Social Media Platforms

"𝘔𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘴𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘳 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘴 — 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘰𝘳 𝘰𝘧𝘧-𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘵𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘭 — 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘶𝘯𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘧 𝘛𝘪𝘬𝘛𝘰𝘬 𝘨𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘴𝘶𝘥𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘭𝘺.” I discussed this with The Washington Post (and I’d put myself in that camp of creators). I have over 120K followers  —  if TikTok is banned tomorrow, that will vanish. I didn’t do enough to push my audience to “owned” channels like a newsletter or cross-promote to my other social platforms. Many smaller creators are in the same boat. Regardless, as we stand on the brink of a potential ban, it’s worth reflecting... what will TikTok’s legacy be? I think it will be twofold. 𝟭) 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗜𝗡𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗧-𝗕𝗔𝗦𝗘𝗗 𝗚𝗥𝗔𝗣𝗛 TikTok changed social media by introducing the For You Page (FYP). Unlike platforms that prioritized the social graph — rewarding those with pre-existing networks — TikTok revolutionized discovery through the interest graph. With the FYP, content wasn’t tied to who you knew but to what you created. This was a radical shift. TikTok enabled anyone, regardless of follower count, to reach millions of viewers. Alex Zhu, founder of Musical.ly (which TikTok acquired), likened early platform adopters to “settlers in a new country,” benefiting from low competition. As platforms mature, upward mobility becomes harder. TikTok flipped that narrative, giving creators unprecedented opportunities for discovery — no matter when they joined. This model forced other platforms to adapt. Today, the interest graph is the new norm. 𝟮) 𝗢𝗪𝗡 𝗬𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗔𝗨𝗗𝗜𝗘𝗡𝗖𝗘 Any social media following is building on “rented land”. Creators are vulnerable when algorithms shift on platforms (or disappear entirely). The lesson? Creators, and brands, should prioritize owning their audiences via channels like newsletters, SMS or private communities. A direct line of communication to your audience is a hedge that helps insulate you from platform changes. Regardless of the TikTok ban, owning your audience is always a smart move. Organic reach on social platforms has been steadily declining: • Facebook reach went from 16% to 1%. • YouTube median view in 2006 were 10k+; by 2016 it was 89.    Chasing follower counts can be exciting, but it’s not the foundation for a sustainable business or meaningful community. Ultimately, I have mixed feelings about TikTok’s disappearance (that’s a much longer conversation). However, the platform’s impact is undeniable. It revolutionized content discovery and is forcing creators to rethink how they build sustainable relationships with their audiences. If there’s one takeaway from all this, it’s simple: don’t just invest in platforms. Invest in your audience. Great piece by Tatum Hunter (link in comments) about the ban and the impact on creators.

We can roll our eyes at TikTok. Or we can accept that millions of people are already using it as a health search engine. That is the reality the NHS is responding to. Not because TikTok is perfect. Not because every clinician needs to dance on camera. But because health misinformation is no longer sitting quietly in the corner of the internet. It is walking into clinics. It is shaping how people understand ADHD, autism, contraception, vaccines, nutrition, cancer care, mental health and “wellness”. It is influencing whether people seek help, reject treatment, self-diagnose, buy products, or lose trust in evidence-based care. laura donnelly reported in The Telegraph that NHS England has launched its first official TikTok channel because young people are increasingly turning to influencers and online platforms for health advice. And honestly? Of course they are. If the system feels slow, confusing, inaccessible or impersonal, people will look elsewhere. That “elsewhere” is now TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Reddit and increasingly AI tools. Public health is no longer just competing with leaflets, posters and official campaigns. It is competing with creators. With charisma. With emotion. With storytelling. With people who know how to hold attention. And sometimes the most confident voice online is the least qualified one. As a psychiatry doctor, and as someone who has spent years creating health content online, I think we need to stop sneering at social media as if it is beneath serious healthcare. It is part of the healthcare landscape now. That does not mean every clinician needs to become an influencer. But it does mean trusted voices need to show up better. With evidence. With humility. With clear boundaries. With proper disclosures. With the ability to say, “This might resonate with you, but it is not the same as a diagnosis.” Because “evidence-based” is not enough if nobody trusts you. And accuracy does not help if it never reaches the people who need it. The NHS being on TikTok will not fix misinformation overnight. But it does mark a shift: Trusted health information can no longer sit behind institutional walls and hope people come looking for it. It has to meet people where they are. And right now, that is often in the feed. Rubi Iqbal Dave Sergeant Ali Law TikTok NHS Joe Freeman Nikki S. Ara Yoo Elin Smith Jade Nester #HealthMisinformation #PublicHealth #DigitalHealth #HealthCommunication #NHS

