So, now that TikTok USDS JV (the actual name of TikTok’s American version) is back on track, and free from the technical glitches that have spooked users over the past week, will it continue to be the top short-form video platform for cultural trends, or will alternatives, like UpScrolled, continue their rise, making them a real consideration for social media marketers?
Well, going on the early returns, I don’t like UpScrolled’s chances.
UpScrolled shot to the top of the download charts last week, as rumors of possible interference and censorship on TikTok ran rife, which even prompted some big-name celebrities to declare that they were deleting their TikTok accounts.
But TikTok US says that the issues were caused by data center outages, not manual tampering, and it’s now declared that everything is back on track, and that users won’t be seeing any more zero view counts on their uploads or “restricted” searches for certain terms.
Nope, all of these issues, TikTok says, were technical errors caused by the outages, and now, everything’s A-Okay.
And based on the numbers, it seems that TikTok users believe them.
As reported by SimilarWeb, both UpScrolled and Skylight Social, a decentralized TikTok-like app, saw big rises on the back of the TikTok concerns, but that interest has since tailed off significantly.
As you can see in this chart, download numbers for both apps are now in decline, and with the TikTok controversy subsiding, it seems like that sudden surge in interest will be short-lived.
Sensor Tower has reported similar, though it’s also noted that downloads of TikTok are also in decline, while RedNote and Instagram have gotten more attention.
I doubt that any of these apps has the power to supplant TikTok in the U.S., with the popularity and ubiquity of the app helping to reinforce its status as a top social platform of choice.
Though a lot also depends on what TikTok’s new U.S. management does with it, because the new Oracle-led team will have some control over the algorithm, and that could alter the in-app experience.
I would think that they’d be hesitant to change too much, given the popularity of TikTok as it is, but there could be some shifts in algorithmic behavior, as the new TikTok US team looks to implement its own management approach, and re-align the algorithm as they see fit.
Will that lead to manipulation of trending topics, as some fear?
Again, that would be a big risk, and if they weren’t sure what the user response would be to such, they now know, with this initial switch to alternatives showing that TikTok could be supplanted if users suspect that something’s off with the app.
As such, I would expect TikTok to remain largely unchanged in the U.S. market, which will quell the rise of these upstart apps.
So probably no need for your brand to be on UpScrolled as yet, though some people are looking to reserve their name just in case.
