didn’t last long.
The first YouTube video was under the title “Me at the Zoo,” which was made by one of the co-founders. YouTube was officially released to the public in December 2005. and in under a year, the platform went wild with millions of views and over 60,000 videos uploaded. YouTube became the main platform for everyone after that. With Individuals sharing their creations and celebrities announcing their exclusive movies, music, etc. It was basically an open space for people to express themselves and that is why it is considered a one-of-a-kind platform
The Gen-Z Star: The Story of TikTok
If you are a veteran user, you probably know TikTok since it was still under the name Musically. However, it didn’t start this way. In November 2016, a new Chinese company named ByteDance released a video-streaming platform called Douyin to compensate for the bans on Facebook and Instagram. The app didn’t extend much locally. Sometime after, the same company acquired a social media app called Musically. Musically, the new form of content didn’t last more than 15 seconds. This app was already a blooming success, as it had millions of users, and many people were contributing by sharing theirs. The company decided to merge the features of both apps and released it under the name TikTok in 2018. Luckily, the Musically app effect was still present, and it was able to acquire the same user base and accomplish the same success, even more so after the acquisition.
Since then. TikTok has been exceeding all expectations and breaking all records. It is now the most downloaded app around the world, with over 1 billion active users in only a couple of years. It is important to mention that this number is very hard to achieve in such a short period; however, it looks like it is possible.
Does TikTok Surpasses YouTube by Being an Ideal Platform for Viral Fame?
TikTok was made to go viral. And if you don't know, virality is a major factor for platforms and apps, not only for content. TikTok's algorithm quickly figures out what you like to watch and your preferences, and then constantly feeds you more of the same. It's easy to get stuck there for hours, mindlessly scrolling. It's possible that overnight, creators may see a spike of thousands of views and likes. Several TikTok stars and influencers have become overnight sensations, amassing millions of fans in a short amount of time. On the other hand, YouTube operates on a rather difficult side. YouTube’s algorithms only give priority to videos that gain views, likes, and comments. Then and only then can the video go viral, and it is not a very common thing to happen, unlike on TikTok.
While YouTube remains unrivaled as the premier creator platform, TikTok has become the go-to app for short-form mobile video. It's a never-ending show for the audience. TikTok now serves as a chance for artists to gain a substantial fan base and maybe even go big. TikTok's popularity continues to soar, and it has undoubtedly taken some of the limelight away from older platforms in the process. The era of the viral video star has only just begun.
What's Driving TikTok's Appeal Among Young Viewers
TikTok's meteoric rise in popularity, especially among Gen Z, is largely due to a few key factors.
The Rise of Snackable Content
TikToks, in contrast to the longer videos found on YouTube, typically only last between 15 seconds and 3 minutes. And as we all know, the longer the content, the more consumed users can be. That is why users really appreciate the convenience of these bite-sized pieces of content. The short length of the videos makes them ideal for passive viewing on the go, such as during line waiting or commute times.
An Experience Tailored to You
The algorithm behind TikTok is phenomenal at figuring out what you like and giving you more of it in a steady stream. This is, of course, due to the exceptional AI and ML technologies used. The ability to tailor one's experience is what draws and retains viewers. After watching just a few videos, TikTok will be able to predict your preferences and recommend videos and creators you're likely to enjoy.
Emphasizing Fun Challenges and Effects
With the help of TikTok's many available video editing tools, even the most inexperienced user can produce polished videos. TikTok challenges, viral dances, reactions, and other forms of content are extremely popular among audiences, who enjoy taking part in them. I mean, who hasn't memorized one TikTok dance or two? You can also interact with other users and build upon videos in unique ways through duets, reactions, and stitches.
Authenticity and Creativity
TikTok encourages originality and uniqueness, while other platforms usually emphasize highly polished and produced content. Most videos on TikTok are user-created and unscripted, giving viewers a genuine glimpse into regular people's lives and personalities. Creators on TikTok are from every aspect of life and come from everywhere on earth, and they've amassed massive followings by simply being themselves.
TikTok clearly surpasses as it won over young viewers who weren't too impressed by YouTube. This is by providing an engaging experience centered around snackable, personalized content and a platform for creativity. For the YouTube generation, TikTok's appeal may prove hard to beat.
The Future of Short-Form Video: Can YouTube Catch Up By Applying New Similar Features?
There is no doubt that YouTube remains on the top charts and a go-to for many users, However, the lack of new features and the uniformity for a really long time made YouTube lose some of its spark. The rise of TikTok was a kind of wake-up call for YouTube to start progressing and adapting to the fierce competition and changing environment of entertainment and content creation platforms.
The Algorithm Effect
TikTok's artificial intelligence-powered "For You" page is remarkably accurate when it comes to anticipating user preferences and delivering pertinent content. Each video a user watches, likes, comments on, and shares helps the algorithm better tailor recommendations to that person YouTube's sophisticated recommendation algorithm focuses on recommending similar videos and maximizing viewing time. However, as a result of TikTok's success, it's possible that YouTube will need to improve its artificial intelligence and machine learning capabilities and try to keep up with the soaring capabilities of TikTok
Shorter is Sweeter
As YouTube realized the importance and significance of short-form videos, it took a major step toward supporting this form of content. YouTube introduced Shorts a while ago, which allows creators to publish short forms of content alongside their original long videos. Some creators used these Shorts to offer snippets and teasers of their content to encourage users to take a look at their pages. This new feature has been a huge success not only for creators but also for users who might feel bored of long videos and need to access short and less-consuming ones.
All About the #Hashtag
When uploading a video to YouTube, you can use the site's meta tag and tagging system to assign it to a specific category; however, TikTok revolutionized video discovery by heavily incorporating hashtags. The hashtag is essential to the virality and popularity of content on TikTok. For YouTube to achieve the same level of visibility and gain views as TikTok, it would have to start making necessary alterations and incorporate hashtags as a way to find videos. Since they proved to be a very effective approach for TikTok, they can be the same for YouTube as well.
If YouTube can make its platform more personalized, embrace shorter-form content, and tap into the power of hashtags, it has a shot at winning back attention from TikTok. But YouTube will have to move fast when it comes to the world of short-form video. The platform has already begun using them in the new feature YouTube Shorts, which proved great effectiveness. Maybe the next move is to incorporate them into long videos as well.
Conclusion
So if you're looking to become internet famous or just want to share your passion with the world, TikTok seems to be the place to be right now. Sure, YouTube still has its place, especially for long-form content and streaming, but for short, fun clips, TikTok reigns supreme and surpasses YouTube. The app makes it easy to create and share short videos on any topic. But as we all know, in the app market, nothing lasts forever. Emerging technologies don't leave the spotlight on one app for so long. That is why we can’t settle this competition by saying that either of the platforms is the winner. Who knows? Maybe tomorrow we will find YouTube incorporating a new type of content that takes over TikTok, or even find a brand new competitor that surpasses both TikTok and YouTube.