Welcome to the dynamic world of TikTok, a platform that has captured the hearts and screens of millions of users worldwide. In this article, we delve into the heart of TikTok’s effervescent creativity that characterizes this powerful tool, exploring the secrets of its algorithm, the emerging trends and the captivating stories that unfold in just a few seconds.

Do you know the history of TikTok?

Founded in 2016, TikTok has been making waves in recent years.

The application merged with Musical.ly a year after its creation, for $1 billion, as a separate application from its Chinese equivalent, Douyin. The principle? Share short, entertaining videos. This is the reason for its success, with a concept that appeals strongly to young Internet users, who account for 40% of the app’s users.

Indeed, Gen Z consumes social networks in a certain way, and is hyper-connected. We told you more about this in our article on the use of social networks by Generation Z.

Tiktok is at its prime during 2020. In times of confinement, the French can’t do without this application. Fun challenges, non-stop news updates, activities to pass the time… The ideas flow and TikTok becomes the center of attention.

Today, Tiktok joins the ranks of the most popular social networks, alongside Facebook, Instagram and X. By 2023, the number of monthly active TikTok users in France is estimated at 21.4 million (Source: TikTok).

The TikTok algorithm: its greatest strength

TikTok’s algorithm has turned the social media world on its head. In the early days, we were all perplexed by the virality of certain videos, which had no known logic.

Based on the recommendation system, it’s the app that decides which videos will be displayed on your “For You” news feed . The result is an ultra-personalized experience, with TikTok acting as a virtual master of ceremonies, carefully selecting the videos that will spice up your exploration of the app.

Organic visibility is therefore at the heart of the mechanism. The “Pour toi” news feed is constantly updated with new content, most of it created by people you don’t know or follow. Make way for videos that are as creative as they are surprising! The application is also based on each user’s interaction with the proposed content, so as to know what they like or dislike, and adapt the content recommendation accordingly.

As you can see, the application favors random recommendations, to the detriment of content produced by accounts that are followed. The race for subscribers is over– it’s not an indicator to be followed on TikTok! From now on, creativity and the ability to capture the audience’s attention are your best allies.

A good SEO strategy is also recommended to maximize your chances of occupying that all-important “For you” spot on TikTok. This means making good use of hashtags, finding and using the most sought-after keywords of the moment.

A little tip: the caption is not the only place where you can integrate keywords and optimize your natural referencing. TikTok can also detect them in your voice-over or in the text embedded in your videos! Don’t thank us 😊

Using TikTok to promote tourism

While fashion, beauty and home decor are all popular topics on TikTok, another theme is taking up more and more space on your news feeds: tourism. And as you’d expect, it’s the one we’re most interested in!

Great deals on low-cost travel, destination discovery and showcasing, unusual activities… The app is a source of inspiration and has become the new playground for travel lovers.

There’s something here for everyone, with travel content to suit every passion. For lovers of family travel, dive into #FamilyTravel with its 907 million views, inviting you to explore “kid-friendly” destinations or revealing clever tips for successful family adventures. Solo explorers, meanwhile, can get carried away by #SoloTravel, with 4.4 billion views, offering sound advice on pitfalls to avoid and ideal destinations for a solo getaway. Intrepid travelers will find what they’re looking for in #AdventureTravel, taking the community to the heart of destinations brimming with thrills and excitement. Escape is just a click away! 🌍✨

TikTok, famous for its short, vertical format, stands out for its simplicity of use, accessible to all. With an intuitive interface and a host of features, TikTok makes it easy to explore and implement marketing campaigns.

It’s the ideal way for tourism operators to promote destinations and invite communities to travel and discover.

According to the platform, “77% of users say they are likely to book a vacation based on recommendations they have seen on TikTok”.

Case study: Dominican Republic

TikTok has thus become an excellent way to showcase a tourist destination, highlighting its advantages, places of interest and must-do activities.

As a communications agency specializing in tourism, we couldn’t pass up this tool, which offers so many advantages! We invite you to discover our Social Media campaign and how we succeeded in promoting the Dominican Republic via Tiktok!

The aim was to increase the destination’s visibility while reaching out to a new target group: Millennials. This Dominican Republic case study illustrates how TikTok becomes an immersive space, offering virtual travelers an open window onto exceptional destinations.

The top 3 posts on the TikTok account in 2022:
A TikTok about humpbackwhales that generated 1.2M views and 44.7K likes.
A video about rivers and waterfalls that generated 1.1M views and 9,967 likes.
A video about coconut tasting on the beach that generated 765.9k views and 7,193 likes.

To sum up, we’d like to give you a few more tips on how to succeed on TikTok:

• Be creative;
• Position yourself in a niche, with a concept, an editorial line and good SEO;
• Read our article on best practices on TikTok;
• Fun and good cheer!

It’s up to you! And for more advice, don’t hesitate to contact us 😉