Adults in the U.S. spend about 54 minutes each day on TikTok, more than on Instagram, Snapchat, or YouTube, says research by eMarketer. If TikTok disappeared, these platforms, along with newer competitors, would compete for users’ attention.
Despite the looming possibility of a ban being years away, the potential frontrunner to benefit remains uncertain. Analysts tracking Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, speculate that it could attract more advertisers amidst uncertainty surrounding its primary rival. Meanwhile, creators, grappling with their own uncertainties, are increasingly diversifying onto alternative platforms if they haven’t already. However, the behavior of users, particularly the youthful demographic pivotal to TikTok’s success, remains unpredictable.
Meta, known for its history of emulating competitive services, has a mixed track record in this regard. For instance, the Instagram ‘Story’ feature, allowing users to share ephemeral photos and videos lasting 24 hours, closely resembles Snapchat’s offering. In 2020, Instagram introduced Reels, a feature resembling TikTok’s format, enabling users to create and browse through short videos. The launch of Reels has garnered immense popularity among users. This means that Instagram could be a good duplicate for TikTok.
While TikTok captures more headlines, YouTube maintains its dominance in capturing the attention of U.S. teenagers. According to a recent survey by the Pew Research Center, approximately nine out of ten teens reported using YouTube, making it the most popular platform among the 13-17 age group. YouTube Shorts allows users to scroll through short videos similar to TikTok or Reels on Instagram and Facebook, offering hours of bite-sized content. While many of the featured videos are sourced from TikTok or creators who publish across multiple platforms, YouTube is still primarily known for its longer-format content.
If you’re tired of the mainstream crowd, newer platforms like Triller could be an option. Triller offers similar features to TikTok, sometimes even more, or sometimes less. Although it’s known for music videos and has attempted to attract TikTok creators, its user base is smaller compared to larger competitors, and its content seems to have less diversity, at least for now.
Zigazoo is unique in that it’s specifically designed for kids and offers content suitable for children, as stated by its developers. According to the nonprofit Common Sense Media, Zigazoo is akin to TikTok but tailored for children, allowing them to share short videos of themselves completing various kid-friendly challenges.
