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TikTok hits 1.5B downloads, outperforming Instagram

(www.businessinsider.com)
298 points elorant | 14 comments | 19 Nov 19 14:09 UTC | HN request time: 1.132s | source | bottom
1. nriconalla ◴[19 Nov 19 14:14 UTC] No.21572949[source]▶
Wow that is really a great competition but I guess TikTok really doing great because there are lot of funny and good content or videos uploaded.
replies(1): >>21573360 #
2. Fjolsvith ◴[19 Nov 19 14:52 UTC] No.21573360[source]▶
And I find some of the ads on TikTok are relevant and interesting to me. Additionally, I don't have to wait 7 seconds to skip an ad I don't want to see, nor do I have to watch several ads in a row to continue to the next video (think Youtube).
replies(3): >>21573372 #>>21573380 #>>21573422 #
3. sorenn111 ◴[19 Nov 19 14:54 UTC] No.21573372[source]▶
What's the operating margin? Of course a new company will have like 0 ads as it tries to capture market share and be cool. Once VC moneys runs out and they need to make money, believe me, you'll see ads.
replies(2): >>21573492 #>>21573654 #
4. mdorazio ◴[19 Nov 19 14:54 UTC] No.21573380[source]▶
In other words, you like it more because it isn't trying to actually be profitable yet. If it needed to make money right now, you would see the same level of annoying advertising as on other platforms.
replies(1): >>21573513 #
5. bil7 ◴[19 Nov 19 14:58 UTC] No.21573422[source]▶
instagram ads are skippable too?
replies(2): >>21573519 #>>21573584 #
6. Fjolsvith ◴[19 Nov 19 15:03 UTC] No.21573492{3}[source]▶
On average, I see an ad about every 7 videos on TikTok. Given a video is no longer than a minute, that puts the ad dispersement about on par with Youtube.
7. Fjolsvith ◴[19 Nov 19 15:06 UTC] No.21573513{3}[source]▶
I would consider the number of ads that TikTok runs to be on par with Youtube. However, they do it without the annoyance that Youtube forces on viewers.

I removed the Youtube app from my phone and bookmark from my toolbar. That's how annoying I felt their ad scheme was.

replies(1): >>21574484 #
8. Fjolsvith ◴[19 Nov 19 15:07 UTC] No.21573519{3}[source]▶
I wouldn't know. I don't use Instagram or Facebook.
9. grenoire ◴[19 Nov 19 15:11 UTC] No.21573584{3}[source]▶
You don't have to wait to skip.
10. logicchains ◴[19 Nov 19 15:16 UTC] No.21573654{3}[source]▶
The parent company is profitable now (https://www.cnbc.com/2019/09/30/tiktok-owner-bytedances-firs...).
replies(1): >>21574394 #
11. sanxiyn ◴[19 Nov 19 16:04 UTC] No.21574394{4}[source]▶
Note that their revenue generator is Toutiao, not TikTok.
12. nsporillo ◴[19 Nov 19 16:10 UTC] No.21574484{4}[source]▶
Which is exactly GPs point. The advertisements are forced, not skippable because that is how the platform makes money.
replies(2): >>21575786 #>>21581571 #
13. gpm ◴[19 Nov 19 17:45 UTC] No.21575786{5}[source]▶
No, the post your respond to is making the point that forced not skippable advertisements are, at least with him, causing youtube to lose money.

I suspect they are with many people, they are a very strong motivator to only use the platform when you have some form of adblock enabled that prevents you from seeing the ads at all. They probably also reduce the total number of views = total number of ad impressions for people not using adblock.

14. Fjolsvith ◴[20 Nov 19 06:32 UTC] No.21581571{5}[source]▶
After I've seen an ad once, I get to make the decision whether it's relevant to me on TikTok. On Youtube, they would like you to review the ad all over again, just to see if possibly you changed your mind. In fact, I've had the same ad replayed back at me so many times that my enjoyment of the videos was ruined.

Why do I have to suffer the repeat annoyance? And even when I've skipped the same ad twelve times, why do I then have to watch the ad full length before I can continue to the video? At what point does Google treat me like an adult that can decide the relevance of content?

This is the very reason I cut the cord on Cable TV.