Posting new videos on TikTok is not available in Russia. However, many TikTokers are not ready to migrate to other platforms and still continue to send new content using VPN services. According to Nikita Konovalov, head of the SMM agency in the Didenok Team group of companies, when trying to circumvent the ban, the posted videos can be recommended to foreign viewers, but not shown to users from Russia.
Those who continue to post new videos admit that their TikTok audience continues to grow. As blogger Victoria Nikulina, who has 2.7 million subscribers on TikTok, told socialbites.ca, more than 100 thousand people have subscribed to her page since the use of the social network was restricted. “TikTok started promoting old videos, I think a lot of people do,” she says.
Blogger Dina Mirnaya, who has 5.9 million followers on TikTok, also continues to publish content on the social network, but is not as active as before. “When full-fledged TikTok returns, I will definitely increase the volume of content several times,” the blogger says. “My TikTok is actively growing, although I post content often, we will see the mark of 6 million subscribers very soon.”
Some bloggers who developed their TikTok accounts have switched to the less popular Likee platform. There are no restrictions on posting content in this social network – this is a positive point. But it also has its downsides, says Nikita Konovalov, on Likee there are less solvent audiences, namely children and non-original content. Often times, local bloggers copy trends from TikTok.
If the videos of the brand or influencer are designed for children, you can be successful on the platform.
Konovalov believes that Likee is now more interesting for creators than TikTok due to the lack of restrictions. Although there are other networks that bloggers can go to.
“In the current situation, if you choose between TikTok and Likee, then of course Likee is more effective. Since March 6, TikTok has temporarily limited the posting of content to users from Russia, advertising is also “on the go”. In Likee, everything works as before. If the likee is not suitable for the target audience, then others can be considered – for example, VKontakte Clips or videos in Yandex.Zen, ”says the expert.
He recommends developing the blogger’s audience and niche: TikTok is for adults and more complex content, Likee is for kids and entertainment.
TikTok and Likee have a lot in common: they are both services for watching short videos. The first service is owned by Beijing-based ByteDance, and the second by Singapore-based BIGO. Likee was developed and launched a year before TikTok, but its success came after its Chinese counterpart.
On the Chinese service, it is prohibited to create an account and send content to users under the age of 13. If the service finds a breach, their account will be automatically deleted. Therefore, the audience of the platform is more mature and the topics of video shooting are more diverse.
You can sign up for Likee from the age of 12, but the social network does not restrict younger children from posting content. When navigating the feed, it’s not easy to find videos with adults – kids’ entertainment content dominates.
Tiktokers who have already switched to Likee admit that they still don’t understand how they can monetize their content there.
Blogger Sarkis, who shoots videos on family life with his wife, states that among the advantages of the platform, he draws attention to making money directly, but that the blogger has not had time to try it yet. “Of course it is quite possible to sell ads on Likee. I know a lot of advertisers come to Likee, but for now they are being cautious and trying to understand the audience: what “gets” into the community, how to work with it and what you can achieve,” says Sarkis.
According to blogger Polina Tsyuzik, who is known by the nickname “Doublemam” on Likee, the videos she shot with children soon started to attract attention, but the coverage is less than on other platforms. “Here, the conversion to subscriptions is much higher: apparently, likers like my videos and are much more willing to subscribe. There are pros everywhere: for now, I don’t think Likee can be a full-fledged replacement for TikTok, because viewers here are younger, but time will tell – TikTok is also “aging” quickly and the Likee community is more friendly,” says the blogger.
Blogger Alexander Kuznetsov, better known as Bloptop, used TikTok as a channel to grow and promote his stuffed toy business – now trying to grow on Likee thanks to the right audience.
“Young people and zoomers, who form the core of our target audience, sit here. There are not enough adult viewers here so far, but that doesn’t really stop us: our content is perfect for those who like it,” says Kuznetsov.
Source: Gazeta
Barbara Dickson is a seasoned writer for “Social Bites”. She keeps readers informed on the latest news and trends, providing in-depth coverage and analysis on a variety of topics.