TikTok, a social media giant for short videos under ByteDance, has gained significant popularity and recognition worldwide, often referred to as the international version of Douyin. At one point, it was the most downloaded app in the U.S. market, and it has topped the charts in the App Store or Google Play in countries like Japan, Thailand, Indonesia, Germany, France, and Russia. Wang Xiaowei, the head of the Douyin product, revealed that 85% of TikTok users are under the age of 24, predominantly Generation Z. To date, the app has been downloaded by more than 3 billion users across over 150 countries.

TikTok’s advanced underlying algorithm continuously recommends personalized short video content to users, enhancing their viewing pleasure based on their interests.

The platform is renowned for its brief, engaging, broadly disseminating, and highly explosive content, perfectly aligning with the consumption habits of Generation Z. TikTok is considered a new opportunity, a bonus, and an innovative track for 2023. For Chinese merchants, especially those involved in cross-border e-commerce and creative brand enterprises, TikTok represents an attractive market platform. Even small to medium enterprises previously using platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube are shifting their focus to TikTok to expand their markets and engage in more interesting marketing activities.

TikTok’s Development Timeline includes:

• May 2017, the international version of Douyin launched with the vision to “inspire creation and bring joy.”
• October 2017, ByteDance fully acquired Musical.ly and gradually integrated it with the international version of Douyin to form TikTok.
• January 2018, TikTok officially entered the U.S. market, achieving 55 million monthly active users.
• Through a series of expansions and collaborations, TikTok’s influence and user base continued to grow, reaching 1.2 billion monthly active users worldwide by the end of 2021, with over 100 million in the U.S. alone.
• In 2023, TikTok Shop introduced a fully managed mode, bringing new reward mechanisms for cross-border merchants and products.

Key Features of the TikTok Platform include:

• Global Product: Leveraging ByteDance’s strategic layout, TikTok has successfully attracted global user participation with captivating music and innovative challenges.
• Localized Content: Facing different countries and markets, TikTok adopts localized strategies that allow users to fully express themselves and showcase their creativity.
• Personalized Content Recommendations: Based on user behavior data, TikTok achieves intelligent personalization of content recommendations, enhancing user experience.
• Strong Social Attributes: Compared to traditional social platforms, TikTok has a higher proportion of young users, stronger social participation, and higher user stickiness.
• Interest-Based E-commerce: TikTok relies on users’ impulse purchases, promoting and selling products through live broadcasts and short videos.

Conclusion: In today’s digital and globalized world, TikTok is more than just a short video platform; it’s a stage brimming with opportunities for global merchants to showcase and sell, providing a new platform for business and creativity.