What TikTok's Online Dominance Means for your Church

TikTok has overtaken Google! You've read that right. TikTok has overtaken Google in 2021 as the most popular website according to Cloudfare. In addition to this, TikTok also overtook Facebook as the most popular social media network.   

For years Google and Facebook have dominated their selected segments. In 2020, Google.com (which includes Maps, Translate, Photos, Flights, Books, and News, among others was the undisputed champ in domain rankings with TikTok being number 7 or 8 most of the year. And the same goes for Facebook's social media website. While these stats are very impressive, it doesn't mean that TikTok is a bigger search engine then Google or have more active users than Facebook. It simply means more people went to TikTok.com more than Google.com or Facebook.com. Which is a very big deal and presents a great opportunity for the future.  

So what does this mean for your Church?

1. TikTok is not just a fad. For a lot of people and Churches, when TikTok first became a hot social media network, people thought it was gonna fade after a while. Then, when former President Trump threatened to shut it down in 2020, people were waiting and seeing what was going to happen. But, nothing happened from that. It just continued to grow in popularity with more and more people are on TikTok now than ever before. 
2. TikTok is NOT just for young kids. Sure, a lot of Milennials and Gen Z are on TikTok, but a lot of Gen Xers are too. They are sharing stories and encouragement about divorce, family food recipes, doing silly dances and encouraging people. I have found Gen X TikTok to be very encouraging and inspiring. People are sharing real life stories and have a huge amount of followers. 
3. Start Understanding how TikTok works. Just like any social network, there is a lot that is good and there is a lot that is bad. But that doesn't mean you have to jump on it immediately and start making content. Create an account, start following people and start trying to understand how TikTok works. The more you understand it, the more you will be able to determine if it is a right social network for your to be making content on. 
4. Start Making Content. Once you explore and understand what is going on with TikTok, it's time to start making content. That's right, start making content. It's time to get off the sidelines and into the game. Share devotionals, worship songs, behind the scenes stuff, interviews. Do dances or other trends, as long as they are appropriate. By making content you will be able to determine 

The time of waiting and seeing what will happen with TikTok is over.. According to Search Engine Journal, the number of global TikTok users number grew 59.8% in 2020, and went up by an additional 40.8% in 2021 with even more growth potential still to come in 2022. TikTok continues to grow and people continue to engage on it. This is a great opportunity for your Church. Start exploring and engaging and see what God does in this space. 

What do you think? What else can we learn from TikTok's online dominance? Share your ideas below or on social media.

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