What is it that gets us hooked on TikTok?

The modern digital environment, and more specifically social networks, have completely transformed the way we interact within that world.

Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or WhatsApp have become platforms on which users communicate not only with friends and family, but also with brands and public bodies, generating an ecosystem that is already part of society.

In this context and over the last few years, TikTok, a social network whose objective is to create and share short videos, has positioned itself as one of the most used applications in the world, especially among the younger population. In fact, it became the most downloaded app globally in 2020 and in the United States has managed to unseat Instagram in popularity among generation Z –centennials–. These data demonstrate the rapid growth that the short video platform industry is experiencing.

The rise in the use and popularity of these tools has caused them to become a study phenomenon. One of the most frequent lines of approach to social networks, both academically and professionally, is adherence. This concept includes the idea of ​​how, in the digital world, the attempt to hook users is managed, motivating them to spend more and more time on a platform.

What attracts us to video platforms?

In previous research it has been shown that There are three variables that directly affect the number of hours a user spends on this type of platformthat is, in the level of adherence they have with respect to them.

The first variable studied is the existence of a constant motivation, understood as what leads the user to continue using the platform and that is a demand extension of the social network. This constant motivation is directly related to satisfaction experienced when using social networks, as well as the one generated by receive positive feedback, I like it or other type of award in this environment.

The second enhancer of the use of social networks is the desire to share experiences. When we use social networks we are not only looking to consume content. Also we want to create it, since thanks to that act of sharing we generate a feeling of belonging to the community, contributing with our contributions. If collaboration between the community is enhanced, users develop greater adherence and greater use of the platform.

Finally, in the case of platforms that offer the option of generating video content, the ability to produce quality videos is also taken into account. In the latter case, it is analyzed how, as users feel that they have a real ability to create good content in video format, they tend to make more constant use of the social network.

How do they influence the generations that brands are most interested in?

Taking into account the above, and that those who invest the most time in these networks are the centennial and millennial generations, we carry out an investigation to analyze if these variables influenced, and to what extent, the use that these generations made of TikTok. 1,419 centenarians and 882 millennials participated.

After our study we discovered that, although everyone affirms that the three variables directly influence the adherence to the platform, the weight of each of them varies depending on the generation. While millennials show a strong relationship between the level of adherence and the fact of being able to share behaviors or create videos, centennials show more relationship with the opportunity to receive constant motivation that leads them to use it more.

Since the case of TikTok is analyzed, it is important to highlight that the influence of the skill perceived by the community in the creation of said videos is also demonstrated. If users feel that they have the ability to create good content on TikTok, because others validate it, the feeling of adherence they have with the platform will be greater.

In this way, it can be concluded that sharing behaviors, being able to create videos and receiving constant motivation directly influence the adherence capacity that TikTok has in terms of the centennial and millennial generations.

opportunity to share

It has been shown that the variable that most influences the adherence generated by this type of video platform is the opportunity to share content. The desire of users to do so, as well as to have other experiences or receive feedback, leads them to make more constant use of TikTok. These results highlight the purely social nature of this type of platform.

Knowing what directly influences the feeling of adherence that users show when they use social networks is essential.

It is not only useful for working on more successful advertising, marketing and communication strategies, but also for alleviating and treating the negative effects –such as addiction– that may derive from its use. Thus, the results of this research may be of interest to fields as different as marketing and psychology.

Patricia Duran-AlamoProfessor of the Department of Marketing and Market Research at the UAH, University of Alcala; Pablo Gutierrez-RodriguezProfessor of Marketing, University of Leon Y Pedro Cuesta-ValinoProfessor of Marketing, University of Alcala

This article was originally published on The Conversation. read the original.