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TikTok, a Chinese video-sharing focused social networking service, is gradually turning into a tool for product promotion and making money in Bangladesh and elsewhere in the world.
Its easy to use filters, tonnes of audio suggestions and trending tags allow users to make short-span packages.
The packages get views with the help of its dedicated AI algorithm that analyses real-time data of the contents.
These facilities help its users have quick fame with less effort than other platforms like Facebook, Instagram, or YouTube.
Tiktok also seems to promote content-based education, science, artworks, food blogs along with businesses and other content in a commendable manner.
A promotional platform
The app, owned by ByteDance, is the first Chinese social media platform that became popular around the globe after its inception in 2017.
According to a Reuters report, TikTok’s total revenue was more than doubled in 2020 to $34.3 billion while its operating loss was $2 billion and the company altogether valued at $50 billion.
Internationally, it has 689 million monthly users and in the USA 62 per cent of users are aged between 10 and 29. The app has recorded six billion lifetime downloads on iOS App Store and Google Play as of December 2020, according to Sensor Tower.
As a lion share of the platform’s users is trendy Gen Z and younger millennials, corporate sectors that target this age group with their products or services are already vigilant in this platform.
Despite being late, Bangladeshi businessmen are now also focusing on promotional campaigns in this sector. Especially, concerns of entertainment media are now promoting their work by various means.
Recently, telecom service Brand Airtel has also launched TikTok campaign #airteleidchallenge where users can upload a short video using a tune provided by the telecom company for winning a smartphone.
Commenting on the promotional campaign, Junayed Mustafa, marketing and sales consultant of digital marketing agency HYPE Dhaka said, “Such a drive aims to entertain the audience with user-generated video content. And thus, it will help build the bridge between the brands and the users.”
“In Bangladesh, brands can create their channels and upload relevant videos through those. And thus, they can work with the influencers to spread their contents to the broader audience,” Mustafa added.
Dhaka University student of the Dance Department Twink Carol Parrish, who does brand endorsement on TikTok, said, “The number of people in this sector is a handful in Bangladesh.”
“Like other social media platforms, TikTok doesn’t pay their popular account holders for their efforts or views while brand endorsements do. However, if any account holder manages to be popular by themselves, they may get the offer for brand promotions from various business organisations,” said Parrish.
“Suppose, my videos get up to 60,000 views per day. So, if I promote a brand, they may give me Tk 5,000 to Tk 10,000 per video or send me some goodies and gifts. For other influentials, this payment range may vary based on popularity and that particular business organisation. But I can say this will be no more than Tk 50,000 per month as I am well aware of this culture,” she added.
Showing off creativity and AI algorithms not only help many to be popular overnight but also change their fortunes.
One such example is Akter Ali who used to be a staff hairdresser back in April 2019 at Hair Studio in the capital’s Dhanmondi area when he first opened his account. He showed his craftsmanship on TikTok and saw a surge in customers which encouraged him to rent the full studio last year from his previous owner. Now he teaches others and recruited 12 staff to work for him. He has already appeared in seven television dramas and movies simply riding on his TikTok success story.
“I am trying my best to uphold the art of hairdressing in front of the world using this platform,” said Ali.
Munzareen Shahid, a Dhaka University graduate and also a student at Oxford University, has also become popular for her English teaching on online platforms. “I never thought that I would be able to teach English using TikTok. When I approached the people with this idea, they used to laugh at me and wondered how it’ll be possible. But again, it was possible for me to do such a wonderful job.”
A recreational platform for users
Noya Daman, a song from the Sylhet song, again came to light in recent times thanks to TikTok user and singer Tosiba Begum.
As soon as the video drew the attention of expatriate artist Muza, he immediately contacted her and proposed a duet with her, which helped the song go viral.
“I have long been trying to establish myself as a singer and this platform has given me a unique space,” said Toshiba.
TikTok user and also a reporter of a renowned news outlet, Meherun Naher Meghla said, “After a long day of hard work, I usually scroll down TikTok or make some short videos to uplift my mood. With this platform, it is possible to present many complicated topics nicely and easily in a single short video.”
Dr Mahfuza Khanam, professor and chairperson of Dhaka University’s psychology department, said, “Humans, who are by birth social animals, have narcissist traits and they too love to be popular. Social media like TikTok satisfies such human appetite to some extent.”
“Funs and games via this app help us to feel connected with a bigger community which is essential both for brain and emotional health, particularly during the ongoing pandemic which is often being experienced with lockdown like situation,” Dr Khanam added.
Controversies bubbling, surveillance must for safer platform
On August 4 last year, popular TikTokerYasin Arafat Opu, alias “Ofu Bhai” and one of his associates were arrested by police on charges of assaulting, harassing and beating three people in Uttara.
Apart from Ofu Bhai, there are several other TikTok “celebrities” who have established a cult following and their online actions have given a rise to public scrutiny over the wellbeing of Bangladeshi culture and its society. Incidents of clashes were reported between many such circles demonstrating their muscle power.
Such growing popularity also tempted wicked people to poison the platform with transnational sex and human trafficking, drug abuse, gang culture, violence and adult content, largely conflicting with Bangladeshi cultural values.
Recently occurred incidents like the unearthing of sinister networks of transnational sex and human trafficking gangs, violence and sprouting mob culture within-country have fuelled the debate on this use of social media platforms that youngsters are indulging themselves in the harmful state.
Such incidents eventually prompted Bangladesh police to conduct an extensive investigation and surveillance on cases related to this platform.
The Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) is reportedly set to submit a proposal for banning TikTok at a time when some Supreme Court lawyers and organisations filed writ petitions on High Court demanding ban on the platform.
Against such a backdrop, TikTok has recently launched two strategic campaigns called #ApniSafeToAppSafe and #HoiShocheton to retain its image and also to create awareness among the digital community people, promote responsible internet behaviour and ensure user safety. TikTok through its campaigns has called upon the users to be aware of personal as well as public safety and also be decent while recording videos or using the platform.
“Since we have already launched strict surveillance on all the popular social media platforms, we are now investigating crimes related to the sex trade, human trafficking, drug abuse, sexual harassment, and violence and so on, but so far no crime relating to terrorism or data theft is found,” said Additional DIG of CID Cyber Police Md Kamrul Ahsan in reply to a question of The Business Post.
Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology Minister Mustafa Jabbar said, “We will take necessary actions against all kinds of irregularities following the High Court verdict or recommendations made by the country’s law enforcement agencies. But, if someone uses VPN services to access any banned website, unfortunately, we won’t be able to refrain him or her from such practices as we don’t have any such infrastructural support to block the VPN services.”
