In September 2021, TikTok reached 1 billion users worldwide for the first time. This means that around one in eight global citizens is registered on the video platform. However, its main competitor Instagram can still surpass this figure. The social media top dog has around 2 billion users.
But which platform is actually the number one at the moment? This question is not only interesting for users, but also for companies and potential advertisers. We briefly present the platforms in more detail, make predictions about their future development and what advantages and disadvantages Instagram and TikTok offer.
Rapid rise: the newcomer TikTok
TikTok has achieved something that no other social medium has: Within five years, the video platform was able to generate 1 billion users. It took the top dog Facebook about nine years to reach this milestone, and its main competitor less than eight years. And the future looks bright for Tiktok: by 2024, there should be around 2 billion TikTok users. That would mean the platform would beat its record once again.
Rapid growth thanks to pandemic
One factor for the rapid growth on Tiktok was certainly the Corona pandemic. People all over the world had to stay at home, contact with others was mostly only possible via social media. During the lockdown, Generation Z in particular logged on to TikTok and became active. Those born between 1995 and 2010 danced, sang and took on fun challenges during the pandemic. And all this on TikTok. To this day, users have remained loyal to the platform and use Tiktok regularly.
At the heart of TikTok: the algorithm
But the heart of Tiktok is undoubtedly the algorithm. Unlike on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube, you don’t necessarily need a lot of followers for a video to go viral. For the algorithm, a video only has to meet two criteria: Uniqueness and creativity. The TikTok algorithm first plays out the video in a small test group. If it is particularly well received, it is shown to another, now larger group. This goes on and on, so that a video can even go viral within a few hours.
(Life-threatening) challenges on TikTok
So-called challenges are particularly popular on TikTok. A user posts a video online and challenges other users to do the same. However, TikTok has repeatedly been in the news for these challenges. A particularly tragic case occurred in England. The 12-year-old Archie died of brain damage after allegedly taking part in the so-called BlackOut Challenge. In this challenge, young people cut off their breath until they pass out. Since then, there have been repeated accusations against dangerous challenges on Tiktok. According to a press spokesperson, the accusations are taken seriously and videos containing dangerous challenges are deleted. But with one billion users, millions of videos are posted every day. It is questionable whether TikTok can really delete all dangerous videos.
First photos, now videos: Instagram
Alongside Facebook and Whatsapp, Instagram is one of the most popular and best-known platforms in the social media sector. In terms of user numbers, Instagram is in third place after Facebook and TikTok. Instagram has changed a lot in the last few years and has always introduced new features to keep up with the times. Instagram made its breakthrough as a pure photo platform. Users can present their snapshots to their followers. Then there were the so-called Stories, where users shared their everyday life with their followers in 30-second clips. The last big feature was the introduction of Instagram Reels. Experts saw this as an attempt to keep up with TikTok. The reels are very similar to TikTok clips in their presentation. In the future, Instagram’s main focus will be more on videos than on photos.
Target group with more purchasing power
In terms of user numbers, Instagram is very similar to TikTok. Mainly younger generations are on the photo platform every day. In figures, 64 percent of users are between 18 and 34 years old. However, this means that the target group on Instagram is somewhat older than on TikTok. This is relevant when companies want to be active on a platform themselves or want to place advertisements. Because an older target group has more purchasing power.
Authentic advertising opportunities on Instagram
Also important for advertising planning: the exact definition of the target group. This is much easier to narrow down on Instagram than on TikTok. Creators who advertise for a specific company or product are also easier to find on Instagram. Advertising by content creators is also much more authentic here.
Conclusion
Instagram is still the top dog when it comes to moving images, but TikTok has grown rapidly. Advertising campaigns can still be better integrated on Instagram due to the functions, but in the future TikTok will certainly upgrade in this area. It will be exciting to see how the platforms develop in the future and who will come out on top.
