TikTok Newsletter 41
Sheeeeeeeeeeeeeeesh. Inside TikTok. Log me in.
TikTok Newsletter 41
Hello,
this is Understanding TikTok your weekly TikTok dosis 🍄. My name is Marcus. Charli D’Amelio turned 17 and got an undisclosed amount of Bitcoin. Why? Well, she‘s "been asking for a Bitcoin all day", her father said 🤷 Oh, and TikTok is the strongest growing social platform in Germany. At least that is what this chart says.
Today we talk about:
🐸 Sheeeeeeeeeeeeeeesh
👔 TikTok is testing a job recruitment tool
🔬 Inside TikTok
🗝️ Log me in
🐸 Sheeeeeeeeeeeeeeesh
If you have opened the app we are talking about all the time recently you have probably heard it. The sound is a squeaky chorus of voices sing-saying “Sheesh,” mimicking the celebratory sound of noisemakers at midnight on New Year’s Eve. But way more chill, writes Audra Schroeder. She is a senior internet culture writer with The Daily Dot where she has a weekly sound-column.
#Sheesh. 3B views. It is used to celebrate some accomplishment in the present, future, or past. It appears to be from the TikTok account meetjulio, which is dedicated to a TikTok-famous tree frog named King Julio. Here are 115K more videos using the sound for the trend which might be officially over when you read this. So Sheesh might become Cheugy. But that is another thing. Go read the New York Times (What Is ‘Cheugy’?) or Vice (Being Cheugy Has Come for Me – and It'll Come for You Too). Words don’t come easy.
👔 TikTok is testing a job recruitment tool
The pilot program is designed to help people find jobs on TikTok and connect with companies looking to find candidates, Axios reports. The feature reportedly won't be baked into the core TikTok app. It's said to be a webpage where job listings are posted, most of which will likely be entry-level positions. Since this is TikTok, you'll be able to post a video resume rather than a boring old written one, according to the report. You might be able to add your resume video to your profile as well. (Engadget)
Obviously this Washington Post article about Gen Zers using TikTok to share career advice inspired TikTok executives to try to bolster their platform for job seekers. Makes total sense to me. Especially when you have seen people successfully promoting their skills like Grace.
🔬 Inside TikTok
In TikTok Newsletter 21 i introduced you to Matthew and his book “Attention Factory: The Story of TikTok…”. If you are into insights like that the forthcoming book by Chris “TikTok Boom: China, the US and the Superpower Race for Social Media” might be something for you too.
Meanwhile you can read Forbes’ feature The Inside Story Of TikTok’s Tumultuous Rise—And How It Defeated Trump on the toxicity and intensity of TikTok corporate. Or listen to this Bloomberg Podcast: Foundering Season Two - The TikTok Story. Rebecca has a worthwhile interview with the host for Vox here. Quote: “I think the biggest misconception is that TikTok is this ephemeral, fun, authentic place where everyone can be themselves.”
🗝️ Log me in
Your TikTok login will soon work with other apps. Just so you know. That is convenient. But why is it important? Well, it is one of the signs that show that the app is maturing. Time to get on board before the ship leaves the harbour. This was a metaphor. 🚢
This is part of two new so called SDKs (Software Development Kit). Besides Login (Kit) there is Sound (Kit). With Sound Kit, TikTok’s library of music could theoretically become even bigger, without TikTok having to strike new deals with the big music labels. Sound Kit allows developers to share audio between their apps and TikTok, so if you make a particularly great mix in one app, you can start using it in your videos. Read more over at The Verge.
What else?
Alpacas (or their owners) are not allowed to livestream on TikTok. Sad. Cat sampling with Meredith Bull. German supermarket chain Kaufland is doing a pretty good job on TikTok. Here are some learnings from german media company Rheinische Post how (not) to go viral. So you better polish your german.
I adore this protest voguing in Colombo. And these duets (making fun of self-proclaimed TikTok news anchor Marcus DiPaola and his girlfriend) are mean but by far the best i have seen in recent weeks. I lost track of the latest 387 food trends on TikTok. Probably Pesto Eggs are a thing now?!
Stay hungry, stay foolish. Or try to do something useful in the coming days. Ciao, Marcus 🍿