Smile...You're on TikTok!

Tik...what?!? Yeah, that was my first reaction, too. But after I heard Gary Vaynerchuk of VaynerMedia (marketing/advertising genius, YouTube creator of #askgaryvee, author of "Crushing It") mention TikTok, my ears pricked up. I had to check it out.

I downloaded the app and signed up for my account. Seconds later I was scrolling the TikTok feed. I found tweens and teens jumping up and down with their friends (sometimes with parents joining in accidentally/on purpose!) pretending to be forks in a garbage disposal, dancing, doing challenges, sticking their wet hair in snowbanks (so it would freeze standing straight up), lip-syncing trending songs and comedy routines, stacking themselves up in doorways, doing gymnastics, pranking each other, drawing, posting lots of cute animal clips, and so much more. Add in loads of in-app effects/filters and you've got a major party going on!

I couldn't help smiling -- the videos are 15 seconds or less (continuously looped, so you can watch one as many times as you want). This isn't picture-perfect Instagram. This is just fun -- real people in real life having a blast--sharing what makes them unique. And the more mistakes or unexpected outcomes, the funnier the clip. The overall feel is positive, supportive, anti-bullying, quirky and creative. It's brave and it's bold. Egirls are redefining the word "cool" while people of all ages are uploading clips of both the heartwarming and the tough stuff going on in their lives.

How did TikTok move to the forefront? Remember Vine? Vine, Twitter's famous 6-second, video-sharing, continuous looping app, was discontinued in December, 2016 and left a big hole just waiting to be filled. Musical.ly--home to a community of lip-syncing, joke-cracking, and live streaming teens--launched in 2014 and exploded in 2016. "Musers" became the new social media celebrities and influencers. ByteDance, a Chinese company which owned TikTok (an international short video platform), purchased Musical.ly in August, 2018, targeting the U.S. teenage market. ByteDance combined the two apps, keeping the TikTok brand. And a whole new world was born.

Forbes, TechCrunch, Economic Times, Social Media Today, CNBC, and more are paying serious attention to TikTok as it grows exponentially with more than 800 million downloads worldwide. According to South China Morning Post, "the Beijing-based ByteDance is the world's most valuable unlisted start-up." TikTok is in the very early stages of trying out sponsored video ads that will direct users to the advertiser's website. If you are in social media advertising, keep your eye on TikTok. Pediatric dentist offices are some of the first to test the waters by posting TikTok videos of the dentists and their employees having fun with the latest challenge or trending dance moves.

I jumped right in and started uploading videos. A recent one has me replacing bran flakes with Lucky Charms and hiding Reese's Peanut Butter Cups inside a frozen veggies bag in the freezer. That 15-second video has over 64,000 views at last count...and it's still rising. Not because it's documentary worthy, but because it's an unexpected laugh out of left field. The comments section is priceless: "Be right back--gonna check the vegetable bags," "Why do I have siblings and never thought of this?" and "This is pure genius."

http://vm.tiktok.com/eB5rcD/

With all the tension in the world these days, I'm in the mood for TikTok's comedic relief and lighthearted vibe. Are there creeps lurking in the wings? Sure, but they're also on FaceBook, YouTube, Instagram, and Twitter. Like all social media platforms, you need to be aware and vigilant, especially if you have teens on the app. TikTok has parental controls, a minimum age of 13, privacy settings, and a community ready to call out any unsavory character or behavior--especially bullying.

I use it as a platform to encourage and support anyone who is willing to take a risk, be vulnerable, and show the world who they are. I look forward to seeing what the future holds for TikTok. Oh, and if anybody calls out "Hit or Miss!" near you in a Walmart or Target and other people respond back "I guess they never miss, huh?," don't panic. It's a TikTok thing. Come join the fun!

#GaryVaynerchuk #socialmedia #TikTok #teens #GenZ #SocialMediaToday