A new report estimates that TikTok will exceed 50 million users in the United States by 2021.
Data from eMarketer shows that TikTok’s US user base will grow 21.9% this year, reaching 45.4 million people by the end of 2020. This year, 21.6% of US social network users, or more than one in five, will use TikTok at least once a month
That growth will continue in 2021, with TikTok projected to reach 52.2 million users in the US.
For comparison, TikTok grew by 97.5% in the US in 2019. That means growth is expected to slow down considerably in the coming years, and even drop to single digit percentages in 2022.
The slowing down in growth, eMarketer notes, is due to the app becoming heavily saturated among its core younger users.
Debra Aho Williamson, eMarketer principal analyst, says:
“TikTok had a breakout year in 2019, and it is incredibly popular among teens at this point. Some are spending multiple hours per day on the app, which is a testament to the incredible stickiness of its scrolling video format. But it has yet to develop a strong following among older generations.”
Williamson also cites concerns around censorship and privacy as a reason for TikTok’s growth slowing down. As it relates to marketers’ utilization of TikTok, Williamson says it’s still an “experiment” for many.
“Properties like TikTok are supporting and creating new forms of self-expression, and brands want to tap into that. It’s an experiment for many marketers. In many ways, TikTok is where Facebook was in the late 2000s, and where Snapchat was three or four years ago.”
Source: eMarketer
