Nostr Web Client

Every time I talk about TikTok on here I get negative replies about how “nobody on Nostr cares about TikTok” 🙄 but I agree with this OP - most folks have no idea how lucrative TikTok is. I’ve made thousands of dollars on there this year alone using their various monetization streams, with the shop feature being my biggest hustle (and I only make one ad a week for products I already had in my home). There are folks on there making 3-4 ads per day and banking 5-6 figures per month!

In my opinion there’s a confluence of reasons TikTok is successful but first is viral potential - which essentially is driven by their social search engine style algorithm (aka what you search for is what you see in suggested feed/FYP based on key words both spoken and written with the post). Second is ease of use and features that support content creators like green screen capability, live-streaming, filters, audio sharing, music suggestions, etc.

Then last but certainly not least is monetization potential - they’ve got the creator program which pays opted-in creators for every 1k “qualified views” (my least fav program bc they’re a little shady on this haha), the shop “showcase” with affiliate sales commissions from 5-25%, the sellers shop (for businesses), subscriptions offerings like Patreon with tiers, and livestream gift receiving (like twitch), and ways to connect directly with brands for sponsored posts. It’s a lot going on over there.

If we could recreate it as web3, creators would be all about it because the worst parts of tiktok are the censoring (people with millions of followers having to say “Dior Bags” instead of “drones” when talking about recent NJ events or they get stuck at 200 views for example) and the lack of self custody of the content as well as the audience/community that we’ve grown there.

Anyway just food for thought, nerd edition. Thanks for coming to my ted talk. nostr:note1j25xtgrn3uz5nqywfxrz275s94c3swraehshhyglnzc377fr0tesjxgl6p

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Discussion

TheBitcoinManual 1y ago

I'm sure billions of dollars flow through tiktok directly and indirectly and there's a subset of the users making regular income the problem with recreating it is who is going to pay the capex?

Creators on TikTok aren't driving enough volume where the revenue share TikTok keeps covers all the server costs and hosting costs, Their model only continues on because they a CCP subsidised entity, and still has other business interests driving their revenue like Douyin and Toutiao, and some B2B services which is where most of its revenue

Since they're not publicly listed we can only go on what data they provide

Now you can argue well Meta has the same business, in Reels and Google has it in YouTube shorts, they've been growing formats mostly driven by Tiktok Reposting but both platforms have confirmed that this is a loss leader for them

Now if a company like Meta and Google with monopolies in their niche and a high margin ad business already in play and adding this feature to their ecosystem still saying its a losing medium what hope would their be for a ecosystem like nostr to replicate this?

Jessica Chasteen 1y ago

Pretty much the reason I haven’t called for a nostr-tiktok-clone project before is because I have seen how Meta and Google have tried and failed to recreate the same successes of TikTok. If they can’t do it with their budgets, it’s naive of me to hope that a rag tag band of merry devs could simply recreate the app. Haha. One does not simply walk into Mordor after all.

But I also recognize where Meta and Google are getting things wrong that TikTok is getting right - especially with search and suggestions - so part of me is like: yo maybe they’re just too big for their britches and a more nimble team would actually be better off? Idk. A girl can dream.

cloud fodder 1y ago

its both. phone screens are so addictive that it hardly matters what the content or experience is. many have started simply disconnecting. if they can do that, they can use a slower and more decentralized nostrtok someday, even if its not 'as good'.

🇵🇸 whoever loves Digit 1y ago

we can do it tbh

TheBitcoinManual 1y ago

lol ideas are always worth exploring and debating, that's what the internet is about sourcing the wisdom or the stupidity of the crowd.

For sure TikTok's secret sauce is the algo but from my understanding that comes at a price, the stickier the platform the less likely people are to click out or disrupt their experience for an ad, this isn't something Meta and Google want, they need to drive increased ad revenue in CPM and CPC and since they're public companies if they don't deliver growth their share price takes a knock.

As for my personal experience running ads on these platforms, I see TikTok ads working for some FMCG brands, unlike FB or Google where you can do a lot more high-margin businesses like Insurance, etc so brands are willing to spend more in those auctions. When I work with larger brands the Tiktok ads are only seen as additional branding and audience exploration for later remarketing and last-click conversions from TT isn't really profitable

Jessica Chasteen 1y ago

For the curious, look at my analytics for the past year - during which I have never devoted more than a few minutes of each day to creating my posts. See how 0.9% of my views come from people who follow me? 80% come from the FYP (for you page - algorithmic feed) and another 16% from search. Now - tell me what other apps are producing that kind of organic reach? It’s wild.

BitTiger 1y ago

Listen I do not care how lucrative tik tok is.

That site turned my siblings beautiful partner into a brainwashed troon. No amount of money is worth the risk of ever stepping foot there. Not even for a whole bitcoin.

Jessica Chasteen 1y ago

I don’t even know what a troon is but I’ll take your word for it.

BitTiger 1y ago

Jessica Chasteen 1y ago

Oh interesting. You think TikTok influenced their gender identity? I mean some people are highly suggestible, so it can certainly happen. But here’s what is interesting: whenever I clear my cache and kind of “reset” my algorithm, I always joke about the amount of lonely-looking but adorable dudes that it shows me until I retrain it with my search bar. It’s like it wants me to love men even more than I already do. Haha. Not possible, TikTok, but nice try. 😆

BitTiger 1y ago

My sibling watched it happen in real time during the plandemic. Even had to threaten a divorce if they started surgically mutilating their body. That stopped the progression and got them off tik tok. Even to this day my sibling hopes that is is just a fad. So they play along placating to their brainwashed ego. Hoping for one day that the person they married finally wakes up.

Jessica Chasteen 1y ago

Sometimes I really do wonder if all the endocrine disruptors are fucking with us. But I can see how during the Rona there was a huge focus on “beauty” and “makeup” and I, for one, didn’t get on TikTok until 2023 and even still I can’t stand makeup content because I worked in the beauty industry where they required me to wear that crap on my face every day haha - but I can see how that content genre is really aligned with drag queen culture - kind of maximalist makeup. So that’s my theory is the makeup industry is behind all of this. Haha