TikTok is the #1 source for financial information among Canadian users under the age of 45 in social and video platforms That's above financial institutions websites, financial advisors, family & friends. Most people read that stat, their face involuntarily morphs into a surprise expression, and they ask who are these people and why in the world are they trusting TikTok. But I tell those people a few things... 1️⃣ I studied finance and economics in school, manage the vast majority of my own investments, stay up to date on financial news... and yes I am still one of those people who gets most of my financial advice from TikTok. Why? 2️⃣ The definition of experts has vastly changed over the last few years. I prefer people who have had success themselves communicating what they did quickly and succinctly vs. people who are just "professional experts" in the field. 3️⃣ Accessibility means A LOT. The barrier of going to a doctor or speaking with financial advisors, or putting yourself out to friends/family is much greater than scrolling. And if the outcome of scrolling is strong then there becomes no reason to do any of those other things. I've seen posts about how we've hit the peak in social/influencer trust in things like finance and healthcare and I couldn't disagree more. This is only the very beginning. And if you want more data to support that point... ➡️ There’s been a 373% rise in financial content on TikTok over the last year ➡️ 70% of TikTok users have indicated that financial topics are important to them, and more than 80% are taking action based on TikTok finance advice ➡️ Over 60% of US investors under age 35 use social media as a source of investment information The takeaway for brands in these industries is that you have to be creating content for social platforms in the same way goods companies do, and you absolutely should be partnering with the influential voices delivering this advice. And sorry to my financial advisors who get frustrated when I tell them I want to invest in another random area because I researched it on TikTok. #influencermarketing #creatoreconomy #fintok #finfluencers

We went to Global Village last week just to eat (of course). What app did we use to decide where? TikTok. Not Google. Not brand websites. Not official accounts. TikTok is a discovery engine now (And has been for a while). What actually influenced us: • Not a single brand video • Only creators • And not just one video, we needed multiple videos to trust the place Once you see the same stall pop up again and again, across different creators, in different styles, that’s when it feels real. Virality plays a role. But repetition reduces risk. One viral video = curiosity. Five different creators = confidence. Discovery doesn’t come from posting once. It comes from showing up everywhere, through people, not pages. If you’re not part of the creator ecosystem, you’re not just missing attention. You’re missing revenue.

Are social and video platforms the new search engines? Paid search commands 22% of total media budgets. There’s a lot at stake for marketers to make this count, so we need to get our facts straight when it comes to how this pivotal channel is evolving. And the fact is, search has been completely redefined. That’s why I’m so excited to share our latest report, in which WARC and TikTok partnered to dive into the nuance what's changing in the search landscape. So how is the landscape changing? 🌟 Among US search users, search on social and video channels is being adopted at 2x the rate of AI search platforms 🌟 Gen Z search on TikTok almost as often as the leading traditional search platform (86% searching weekly vs 90% on the leading traditional search platform) 🌟Social proof is a search superpower. Audiences are 1.2x more likely to trust a brand claim when it comes from a creator than from the brand itself! And this isn't just consumers showing up in different places - its a fundamental shift in how search is used as a tool. ⚡ THEN: Search used to be an information retrieval tool. Consumers knew what they were looking for, typed in the query, and hit search to close the loop. 🧭 NOW: In dynamic media environments, consumers don't just search to find an answer - they search as a way to explore. They start a search to tune in to a specific content experience: entertaining, educational, relational, experiential, and more. This type of search offers new potential for marketers: a consumer might not have made a direct search for you or your category, but they're in discovery mode in a very compact purchase journey. Resonating in those moments is key. A single search can lead a consumer to explore, discover, browse perspectives, form their opinion, and buy – all at once. This new report is a great resource for beginning to rethink your approach to search. It includes: 💯 New data from a global consumer survey on search habits 🧠 New behavioral science research from Richard Shotton, so that you can future-proof your strategy by rooting it in unchanging behavioral science principles 🎙️ Perspectives from some leading marketers on how the landscape is shifting and what strategies they’re using to see results. Thank you to Joe McCambley, Paul Ruscoe, Neil Zhao, Tuncay Yavuz, Rahul Karam, Yeongdon Min for your insights 🎯 A simple framework for adapting your search strategy to the new landscape And I must say... a huge thank you to to the brilliant team at TikTok for Business who collaborated on this work. Sissi (Qiongwen) Xu Rachael Ryan Esteban Ribero Daniele Nickel Jaclyn Williams Alina Huang Simon Bartholomew X. Stephen Pak 💫

TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew offered a rare look under the hood of TikTok’s algorithm and the key takeaway is this: TikTok isn’t a social graph, it’s an interest graph powered by math at scale. The platform doesn’t prioritize who you follow or who you know. Instead, it reads behavioral signalswatch time, likes, shares, replays and uses pattern recognition and collaborative filtering to identify clusters of users with similar tastes. From there, it surfaces content those users love, often anticipating your interests before you can articulate them yourself. This is why TikTok has fundamentally changed content discovery. Virality isn’t reserved for accounts with large followings; it’s earned through relevance. Any video can break through if the algorithm detects strong engagement signals early. Chew also emphasized TikTok’s ongoing investment in safety, combining AI-driven systems with human moderation to balance scale with responsibility. The real insight? TikTok’s advantage isn’t data alone it’s how quickly it learns, adapts, and turns attention into discovery. #TikTok #Algorithms #ContentDiscovery #CreatorEconomy #AI #MachineLearning #DigitalMedia #SocialPlatforms #TechInsights

Google isn't the only place discovery happens anymore. But many brand strategies still assume it is. 74% of Gen Z uses TikTok for search (GWI/Global Web Index). A growing share starts product discovery in ChatGPT. 51% of Gen Z now prefer TikTok over Google as their primary search engine (Adobe, 2025). Ranking on Google alone is no longer sufficient. And for many categories, it's no longer primary. In my advisory work, I keep hearing the same question from CMOs. Usually asked with some urgency: "How do we show up in AI search?" This is the answer: creator content is no longer marketing. It's discovery infrastructure. 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲'𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁'𝘀 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴: 𝗛𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗦𝗘𝗢. LLMs, TikTok, Instagram, Google AI Overviews. They all rely on existing human content. AI-generated content is everywhere, which makes real creator content more valuable, not less. Human content trains the algorithms. It's what people trust in social search. In practice, creators are now doing what blogs and landing pages used to do. Except people actually trust them. 𝗠𝗶𝗰𝗿𝗼-𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗱𝗼 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗼 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗹𝘂𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗻'𝘁. One-off influencer posts don't move search. Hundreds of creators posting authentic, keyword-aligned content creates the kind of content density algorithms reward. Volume plus consistency wins. 𝗦𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝗘𝗢, 𝗔𝗜 𝗦𝗘𝗢, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝗘𝗢 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴. Short-form video now ranks in Google. Creator content across platforms compounds visibility everywhere. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀 (Statusphere first-party data): A global beauty brand deployed 763 creators. TikTok search +143%. Google search +70%. 33.9M engagements. Products sold out nationally. Impact lasted months after the campaign ended. This isn't theoretical. It's repeatable. Brands that treat creators as a performance channel will lose. Brands that treat creators as search infrastructure will win. Where are you seeing discovery shift? TikTok, ChatGPT, or somewhere else entirely? I met Founder/CEO Kristen Wiley the same day Statusphere announced their $18M Series A. After our conversation, the raise made sense. She's building real discovery infrastructure for an AI-first world. #CreatorEconomy #ContentStrategy #DigitalTransformation #NotSponsored

TikTok is rarely the first platform that comes to mind when discussing OSINT. Yet in recent years, it has emerged as a space where critical information can surface, often faster than traditional media or government reporting. From conflict zones to scam exposés, TikTok is increasingly being examined not just as entertainment but as an investigative environment. The 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine offers one of the clearest examples of TikTok’s OSINT potential. In the early days of the war, users across Belarus and Western Russia uploaded footage of military convoys moving toward the border. TikTok’s algorithm amplified these clips, making them discoverable even to those outside the platform. Analysts and independent researchers geolocated several of these videos using visual cues, road signs, vehicle markings, and skyline features, confirming that an invasion was imminent days before official confirmation. But TikTok’s relevance isn’t limited to geopolitics. The platform also hosts a growing genre of “scammer call-out” content, where creators expose fraudulent schemes, fake investments, or phishing operations. While some of this is performative, investigators can extract genuine insights, including voice samples, digital infrastructure, and behavioural patterns, that feed into broader cybercrime mapping. From an OSINT perspective, TikTok offers several advantages: - High volume of user-generated content from a wide demographic - Fast-moving trends that reveal emerging narratives or incidents - Visual material rich in clues: signage, weather, clothing, accents, timestamps However, it also presents clear limitations: - Lack of accessible metadata and GPS information - Volatile content subject to takedown or manipulation - Algorithmic curation that favours sensationalism over substance Difficulty verifying authenticity due to filters, edits, and performance culture But solutions are emerging. One is FaceCheck.ID, a facial recognition tool that has reportedly scraped and indexed TikTok video thumbnails for biometric cross-referencing. While controversial, it reflects the direction in which some digital surveillance capabilities are headed, particularly when anonymity is weak and facial presence is constant. For those addressing TikTok’s ephemeral nature, investigators increasingly use tools such as SSSTik, SnapTik, or SaveFrom.net to download / archive videos before they vanish. Combined with tools like InVID, SunCalc, GeoSpy, or cross-platform social pivots, TikTok clips can serve as viable entry points for deeper investigative chains. TikTok should not be treated as a conclusive source, but as a discovery layer, a way to surface leads, identify emerging trends, and observe how individuals or groups attempt to frame their own visibility. It also speaks to a broader shift: Entertainment spaces have become early warning systems.

