Embracing engagement, practice, and viral content: using TikTok to gain more TV audiences

Abstract

TikTok is a social media that has evolved into a versatile growth industry. Even a few legacy news media brands have established a presence on TikTok and begun experimenting with different formats. Especially four television stations in Indonesia use TikTok to gain more audiences. Therefore, this paper discusses the potential of TikTok for TV stations. We look at the engagement side of TV stations’ TikTok content, the type of content they create, and the TikTok features they use in that content. This research uses the qualitative study of four private television stations that focused on explorations of video-based practices. We took data from some of the video content on the TikTok of four TV stations in Indonesia starting from April 2021 - April 2022. Qualitative explorations of the data reflected a set of interrelated practices more than promotional contents as visual information. Consistent patterns were observed between contents in videos and subtitles enactment. We found solid steps toward links between conceptualizations of short and clear message practice. Also, this research shows that Indonesian TV stations have different content performances based on engagement, content types, and use of features from each other. Based on the results of our research, it can be concluded that TikTok has potential for TV stations in Indonesia.