Study TikTok audience to succeed on the platform, experts advise media

For media outfits looking to build a lasting presence on TikTok, it is important to study the nuances of the platform’s community, according to experts.

This means understanding the types of content that resonate with TikTok users, Kristoffer Eduard M. Rada, public policy head at TikTok Philippines, said during a digital literacy forum on Wednesday.

“I encourage everyone who wants to enter into this space of educating certain audiences to also understand what these audiences are receptive to, because as you see on TikTok, there’s a certain way of doing it that’s very, very unique to the [platform],” he said.

“It’s a very different community on TikTok,” Mr. Rada added. “Look into that and leverage that knowledge to produce good content.”

Understanding how the different social media platforms work – especially in the context of digital literacy – is crucial, according to Rachel E. Khan, journalism professor and associate dean at the University of the Philippines-Diliman’s College of Mass Communication.

“Part of digital literacy is for people to understand how a platform works, so they don’t get fooled by it when there are bad actors who want to use it in a negative way,” she said.

The Philippines has 43.3 million active TikTok users aged 18 and above.

Be quick, quippy, and quotable to be successful on TikTok, said Lyqa Maravilla, a registered psychometrician, podcast host, and educreator with 1.1 million followers on the platform.

News anchors are there as a mouthpiece, she also said. “But now people are asking, ‘Who are you to inform me?’”

“If they don’t get to know the person behind the account, they just don’t latch on that quickly, or they don’t stay for too long.”

Ms. Maravilla also talked about the importance of community. “Once you have that community, they’ll be the ones to actively share your content, participate… and [even] defend you when people are going after you,” she said.

Trust should be built around that community, said Malou C. Mangahas, the executive director of the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism.

Social media offers the opportunity to do something good, unique, and authentic, she said.

“Trust should be built on the sense that we want to do good for this country. I think everyone wants to tell a story, tell it right, and tell it well.” — Patricia B. Mirasol