According to Cloudflare Radar, TikTok has surpassed Google as the world’s most popular domain. Google, Facebook, Microsoft, and Apple round out the top five.
Attention is a currency. We “pay” attention and we “receive” attention. Anyone who produces and distributes content knows that the currency of attention is a “bankable” measure of value because it is relatively easy to convert attention into fiat currency.
This shift of attention is one of the most profound consumer behavior shifts I’ve seen in my career. I’m interested in the medium. The 9×16 “portrait” aspect ratio, the use of extreme close ups and TikTok video grammar, the short segment length, the compressed, concise story arcs, the user’s ability to instantly swipe away from unwanted content, and – of course, the incredible algorithm and it’s near-perfect feedback loop. Add the network effect and you have TikTok: a TV killer unlike anything that has come before it.
Author’s note: This is not a sponsored post. I am the author of this article and it expresses my own opinions. I am not, nor is my company, receiving compensation for it.