I talk about the synergy between TikTok and SEO often. Today let's discuss one specific example: A home decor e-commerce brand recently found themselves at a crossroads. Despite having a solid digital marketing foundation, they were struggling to stand out in an increasingly competitive market. Their solution? Turning to TikTok not just for social media reach, but as a strategic tool to enhance their SEO performance. What made their approach notable was that they succeeded without relying on a charismatic founder or brand ambassador. They were simply an e-commerce company with quality products and a smart strategy. Their insight was recognizing that TikTok's influence could extend beyond social media engagement to meaningfully impact their search engine rankings. Their goals: - Increase organic traffic - Enhance website engagement metrics - Build stronger branded search presence Their Approach 1.   Strategic Content Creation o   Developed concise, engaging videos featuring practical home decor tips and DIY solutions o   Strategically participated in trending TikTok formats to maximize reach SEO Impact: The viral nature of these videos led to increased brand mentions across the web, which Google interprets as growing brand authority 2.   Optimized Social Signals o   Implemented strategic calls-to-action in video content o   Carefully tracked and analyzed TikTok-driven traffic patterns SEO Impact: High engagement rates and longer site visits signaled to Google that the website provided valuable content, improving rankings 3.   Brand Search Enhancement o   Created content specifically designed to drive organic search interest o   Developed memorable, brand-focused hashtag strategies SEO Impact: Increased branded searches tell Google that a brand is gaining popularity and trustworthiness, typically leading to better rankings for non-branded terms too 4.   Trend Integration o   Aligned blog content with emerging TikTok trends o   Incorporated platform insights into keyword strategy SEO Impact: Creating content around emerging trends helped capture early search traffic and establish topical authority before competitors 5.   Strategic PR Development o   Produced high-value content that attracted industry attention o   Converted social media success into valuable media coverage SEO Impact: Media coverage led to high-authority backlinks, one of Google's top ranking factors The six-month results demonstrated clear success: o 45% increase in organic traffic o First-page rankings for multiple key search terms o 60% growth in branded search volume o 15 high-quality backlinks from authoritative industry websites Social media success can translate into SEO results when approached strategically. Each viral moment, every engaged visitor, and all brand mentions contributed to a stronger SEO profile. SEO isn't just about optimizing website content. It's about creating signals of authority and relevance across the entire digital ecosystem.

We may be witnessing the “Tiktokification” of everything, as 64% of Gen Z use TikTok as their search engine ahead of Google. In a recent study by Adobe, encompassing different generations, TikTok emerges as the favored search engine for - discovering new recipes - exploring music - obtaining DIY tips - seeking advice on fashion, beauty, and workouts. The top 10 reasons provided for using TikTok over traditional search engines include: The short-video format is more informative and digestible. “I enjoy the storytelling aspect of TikTok videos.” The content is more personalized. The information is more current. I enjoy the interactive and immersive experience. It's more integrated into my social-media browsing habits. It curates diverse perspectives and unique ideas. It offers a sense of community and interaction. It provides more user reviews and experiences. I can see products in the real world. What resonates with this is that it’s no longer business as usual. The old ways are gone. Here are some takeaways businesses can adopt from these developments: 𝐀𝐝𝐚𝐩𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐞𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐨u𝐫𝐬: User preferences evolve. Stay attuned to trends and be flexible in adapting to meet the needs of your target audience. 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐬𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐚 𝐡𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐭𝐬: Let’s face it; social media is the new public square. Consider how your products can seamlessly integrate into users' daily routines and social media behaviour. 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐬: Experiment with formats that resonate with your audience, keeping in mind the evolving landscape of digital media consumption. 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐬 𝐤𝐞𝐲: Personalized content is a driving factor behind TikTok's popularity. Invest in understanding your audience's preferences and tailor offerings accordingly to create a more personalized user experience. 𝐄𝐦𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠: Consider incorporating storytelling into your marketing and communication strategies, creating compelling narratives that engage and resonate with your audience. 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐲 𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭 & 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐭: Users value the currency of information on TikTok. Prioritize staying current and relevant in your industry.   𝐄𝐧𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭: TikTok offers a sense of interaction. Foster a community around your brand, encourage user engagement, and create a sense of belonging among your customers. 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐥𝐭s: Regularly monitor the performance of different strategies, including short-format videos, and interpret the results. This data-driven approach helps startups refine their tactics based on what resonates most with their audience. While TikTok still has grounds to cover to fully challenge Google as a search engine, it has shown its abilities with the generational shift. The Tiktokification of everything beckons.