TikTok, content growth platform, not a social media – official
TikTok speaks on Tuesday that its platform should not be considered as a social media network but rather as a content growth platform driven by high-quality content.
TikTok is a short-form video platform where users create and share videos ranging from a few seconds to a few minutes.
Keagile Makgoba, TikTok’s Head of Communications for Sub-Saharan Africa, made this known at a media workshop organised for journalists in Lagos.
According to her, contrary to public speculation, TikTok’s algorithm relies on a content graph rather than a social graph, meaning that creativity, rather than social connections is the key to gaining visibility on the platform.
She added that it was the strength of individual content that drew users to TikTok, alongside the platform’s built-in tools that supported content discovery.
According to her; STEM feed is one of the ‘Tools for Discovery’ that makes learning, education and science fun.
‘’People use entertainment to educate young ones, 10 million STEM-related videos have been published globally and 96 per cent of the time is spent on ‘For You’ feed.
“There has been a 35 per cent increase in the growth of STEM-related content across the platform.
“TikTok requires consistency because it’s used as a search engine optimisation; so when posting content, descriptions are important,” she said.
According to her, TikTok community guidelines and policies are not created in a vacuum; they are a global platform with a local approach.
Makgoba said TikTok had adopted a comprehensive approach to content moderation by combining advanced moderation technology with a robust team of human moderators to ensure user safety.
She also noted that in 2023, TikTok launched the Mental Health Education Fund to support organisations in creating authoritative, engaging, and uplifting mental health content.
According to her, the fund has helped participating organisations achieve over 173 million impressions, gain more than 600,000 new followers, and drive over 200,000 website visits.
“It has also contributed to the recruitment of 466 new volunteers, thanks to a combined $7.3 million in ad credit donations,” she added.
